Spirituality Won't Solve Your Problems.

Summary

In this introspective video, the narrator recounts their journey of self-discovery, beginning with a pivotal moment in 2016 that led to a major change in life direction. They explore the concept of intuition, initially skeptical but later embracing it as a guide in decision-making. The script delves into the narrator's experiences with cognitive science, meditation, and the teachings of Alan Watts, illustrating the balance between intuition and rational thought. It concludes with a nuanced view on intuition as a skill to be developed, not a replacement for conscious decision-making, advocating for a curious and present approach to life's complexities.

Takeaways

• 🤔 The speaker initially struggled with the concept of trust and intuition, finding it difficult to rely on an immeasurable feeling for decision-making.
• 🔄 A pivotal moment in 2016 led to a significant shift in the speaker's life, sparking an interest in cognitive science and a deeper understanding of their intuitive self.
• 🧠 The process of choosing a major in college exemplified the struggle with analysis paralysis, where the overwhelming number of options led to indecision.
• 💡 An emotional reaction to cognitive science as a major was the first conscious awareness of the speaker's intuition guiding their decision-making.
• 📚 The discovery of Aaron Dottie's YouTube video on developing intuition provided a structured approach to harnessing this intuitive self.
• 🧘‍♂️ Meditation and setting intentions became part of the speaker's routine, leading to a more intuitive and less anxiety-ridden life.
• 🌟 The influence of Alan Watts and Zen Buddhism introduced the concepts of naturalness and spontaneity, emphasizing living in the present moment.
• 💻 The speaker's experience with YouTube and relationships highlighted the challenges of relying solely on intuition without considering the broader context.
• 🔍 Research into the validity of intuition revealed that it is a skill that can be developed and refined over time.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Just like physical training, pushing past initial intuitive limits can lead to growth and improved decision-making skills.
• 🧐 Recognizing the limitations of intuition in a modern context, the speaker concluded that understanding why intuition leads one way is crucial for making informed decisions.
• 🌱 Embracing the ups and downs of life, the speaker encourages owning all decisions and viewing life as an experience rather than a problem to be solved.

Q & A

What was the speaker's initial perspective on trusting their gut?

The speaker initially did not understand the concept of trusting their gut and found the idea of basing decisions on an immeasurable feeling to be unhelpful.

What significant event in the speaker's life led to a change in their perspective on intuition?

The speaker's perspective changed after a series of events starting in 2016, particularly the moment they felt a strong emotional reaction when considering the cognitive science major.

What is analysis paralysis as described by the speaker?

Analysis paralysis is a state where one is overwhelmed by the number of possible paths to take, leading to indecision or the inability to make a decision in a reasonable time.

How did the speaker's experience with cognitive science influence their life?

The speaker's experience with cognitive science led them to make a major change in their academic path and discover their intuitive self, which significantly altered their approach to decision-making.

What video did the speaker find on YouTube that helped them develop their intuition?

The speaker found a video titled 'How to develop your intuition: a simple step-by-step process' by Aaron Dottie, which provided a structured approach to becoming more in touch with their intuitive self.

What are the three steps outlined by Aaron Dottie in his video for developing intuition?

The three steps are: 1) meditate and become present, 2) set an intention and know you will find the answer, and 3) let go of the answer and become present to the feeling you would have if you already had that answer.

How did the speaker's approach to life change after adopting the practices from Aaron Dottie's video?

The speaker became more confident, less anxious, and started making decisions based on their intuition, which led to a more free-flowing and spontaneous way of living.

What impact did Alan Watts and his teachings on Zen Buddhism have on the speaker's life?

Alan Watts' teachings on Zen Buddhism influenced the speaker to see past the illusions of the mind's effort to constantly label and to observe total present-ness without attaching to thoughts, leading to a state of naturalness and spontaneity.

What was the turning point for the speaker that made them question their intuitive decisions?

The turning point was when the speaker felt a disconnection between their intuitive way of being and the planned action required by the modern Western world, which first manifested with their YouTube channel and then with their relationship.

What conclusion did the speaker reach about intuition after their research and personal experiences?

The speaker concluded that intuition is a skill that can be developed over time and that it is important to understand why intuition is leading one in a certain direction, evaluate one's skill level, and expose oneself to more situations to hone intuition.

How did the speaker's understanding of intuition evolve by the end of the script?

The speaker's understanding evolved to recognize that while intuition can be a powerful tool, it needs to be balanced with conscious thought and an understanding of one's biases and conditioning to make better decisions.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Discovering Intuition

The speaker recounts their journey of self-discovery, which began with a struggle to understand the concept of 'trusting your gut.' Initially a computer science major, they felt a diminishing passion for their field and experienced 'analysis paralysis' when faced with making significant life decisions. A pivotal moment occurred on September 14, 2016, when they were drawn to the major of cognitive science, an interest that sparked an intense emotional response. This realization led them to embrace their intuitive self, a discovery that would profoundly change their approach to decision-making. The speaker then shares how they stumbled upon a YouTube video by Aaron Dottie, which provided a structured method to develop intuition, and they began to apply these techniques to their life, leading to increased confidence and a more engaging academic experience.

05:00

🌟 Embracing Spontaneity and Zen Philosophy

The narrative continues with the speaker's deepening exploration of intuition, leading them to Alan Watts, a philosopher known for interpreting Eastern thought for Western audiences. Through Watts' teachings, particularly his book 'The Way of Zen,' the speaker learns about the principles of naturalness and spontaneity central to Zen Buddhism. They grapple with the concept of living in the present moment without attachment to thoughts or outcomes. This philosophical shift influences their lifestyle, leading to spontaneous decisions such as starting a YouTube channel and attracting a romantic relationship through meditation and intention-setting. However, the speaker also experiences a growing disconnect with the structured, planned approach prevalent in modern society, causing internal conflict and a sense of crisis.

10:01

🧘‍♂️ Balancing Intuition with Rational Thought

In the final paragraph, the speaker confronts the challenges of relying solely on intuition and the potential pitfalls of making hasty decisions without rational consideration. They reflect on their experiences, including a period of existential questioning that led to a hiatus from YouTube and the end of a relationship. Through research and contemplation, they conclude that intuition is a skill that must be developed and refined over time, much like physical strength. They acknowledge the importance of understanding the reasons behind intuitive responses and the need to balance spontaneous action with informed decision-making. The speaker advocates for a nuanced approach to life, where intuition is honed and utilized consciously, rather than being a substitute for rational thought. They end with a call to stay present, curious, and to view life as an experience rather than a problem to be solved.

Keywords

💡Trust

Trust in the video script refers to the reliance on one's inner feelings or intuition when making decisions. It is a central theme as the narrator grapples with the concept of trusting gut feelings and how it contrasts with analytical decision-making. The narrator's journey from skepticism to embracing trust is a key narrative thread throughout the video.

💡Intuition

Intuition is portrayed as an innate ability to understand or know something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning. It is a pivotal concept in the video, as the narrator discovers and learns to develop this aspect of self-awareness, particularly when choosing a major in college and making other life decisions.

💡Analysis Paralysis

Analysis Paralysis is a state of indecision caused by overthinking or overanalyzing when faced with multiple options. In the script, the narrator describes experiencing this phenomenon when confronted with choosing a college major, highlighting the struggle between relying on intuition versus being overwhelmed by options.

💡Cognitive Science

Cognitive Science is an interdisciplinary field that examines the mind and its processes. In the video, it becomes the chosen major for the narrator, symbolizing a significant life decision made partly based on an intuitive feeling, which later becomes a subject of reflection and growth.

💡Meditation

Meditation is a practice of focusing the mind and achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm state. The video mentions meditation as a method to become more present and develop intuition, serving as a tool for the narrator to better understand and utilize their intuitive self.

💡Zen Buddhism

Zen Buddhism is a school of Buddhism that emphasizes meditation and the direct experience of reality. The narrator explores the teachings of Zen, particularly the concepts of naturalness and spontaneity, as a way to deepen their understanding of intuition and living in the present moment.

💡Spontaneity

Spontaneity in the video refers to the act of acting naturally and without premeditation. It is a key element of the Zen teachings the narrator studies and is adopted as a lifestyle choice, leading to a more intuitive and less analytically driven approach to life.

💡Alan Watts

Alan Watts is a philosopher and writer known for interpreting Eastern philosophies for Western audiences. In the script, his teachings on Zen Buddhism influence the narrator's perspective on life, intuition, and the nature of reality.

💡Intuitive Self

The Intuitive Self is the aspect of an individual that is in tune with their inner voice or gut feelings. The video script details the narrator's discovery and development of their intuitive self, which becomes a guiding force in their life choices and personal growth.

💡Patron

A Patron in the context of the video refers to a supporter of the narrator's content, likely on a platform like Patreon where creators offer exclusive content to their supporters. It is mentioned in the closing remarks, showing the narrator's appreciation for their community.

💡Decision-Making

Decision-Making is the process of selecting a course of action from among multiple alternatives. The video script explores the conflict between intuitive and analytical decision-making, with the narrator ultimately seeking a balance between trusting their gut and making informed choices.

Highlights

The speaker initially struggled with the concept of trust and intuition, viewing them as immeasurable and unreliable for decision-making.

A pivotal moment occurred on September 14th, 2016, when the speaker felt a strong intuitive pull towards cognitive science as a major.

The speaker experienced a transformation in decision-making, moving from analysis paralysis to trusting their gut after choosing the cognitive science major.

The discovery of the speaker's intuitive self marked a significant shift in their approach to life and decision-making.

The introduction of a YouTube video by Aaron Dottie on developing intuition provided a structured approach to harnessing this intuitive sense.

The speaker adopted meditation and setting intentions as part of their daily routine to enhance their intuitive abilities.

Intuition led the speaker to make significant life changes, such as starting a YouTube channel and attracting a serious relationship.

Alan Watts and Zen Buddhism introduced the concepts of naturalness and spontaneity, impacting the speaker's perspective on life.

The speaker grappled with the modern Western world's disconnection from the principles of Zen and its emphasis on planned action.

An existential crisis emerged as the speaker questioned their YouTube channel's purpose and their relationship's future.

The speaker recognized the need for balance between intuition and rational thought, acknowledging the limitations of both extremes.

Research into the validity of intuition led to the understanding that intuition is a skill that can be developed and refined over time.

The speaker learned that intuition must be primed and trained, much like physical muscles, to avoid making rash decisions.

Modern influences can hijack our intuitive responses, leading to potentially harmful or irrational actions if not critically examined.

The speaker concluded that intuition, when properly developed, can lead to more efficient and effective decision-making in life.

Life's complexities and the interconnectedness of experiences suggest that intuition plays a vital role in navigating the unpredictable.

The speaker encourages embracing curiosity and presence, viewing life as an experience rather than a problem to be solved.

Transcripts

I never really understood the term trust

your gut because what does that even

really mean are you trying to tell me

that I should put Faith in all of my

decisions based on a random immeasurable

feeling nothing about that seemed useful

at least that's what I used to think

before I went through a series of events

that would change my life forever

starting back in 2016. September 14th 8

23 PM the blinds were shut over my

second story dorm room window as the

freshmen and sophomores that usually

strolled around this part of Campus were

walking to their friend's doors to get

ready for another Friday night party I

was scrolling through my College's

website on my laptop the glow from the

laptop screen in my pitch black room

revealed my distraught face I had no

idea what I wanted to do with my life

for the first one and a half years of my

college career I had been a computer

science major it was rewarding and

sometimes even fun but the passion I

once had for this activity started to

slowly snuff itself out like a little

kid trying to blow out a candle on their

birthday well I guess all all those days

I spent with my physics teacher after

class in high school learning how to

code a game were all for nothing then I

thought to myself the page I was

scrolling through was my school's list

of Majors I knew I enjoyed technology

Science and Arts but that only

eliminated a few of the couple hundred

Majors listed for me to choose from

making decisions had always been a

difficult task for me especially when it

evolved ones that could potentially

change the entire trajectory of my life

I frequently had what is called analysis

paralysis which is a state in which you

are paralyzed by the amount of

hypothetical paths you could go down to

the point where you don't end up making

a decision in a reasonable amount of

time or you don't end up making any

decision at all but I didn't have the

luxury to choose the latter it was

either I continue pursuing a major that

I no longer felt fully aligned with and

run the risk of never truly enjoying the

rest of my life or find a more favorable

one I searched for the strength to act I

analyzed every single major the pros and

cons with each how much money they would

make me versus if I would really like

them until finally I came across one

named cognitive science and when I

started scrolling through this major

what I felt was different sure I thought

most of these subjects were pretty

interesting but something about looking

at this major specifically caused my

body to have an intense emotional

reaction I felt a jolt of energy rushed

through my head until it eventually left

through my fingertips and toes and a

little voice inside of me kept repeating

yes this one over and over I was sure

this had happened in my life before but

this was the first time I Was Made

consciously aware of it and that was the

major that I ended up choosing this

event marked an important discovery that

would change the way I acted in the

world the discovery of my intuitive self

two months since that event had passed

by and nothing about me really changed I

had held this discovery within the back

of my mind and was now slightly aware of

when it would happen but I lacked the

information required to utilize it

properly but then one day as I was

looking at my YouTube recommended I saw

a video pop up on my feed it was titled

how to develop develop your intuition a

simple step-by-step process by the

YouTuber Aaron Dottie and suddenly there

it was again the emotional sensation the

shift in my heartbeat and the natural

gravitation to click on the video it

felt like the answer I was looking for

all along presented itself to me without

any external effort required so with

enthusiasm and excitement I decided to

click on the video he laid out a very

structured and easy to follow approach

to getting more in touch with this

intuitive self the first step was to

meditate and become present the second

was to set an intention and know you

will find the answer and the third was

to let go of the answer and become

present to the feeling you would have if

you already had that answer like some

divine intervention had effortlessly

fallen into my lap I felt Overjoyed it

was everything I had been looking for

and I didn't have to do my usual

anxiety-inducing routine of straining

endlessly for the solution to my problem

From This Moment onward I made about

myself with every decision you make

employ these steps you you learned and

always let your intuition guide you it

was now mid-January and the once anxiety

ridden over-analyzing young man I was

had transformed into an unconscious

free-flowing being I felt like the

essence of water I'd flow from one

activity to the next without much

thought and before each decision I'd

make I'd give my gut a split second to

guide me the parties I went to that once

had me acting like a forceful fake call

now had me more confident than ever able

to talk with anyone because I was no

longer so in my head stressing about

whether I was saying the right thing or

not or whether this person liked me I

was simply letting my intuition do the

thinking and talking for me quickly and

immediately I started my new major and

almost every class I went to felt more

engaging and interesting than my

computer science curriculum and just

like Aaron doddy's video had suggested I

started meditating daily and decided to

set the intention that I wanted to

attract a woman into my life and have a

serious relationship and just a couple

months after I ended up talking to a

girl frequently and she later became my

second girlfriend I even started this

YouTube channel during this time based

on an intuitive hunch all of these small

but significant events eventually led me

to go deeper into the idea of living

freely and without much thought until my

spiritual research made me stumble upon

a man who completely changed the way I

viewed reality and my life and that man

was Alan Watts Alan Watts was a teacher

in philosophical Entertainer known for

popularizing and explaining Eastern

religion and philosophies in the Western

World the first book of his I listened

to was called the way of Zen which

explained the Eastern teachings of Zen

Buddhism the central ideas of Zen

Buddhism revolve around two things

naturalness and spontaneity to achieve a

state of Zen one must see past the

illusions of the mind's effort to

constantly label and just observe total

present-ness without attaching to one's

thoughts in other words one must act

completely spontaneous within the

present moment when one student of Zen

asked his master how do you practice Zen

the master responded when you are are

hungry eat when you are tired sleep well

isn't that what everybody does aren't

you just like Ordinary People Said the

student oh no the teacher said they

don't do anything of the kind when

they're hungry they don't just eat they

think of all sorts of things when

they're tired they don't just sleep but

dream all sorts of dreams another zen

master in response to someone asking

what the ultimate secret of Buddhism was

spontaneously said dumpling I use these

examples to show that Zen has no form or

aim it isn't trying to get somewhere or

be something it's simply just is just as

nature does not try to be anything other

than nature and cats do not try to be

anything other than cats one should not

try to be anything other than whatever

the present calls them to do as a

college student these teachings were

predictably quite hard for me to grasp

since Zen tries to teach what cannot be

put into words regardless I continued on

listening to this audiobook every day on

the way to my classes thanks to the app

Audible which is the sponsor of today's

video audible is the home of

Storytelling it's where I've learned a

ton of my non-fiction knowledge and

there's always something new on there to

discover too you can listen to an

incredible selection of audiobooks

across every genre from Best Sellers and

new releases to celebrity Memoirs

Mysteries and thrillers motivation

Wellness business and much more whenever

I have a 20 plus minute car ride I'm

almost always putting on an audiobook to

listen to and the way of Zen is one that

I've listened to multiple times among

countless others that's really the best

part about the audible app you can

listen to your favorite audible titles

anywhere at any time whether that be on

a walk in the car or when you're sitting

in the corner of your room contemplating

Your Existence and as an audible member

you can choose one title a month to keep

from the entire catalog including the

latest bestsellers and new releases and

once you choose it you get to keep that

title forever members also get full

access to a growing selection of

audiobooks audible originals and

podcasts and since audible is sponsoring

this video they are giving you guys a

free 30-day membership just click the

first link in the description which is

Audible dot com slash Cole Hastings or

text Cole Hastings to 500 500 and start

your 30-day free membership today Upon

finishing the way of Zen I felt like a

switch had flipped in my head suddenly

the half full potion of intuitiveness

that was sitting in the stand of my head

had been filled to the brim and smashed

on the floor of my brain allowing it to

ooze into my psyche I had lost any

semblance of structure freed my ego and

became this moment and this moment only

with all its complexities and

spontaneity whatever it was that the

present moment and my intuition made me

move towards I followed it I stopped

identifying with this physical body and

saw everything as an all-connected

source that only existed in the present

all of these unconscious spontaneous

decisions eventually led me to buy three

different sets of kimonos which I had

planned to wear to school the day after

they arrived and even though I ended up

never going through with that it

highlighted just how much I had shed the

idea of deliberate planned thinking and

simply allowed my myself to go with the

flow in its most extreme State no more

forced interactions no more wondering if

I made the right decision or not and no

more beating myself up when something

didn't go my way because when you have

no attachment to the outcome the future

or the past then it's impossible for

everything to not go your way but then I

felt something happen the massive

disconnection between my way of being in

the modern Western world that is built

upon planned action started to wear down

my positive attitude and that first

manifested itself with YouTube after a

couple years of making videos I was only

at a few hundred subscribers part of me

felt like my time would come eventually

but another part of me just wanted to

run away from it all leave society and

grow my own produce in a cabin in the

middle of the woods this unclear Split

Decision in my mind haunted me because

it was the first time since I had leaned

into my intuitive self that I was

questioning a decision and actively

worrying about it next came my

girlfriend something in me told me that

maybe we weren't right for each other

either which was only further

exacerbated by a couple shroom trip

where I revealed to her that I was

unsure of our future together it was a

full-blown existential crisis but

despite the confusion I still let my

intuition guide me once more and stopped

making YouTube videos for a while and

broke up with my girlfriend too and just

like that I was right back in the same

position I found myself in the night I

was scrolling through Majors on my

college dorm room bed can confused lost

and stressed I had now seen both sides

of the extreme from being the

overanalyzing overthinker who let all

decisions cast a debilitating spell on

me to the Zen enlightened eagleless monk

who let spontaneity and intuition act as

my brain's pilot but somehow both of

these ways of living produced the same

result in the end I knew that getting

out of this mental state would require

some reflection and action so I started

to do more research I took in

information from both sides of the

spectrum such as the audiobook blinked

by Malcolm Gladwell which argues that

intuitive thinking can be extremely

useful then I listened to the audiobook

don't trust your gut by Seth Stevens

which explained that data and statistics

can help you get what you really want

out of life and throughout my research I

found that like almost all things the

answer is invariably nuanced but amongst

all those things there was one thing

that was consistent and that was the

fact that intuition is a skill that can

be developed over time let's say you're

new gym goer and you're trying to lift

heavy weights you're grinding out a hard

set and you're starting to feel fatigued

your intuition would tell you to stop

right here because it's not primed to

push yourself to the absolute limit with

your body's muscles after all lifting

weights is a process of literally

tearing down your muscle fibers to make

them grow back bigger and if you haven't

pushed your muscles to that point before

your brain automatically sees that tear

down as dangerous but stimulating

optimal muscle growth requires you to

silence that intuitive voice and keep

pushing to one rep before or at failure

but it isn't something we are innately

gifted with in the same way that the

novice lifter doesn't know how to push

themselves I was letting my poor

intuitive voice allow me to make rash

decisions about my career paths sure it

happened to be that cognitive science

was the right choice for me but who

knows if that was by chance by Divine

guidance or just because I had been

focusing more on cognitive related

things at the time which caused me to

have a bias towards that major and

wanting to stop my YouTube channel was

the result of my brain's lack of

patience and inability to think long

term not because it was truly the right

thing to do in the end a lot of what I

considered intuition that is when I

thought or acted a certain way without

thinking about why I did came from

biased conditioned irrational Notions

what I realized is that spontaneous

unconscious action can be dangerous if

you don't know why it's happening and

this is especially true in our modern

worlds where everything from the food we

eat to the content we consume to the

advertising we see is all engineered to

hack our brain's intuitive response and

get us to overindulge unnaturally and

unnecessary Pleasures hell even changing

the color of a product on a shelf in the

grocery store has been shown to

influence our intuitive purchasing

decisions so what may have worked

wondrously for 12th century Zen monks

whose primary worries were survival

based may not work as well for our now

hijacked brains but of course that

doesn't mean that this way of living

should be disregarded completely it just

means we need to first ask why aren't

tuition is leading us to go this way

evaluate our skill level in this area

and expose ourselves to more situations

that we are trying to hone our intuition

in and by doing so we can start to make

what once took a lot of conscious

deliberate efforts unconscious like the

master of the sword who can predict each

of his opponents movements without

thought or the seasoned businessman who

can choose the right stock investment 85

percent of the time just through sheer

feeling when you're a young teenager

like I was your intuition is gonna kinda

suck it's gonna get you in all kinds of

trouble misguide you and it's going to

make you consistently ask yourself why

did I decide to do that but that's what

makes it so beautiful life doesn't

really make sense and it's gonna beat

you down pretty hard sometimes this

strange existence we are all taking part

in is an interconnected playing of

elements that we will probably never be

able to understand through words alone

and sure you may not always make the

right decision but if you own all of

your decisions they all end up becoming

the right ones so stay present and stay

curious because life is not a problem to

be solved it's a reality to be a

experienced

thank you very much to all my patrons on

patreon if you don't know what this is

there's a platform separate from YouTube

where I put out exclusive content you

can also talk to me on the phone there

if you want to check that out Link in

the description if you enjoyed this

video you'll probably enjoy my short

story videos with life lessons in them

they'll impact you a ton and hopefully

the intuition is guiding you to click

right here to check those out I love you

guys thanks for watching till the end

peace