Psychologists have confirmed that 60% of communication between humans does not occur through speech. Rather, it occurs non-verbally through movements, gestures, and suggestions that emanate from the human body while speaking or listening to someone.
One of the deadly mistakes we make is not paying attention to body language, which is a way to accurately understand what is going on in the mind of the opposite person, even when dealing with an introvert who doesn’t know how to express themselves, or even with liars or those who fake their personalities. Since people's minds are necessary to protect themselves from falling into trouble and being exposed to fraud, in our article, we will talk about the meanings of some body language movements that are useful in reading the minds of others.
Reading other people's minds
It is a phenomenon similar to the science of possibilities or clairvoyance, that needs a great amount of attention from the person sitting next to you. This phenomenon exists innately in humans, but to varying degrees, and it has preoccupied people a lot throughout the ages. Prompting scientists to conduct many psychological and scientific types of research that they disagreed with, some of them took the matter to "parapsychology". (Beyond Psychology or Paranormal Science). It studies the spiritual phenomena, and some others confirmed that reading thoughts is related to the existence of an area in the back of the human brain that powers these skills. This explains why it varies among humans.
As for the trainer and researcher in the management of change and the influence of beliefs, "Ahmed Al-Maliki", explains the phenomenon of reading thoughts in the sense that a person is able to read the minds of others by focusing on the type of words they spoke and analyzing their meanings, then linking them to their beliefs.
How to read others' minds?
You can dive into a person's thoughts once you understand the motivations behind their body language. This happens after observing each of their movements. Reading thoughts is not magic as some people think. It is an observation, focus, scrutiny and awareness as well, and to reach that stage you must be aware of the meaning of each movement.
Here are the meanings of the most prominent human body language movements:
1. Hand-to-face touching
We notice the person touching different places on their face, especially their nose, when speaking, as this is related to lying. More precisely, placing the hand below the nose and above the upper lip. Additionally, placing the palm of his hand over his mouth is associated with lying.
If he was listening and touched his ear repeatedly, then this means that they doubts the speaker’s words, in contrast to what it means to put their closed hand on their cheek with the index finger raised upwards, as this indicates a keen interest in the speaker's speech. But we must differentiate between that movement and that which supports the head. As this position indicates boredom or that they are trying to stay focused. In other words, the conversation made them sleepy and they tries hard to prevent themselves from falling asleep.
2. Hand movements
When you shake hands with someone and he pulls at the top of your hand to greet you, his behavior indicates his great appreciation for you. On the contrary, if their hand fist is open, this indicates that they avoid communicating with you as much as possible. As for speaking, if the hands are joined at the level of the nose with the elbows placed on the table, then that movement indicates lying and betrayal as well, especially if the index and middle fingers are raised and joined in front of the lips. However, when the palms of the hands are open, that sign expresses the sincerity of the person, as it is associated with submission, and therefore he can be trusted.
Placing the arms on top of each other has a deep meaning. If the speaker puts the left arm on top of the right, then this indicates that they are wary of you, and vice versa. If the right arm is on top of the left, this indicates their openness and confidence. However, when a person sits on a chair and puts his hands on his legs, and women often do that more than men, this indicates the need for care. As for the man, we notice that he raises his hand on the back of the adjacent chair when he sits next to an empty chair, as he desires the presence of a female partner at his side to give her his sympathy and tenderness.
When a person puts their hand on his chest and pats lightly, this indicates their fear and an attempt to protect themselves. In addition, the movements of the fingers are no less important than others. If the right thumb covers the left thumb while speaking, this indicates that the speaker is relying on logic. On the contrary, if the left thumb covers the right, this indicates that the person is subject to his intuition. If the speaker separates the index finger from the rest of his fingers, this indicates his desire to acknowledge something. As for the person who pats his fingers on the table while speaking, then he is a person who desires to control you and loves to impose his authority.
3. Legs position
Some people try to control their movements in order to appear mysterious while talking to others, but the focus is often on the upper part. Therefore, it is possible to look at the movements of the lower part to understand what he is thinking. If the man puts the right leg above the left, this indicates his satisfaction, and if he puts the left leg above the right, it indicates the loss of his control over the situation. As for the woman, the opposite is true.
If a person stretches his legs and puts the right ankle over the left, this means that he is in self-defense, but if the left ankle is placed above the right, this indicates his desire to relax.
4. Eyes
People ask a lot about the possibility of understanding others through their eyes, as it is what we look at the other person the most. The eyes are the window to the soul. Therefore, it is a great way to read what is going on in the mind of the interview. If their pupils dilate while listening to you, this indicates their great interest and happiness with what they heard.
If he directs his gaze upward to the right, then he forms an imaginary future image in his mind, but if he directs his gaze upward to the left, he often remembers the past, specifically what is related to the words he hears. However, when he directs his gaze downward, he often talks to himself.
The eyebrows have a great role in understanding what a person is thinking. Raising an eyebrow indicates that they have heard something they didn’t like. Moreover, if the eyebrows are raised together, this indicates surprise and astonishment.
5. Breathing
If we notice that the opposite person is breathing normally from their chest, then they are relaxed and comfortable. If they breathe deeply, this indicates tension, and if the breathing is jerky, then they are in a state of anxiety and fear that you know something that they didn’t know.
6. Voice tone
The tone of the voice reveals a lot of what the person hides. For example, speaking slowly indicates comfort and calmness, while speaking quickly indicates nervousness and tension, but you must take into account the usual way a person speaks, it is not possible to judge a person from the tone of his voice if you do not know them in advance.
Techniques that help you to read other people's minds:
It is not only about learning the meaning of each body language movement so that you can understand it well and deal with it in the appropriate way. However, you must follow the following in order to have a better understanding before judging others:
1. Listen to those around you
You must listen carefully to people in order to get to know as much of their thoughts as possible, and make sure that the listening is accompanied by keen observation of the person you're trying to analyze.
2. Meditate
Meditation exercises help a person get rid of fatigue, anxiety, and negative energy that distracts people. As a result, the mind becomes clearer, and one's attention increases.
In conclusion
People always wonder about how to read other people's minds. Which is one of the skills that everyone can develop and use to improve their communication skills so they avoid misunderstandings and thus reduce conflicts.
You can read other people's minds by paying attention to their gestures and their body movements. For example, touching the nose while talking indicates lying, and rubbing the ear while listening indicates skepticism about what one hears. As for placing the hands on top of each other, it may mean taking caution or resting. This depends on the hand on top of the other.
The meaning of placing one leg above the other differs according to the leg at the top. As for the eyes can be described as the window to the human soul, and through them, it is possible to understand what is going on in the mind. Breathing and tone of voice play a role in expressing calmness and nervousness.
In order to understand how to deal with others, you must understand the meanings of each movement. In addition to listening to the speaker and focusing well, this is helped by the practice of meditation, which expels negative energy.
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