Here’s a trick from Win Wenger, author of “The Einstein Factor,” a great book filled with tons of tips on how to increase your creativity, intelligence, and genius power.
This requires a complicated issue or problem you’re having. It can be an engineering problem, a personal problem, financial problem. So long as it’s fairly well understood.
It helps if you can phrase it in a simple question, but it’s not necessary, as you’ll soon see.
For example, if you were wondering about your career, it could be as simple as:
“I’m not sure if I should continue to do job X, or start to learn skill Y to get job Z”
Then you’ll need to imagine somebody who is an absolute expert in your field. They can be living now, or a historical figure. Somebody you’ve actually met, or somebody you admire. They can even be a character from a movie.
For example, if there was a girl you admired by afar, and you didn’t know how to approach her, you might use the Johnny Depp’s character Don Juan De Marco, from the movie of the same name.
Here’s how it works. You’ll need some imagination, a few minutes, and a quiet space. You’ll be sitting wherever you are, and speaking out loud, so make sure you won’t get taken to the loony bin if people hear you.
OK, so think of your problem. Close your eyes. See that figure up ahead, facing away from you.
Slowly walk up behind them, describing your problem in as much detail as possible. Avoid the feelings of hopelessness and frustration that often comes with problems like these.
Instead, create an expectation of it being solved, and create that feeling of curiosity you get, like when you’re watching a mystery and you are wondering how it’s going to end.
Keep talking about your issue, and right when you get behind your “mentor,” quickly reach up, and switch heads.
Take your head off your body, and swap it with their head. Keep that conscious feeling of “in here” when you switch heads, so you’re now thinking in your body, with your mind, only you’re using their brain and their experiences.
Just keep on talking as quickly as you can, and see what comes out.
You may be surprised what you hear yourself saying.