Spin Cycle: Sixth Sense

The sixth sense.

Remember back in the day when we used to call it ESP (extrasensory perception)? Does anyone ever say that anymore?

My last post dealt with trusting my gut, which surely has a lot to do with a sixth sense.

I believe we all have this ability, to a greater or lesser degree. It's probably what helped our cave-people ancestors realize they might be in danger.

As in: Hey, why is the hair on the back of my neck standing up? I think I better get the hell out of here. And then the next day they notice the saber-toothed tiger tracks that weren't there the day before.

Today, it seems our sixth sense is either on its way out on the evolutionary scale, or we just don't pay as much attention.

I do think these things can be hereditary, like long legs and a short temper. I've always encouraged my kids to stop, listen to their gut feelings, and then try to follow them.

When they were younger and guessed something I was about to say, I told them "You must be psychic."

One time, the UPS guy came and Daughter #2, barely five, predicted what was in the package.

"You're so smart, "I told her. "How did you know?"

I'll never forget the look of pride on her little face. "That's because I'm psycho," she declared. "Right, Mommy?"

I tried not to laugh, I swear.

It turned out Angelica on Rugrats had called herself psycho when she thought she knew what people were thinking. Daughter #2 took it from there.

It wasn't such a big leap, really.

I mean, this is a child who ran screaming down the hall at 19 months old to lock herself in the bathroom because she didn't get her way.

Psychic? Psycho?

Maybe a little of both?

(Love you to pieces, Daughter #2. But you know it's true...)

 

For more Psychic Spins, I've got a very strong feeling you should go visit Sprite's Keeper.

Comments

[SuziCate]

Awe, Daughter #2 is precious, psycho and all! Love this post!

[Jen]

You need to go visit my friend Ron at Vent. The link is on my site. He just wrote a post about trusting your gut on his site last week. I always find that if I don't listen to my gut I make a bad decision.
As always, thanks for stopping by.

[Ocean Girl]

That saber-toothed tiger tracks sounds scary. As an animal, we do have the sixth sense but the strength varies.

[Mama Badger]

Sixth sense, common sense, a little of both? I think if people just slow down some times and think about what they need (instead of want or social expectation) then they come out in the right place. "I need to get off this saber tooth tiger path and back into my cave."

As for the psychic-psycho link, it think that's common to most kids that age. At least I hope it's normal...

[Erin]

I might have to jump in on that spin. As a fellow psycho... Great post, Maureen.

[Erica@PinesLakeRedhead]

I have two nieces that are psycho... um I mean psychic. Nope. They're definitely psycho.

[Sprite's Keeper]

I remember ESP and ESPN for those who took the acronyms a little too far. :-)
Great Spin! You're linked!

[BumbleVee]

I'm thinking a lot of our senses are on the way out...or, already gone, from much of what I see and hear when I go out of my cave. Especially one called common sense. A perfectly good reason to stay home even more than I do. Some days you wonder what the heck people are thinking when they do the stupid things they do... like driving whilst doing several other things...or trying to do the several others... and then wonder why they end up killing somebody else or themselves. Yesterday a teenager was applying makeup while whizzing past me and I was already 5 to 8 over the limit... Well, if they kill themselves I guess they don't really wonder at all do they? Hopefully they've just killed ONLY themselves ...so won't further contaminate the gene pool.

Everything just seems to be faster, bigger, brighter, louder, so much more extreme .... it has to be to keep the interest of the new generations... most of them have already lost most of the "old fashioned" senses.... probably stemming from the advertisers that figured out about the 20 second images needed to stimulate a kid's brain...there is waaaay too much stimulation beginning with teens and/or so called "nannies" or babysitters dragging children to the bright, loud, plastic mall, as tiny babies.. or plonking them in front of a tv for a babysitter.... sigh.... where will it end?

just me ranting... wondering what is wrong with a little Olde Fashioned quiet fun at home... which seems to make people gag these days... ....., or a little one observing 'a birdie' pointed out by (gasp) their own mother, whilst being pushed along a quiet path in a stroller... perhaps enjoying an occasional treat like going to the ice cream shoppe..instead of being out all the time and eating junk regularly ... .... which of course, leads me to my rant about real food.... I won't go there..... this is already waaaay to long and I'm sure most of the under 30's stopped reading about the first 7 words....

suffice to say, I agree the senses are definitely being bred out ... most have already been lost...

[Vince]

Hmmm, for myself the Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M Auel hit all that ESP stuff out of the park. Mostly by ever so slightly pushing the idea of Smell being the first or primary sense. And being the primary sense it underpinned all the others. For lord alone knows how small a sample of scent causes a synapse to connect. And the book was remarkable accurate archaeologically. Such a pity that the film was so soft-porn.

[Linda at Bar Mitzvahzilla]

Such a cute anecdote, Maureen! I have like this really stupid psychic ability. If a song pops in my head, it will be played at my exercise class that day and if I suddenly think of a person, they'll show up or call. That's enough for me.

[Terry]

I am a psycho with a bit of ESP! I listen to those goosebumps that erupt on the back of my neck. I try and get my kids to listen their inner voices. i remember that RUGRATS episode. i used to tease my eldest that he was psycho.

[mrsblogalot]

I'd like to think that we haven't lost that sixth sense. I know I still use mine all the time. I don't want it to eventually fall off like the predicted pinky toe. Must use all senses!!

[Diane]

remember that classic movie line: "She's not psychic, she's psychotic!"

[Bumby Scott]

You do make me laugh.

Always Bumby

[Jane]

Psycho? That's just so adorable! My daughter asked me (at about the same age) if she was a "sidekick."

[Ann]

Bet that made the UPS guy's day.

[Lisa @ Boondock Ramblings]

Pyscho or Pyschic? Well, my husband calls me the psycho...but I think I'm a little pyschic. Like when he tells me I'm psycho, I can see him in the future, sleeping on the couch.. alllll by his little ole' self. :-)

[lisleman]

enjoy the story but I'm not so sure ESP lived up to the hype it was given.
common sense may someday be called uncommon sense.

[the mama bird diaries]

Cute story! Leave it to the rugrats for life's great lessons.

[kathryn]

Aw. Daughter#2 is probably mentally cursing you out about now!

SO FUNNY you should mention ESP...I've an awful habit of beginning sentences to da boys and then just...stopping. They'll oftentimes try to finish my thought for me, not realizing that my brain is already 2 thoughts ahead of that long-forgotten sentence.

A few hours ago, I began a sentence to Taylor and stopped. He said, "I wish I had MTV, or whatever that thing is that could read your mind...it really would help at times like this."

Gee, Maureen...it's like YOU have ESP!

[jessica]

what a day Maureen. I wished so much you lived nearby. I needed to talk to you. You who I know would understand.

I'm sorry I'm not leaving a relevant comment but I just wanted u to tell me exactly when you think you will move here

[~The South Dakota Cowgirl~]

How funny about your daughter. I might have been too old for Rugrats by the time it came out- it wasn't very funny to me. Again, great glimpse into your life!

[TheKitchenWitch]

I love this! Psychic, psycho--eh, same difference, right? Thanks for the laugh!

[Stacy (the Random Cool Chick)]

I love it! I'm always joking saying that I'm Psycho then correcting it to Psychic when Princess Nagger asks me how I KNOW... ;)

[Erin@theLocalsLoveIt]

It is so funny to me how kids get all caught up in their words. Like Sprite's Keepers post and her daughter. They are too cute!

[Lynn]

I don't know how many times I've thought to myself "I should..." and then don't and then kick myself.

Freaky daughter story? A couple of years ago we drove by the house of a lady that we both know but who we hadn't seen in ages. Julia piped up from the back seat, "It's Mrs. H's birthday today." I just made a little, "yup, I'm listening but not sure how to respond" noise (everyone knows which one I mean), and we carried on our way. She had had no contact with Mrs H or anyone who knew her, except myself, and I certainly didn't know her birthday.

Later that afternoon I got a surprise visit from Mrs. H. I hadn't seen her for months, but it so happened that she came across a book that we had lent to her daughter the summer before, and she was returning it. As part of our conversation, it turned out that she was going out to dinner with her husband to celebrate her birthday.

*Twilight Zone Theme Music Here*

There's a lot going on in our brains that we have no clue about.

[lisleman]

just blogwalking and realized of the many times I've stopped by here I didn't notice the weekly island photo. very nice!
I guess most visitors never bother to check out the things on the sidebars. I put stuff there thinking it might get the visitor more likely to hang around or come back. I suspect the sidebar rarely gets a look.
How long have you had the photos up there?

[Ginger]

Around here, we call it "ESPN." And yes, I am old enough to still remember ESP.

[Jan]

LOL - it reminds me of that old "I Love Lucy" episode where Ethel pretends to be a medium.

"This is Madame Rhea - she's psychotic!"

[Patty]

I totally agree that our intuition is being suffocated or ignored. It has been as a mother that I have really come to understand how important trusting your gut is. I need to work hard at ignoring the things that distract me from paying attention to my gut, but I'm doing better.

[Heather]

LOL! Aren't we all a little bit psychic and psycho! LOL! Cute story.

[Rowe]

I try and keep in touch with my gut instinct. Perhaps technology is getting in the way of people using their gut - too much other information distracting many now?!?!