Yesterday I shared a few ways to improve your thinking.
Here’s another one: prayer.
Let’s talk definitions, because prayer, being a religious concept, could be viewed very differently by different people.
So when I say prayer, I’m thinking about a conversation that someone has with a higher being, or the universe. That conversation may occur in their head, or in spoken words. It often includes expressions of gratitude, praise, and pleas for help. It may follow a set script, or may be off the cuff.
That’s pretty darn (gotta watch the language on this one) inclusive.
So, why does it make you think better?
A few different reasons.
First, it’s approached as a conversation.
That’s one of the methods I laid out in the earlier email.
Whether you feel like there are responses or not, you are being forced to form your thoughts into words, and as you do that, you crystalize them.
Second, your mind is open to new ideas.
Again, your conception of God, or whatever you are praying to, can vary greatly. But prayer opens your mind to new ideas.
And it doesn’t really matter if you think they come from a divine father, a disembodied power, your own subconscious, or the universe.
The point is that you’re open to them.
Third, you hope that the ideas that come during prayer are from a deeper source.
You’re not only open to those ideas, but you are open them being better than the ones you’ve had on your own.
Really, you should approach most new ideas with that kind of humility. Prayer can help you do that.
Fourth, the ritual aspects of prayer can induce a meditative state.
Ritual is a powerful force for changing your mental state.
If you’re religious, you’ve seen this in the religious ceremonies that you participate in deliberately.
If you’re not, it’s likely you still have rituals, whether it’s a morning coffee, an afternoon run, or a Sunday drive.
When you do something over and over again it becomes automatic. Your nervous system takes those actions below the level of consciousness. But when it does so, those parts of your brain are still quite active, and so you can enter a state similar to, but not the same as, the one described in my earlier email in the section on running. One where you can think, often deeply, about things that are unrelated to the ritual, while somehow also having those thoughts be influenced by the ritual itself.
Fifth, prayer can specifically tap into your emotional thinking.
More than writing, walking, sleeping, or talking, prayer is an emotionally fraught activity.
As such, praying will bring your emotional thinking to the fore.
How you feel about ideas, plans, and possible decisions will become more clear as you pray.
Sixth, prayer encourages and allows for complete honesty.
Prayer is about getting Real. Honest. Authentic.
With something or someone you consider divine.
Honesty is vital for proper thought. And prayer may be the most effective method of thinking for getting true honesty.
You know, barring a truth serum.
What If I Don’t Pray?
Well, now is the time to consider it.
If the whole enterprise feels goofy, or like you’re faking it, no worries. Don’t beat yourself up about it. But don’t expect it to help you become a better thinker either. Just focus on other methods for improving your thinking.
That said, if you aren’t praying, but feel like you could do so sincerely, go for it.
Don’t worry too much about the form, at least not at first. You’ll likely follow patterns you learned as a child, or at a religious time of your life.
If you’re interested but really have no idea, just skim through the Wikipedia entry on prayer and choose an approach that resonates for you.