Although skeptics have tried for many years to categorize instincts as a secondhand emotion, scientist have been busy studying instincts and through lab experiments and brain scans they have successfully proven that this trait does, in fact, exist. I describe instincts as our natural human intelligence and pose the question, why would humans be created without this survival instinct that even animals possess?
Martha Beck, PhD and graduate of Harvard University discusses in her book, Finding Your Own North Star, describes the "internal compass" (Beck, 2001 pg xv) which I interpret as one's natural human intelligence or instinctive drive. In an article titled "Wise Beyond Our Years," Bahram Akradi, who is the founder and CEO of Lifetime Fitness cleverly describes instincts as "the intelligence of raw survival fused with the more miraculous and mysterious drives of the human soul" (Akradi, 2010 pg. 87).
Our ancestors who had no exposure to the modern amenities we are afforded today, relied upon their instincts for guidance on how to navigate and get their needs met in every area of life, from nourishment to mating to surviving in the wild. As we grow and develop, we intuitively gather information about our environment guided by our instincts. When danger is lurking nearby, we instinctively take flight. As we further grow, we are able to scan our environment and sniff out any dangers. We learn to calculate and navigate. We learn that there is a time to respond and a time to be still. Finally, all of the complexities of the human instincts become perfected and this intuitive knowledge is captivated to advance our cause and aid in our survival. This intuitive knowledge gets passed on to our offspring.
When we experience emotional and psychological trauma our instincts can be damaged or become dull. If your instincts are dull your system of checks and balances is functioning at low capacity. On the other hand if your instincts are damaged your system of checks and balances can be completely shut down. You know your instincts are damaged when a predator crawls through a window and "even though they're wearing a ski mask, have a knife between their teeth, and a sack of money slung over their shoulder, we believe them when they tell us they're in the banking business" (Pinkola Estes, 1992 pg 48). You know your instincts are dull when you intuitively know the predator is suspect for a bank robber but you allow his superficial charm to override your intuition. Instead of the predator being a bank robber, he is viewed as just cute and eccentric.
Unfortunately many women as well as men have instincts that are not operating at full capacity and some have instincts that are not functioning at all. This renders us vulnerable and predators of the human kind aka psychopaths are able to zone in on that vulnerability and captivate our hearts before we are able to detect what is going on. In order to protect ourselves from predators of the human aka psychopaths we must get to know the psyche of a psychopath. We can't protect ourselves from something that we are not aware exists.
For those of us who have experienced a relationship with a psychopath, this information will resonate. For those who have not experienced these toxic relationship, you can educate yourself and to avoid this painful experience with a psychopath.
Stayed tuned for information on the psyche of the psychopath and how to avoid these toxic relationships. No Posts Available!
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© 2014. Women's Retreat Center.
Sponsored by The Women's Retreat Center.
Martha Beck, PhD and graduate of Harvard University discusses in her book, Finding Your Own North Star, describes the "internal compass" (Beck, 2001 pg xv) which I interpret as one's natural human intelligence or instinctive drive. In an article titled "Wise Beyond Our Years," Bahram Akradi, who is the founder and CEO of Lifetime Fitness cleverly describes instincts as "the intelligence of raw survival fused with the more miraculous and mysterious drives of the human soul" (Akradi, 2010 pg. 87).
Our ancestors who had no exposure to the modern amenities we are afforded today, relied upon their instincts for guidance on how to navigate and get their needs met in every area of life, from nourishment to mating to surviving in the wild. As we grow and develop, we intuitively gather information about our environment guided by our instincts. When danger is lurking nearby, we instinctively take flight. As we further grow, we are able to scan our environment and sniff out any dangers. We learn to calculate and navigate. We learn that there is a time to respond and a time to be still. Finally, all of the complexities of the human instincts become perfected and this intuitive knowledge is captivated to advance our cause and aid in our survival. This intuitive knowledge gets passed on to our offspring.
When we experience emotional and psychological trauma our instincts can be damaged or become dull. If your instincts are dull your system of checks and balances is functioning at low capacity. On the other hand if your instincts are damaged your system of checks and balances can be completely shut down. You know your instincts are damaged when a predator crawls through a window and "even though they're wearing a ski mask, have a knife between their teeth, and a sack of money slung over their shoulder, we believe them when they tell us they're in the banking business" (Pinkola Estes, 1992 pg 48). You know your instincts are dull when you intuitively know the predator is suspect for a bank robber but you allow his superficial charm to override your intuition. Instead of the predator being a bank robber, he is viewed as just cute and eccentric.
Unfortunately many women as well as men have instincts that are not operating at full capacity and some have instincts that are not functioning at all. This renders us vulnerable and predators of the human kind aka psychopaths are able to zone in on that vulnerability and captivate our hearts before we are able to detect what is going on. In order to protect ourselves from predators of the human aka psychopaths we must get to know the psyche of a psychopath. We can't protect ourselves from something that we are not aware exists.
For those of us who have experienced a relationship with a psychopath, this information will resonate. For those who have not experienced these toxic relationship, you can educate yourself and to avoid this painful experience with a psychopath.
Stayed tuned for information on the psyche of the psychopath and how to avoid these toxic relationships. No Posts Available!
View Mobile Site
© 2014. Women's Retreat Center.
Sponsored by The Women's Retreat Center.