I’m not sure when it first happened. The first time I recognized another voice in my head. A voice that sounded like me, but was someone else. Maybe it was the time when I was going to throw rocks at passing cars, and I heard a voice in my head suggest that maybe it wasn’t a good idea.
I remember as a kid arguing with the voice. I would put forth some outrageous idea and sit back and listen to the debate. It was then I realized several voices were present. It was as if I had several lawyers arguing for, and against, the idea that I had.
I never dared to share these inner thoughts with others when I was younger. I only assumed that something was different with me. Of course, I saw the cartoons with the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other. I knew that two voices seemed to be acceptable, but three voices? Four? More?
And then I read a book about Bridey Murphy and reincarnation. Previous lives? Multiple voices? This mental thing was all too fantastic. And I loved every second of it.
The mental area is often confused with intelligence. Intelligence is almost always associated with the mental area of life. Intelligence is an aspect of your mental life, but it’s not the entire story. Your mental life contains all your thoughts.
We can define mental as anything not physical. And yet, our touch, smell, hearing, sight, and taste, are all influenced by what we think and the way we think. And, all that we think is nudged by what we experience through our senses. Mental and physical worlds coexist, no matter what. No matter your level of mental acuity and physical prowess.
Connected
If you’re a fan of the movie, The Matrix, you may be convinced that everything is mental. That we are only our thoughts. That the total of our experience is between our ears. Or so it seems.
For most people determining where they are mentally, may be like aiming at a moving target. Just when you think you understand, another voice or opinion pops up — a contrasting view.
When I was younger, I was always attempting to use logic to trap people. I was clever, or so I thought. Perhaps I was annoying. I found myself being clever in ways that I spoke to my inner self. “Why did I just think that?” “What can I think that I haven’t thought before?” And so on. I also wondered about sleeping. Where did I go when I was asleep?
“To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” – Boy Scouts
I was intent on staying mentally awake. I was so intent on staying mentally awake; one time when I was twelve years old, I woke up in a dream. Yep. In a dream. The sensation only lasted a brief time, and it made a big impression on me. What had happened? I was conscious of being in a dream. Or so I thought.
I had stumbled across Lucid Dreaming!
What was I thinking?
How do we measure our mental area of life? How do we monitor it? Maybe, all we can do is monitor. We see the outcome of our thoughts. We experience the bad decisions, the good decisions and when we don’t decide at all.
Being mentally fit may just mean that feel you can evaluate your situation accurately and make wise decisions. Many different psychological tools exist to help you determine your current mental state. This is a starting point. Use any results as a way to help you determine where you might want to be in one year.
Nudge: Whose voice do you hear most frequently in your head? Your mother? Father? Someone else?
Nudge, nudge: Why do you believe that other voice in your head?