Episode 199: Your Human Design Cognition
Do you have a trait or “sense” that you excel at? It’s a knack that you have that not very many others possess.
Continuing our exploration of the Human Design Variables, in this episode, we take a look at Cognition.
You’ll hear:
What is Cognition in Human Design
Where Cognition fits into the Human Design variables framework and how corresponds to the other Variables
The six kinds of Cognition and how they show up
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“When we talk about “digestion” in Human Design, it’s about how we nourish ourselves. When we digest food, we’re nourishing our bodies, providing the nutrients that they need to function and thrive. This is the same as Determination and Cognition. They’re how we nourish our brain - and our body. In Human Design, it’s the best way for our brains to take in information for nourishment.”
Read the Transcript:
Hello, my friend and welcome to The Live Fab Life Podcast! I'm your host, Naomi Nakamura, and this week we’re continuing our mini-series on the Human Design Variables.
Now, if you haven't yet listened to Episode 197, I provided an overview of what the Human Design Variables are, and then in the last episode, Episode 198, I talked about Determination in Human Design, then here's a quick recap:
The Variables are the more advanced layers, I guess, the deeper parts of Human Design. In our modern world, we’re so disconnected from our bodies, both literally and figuratively, so the Variables are how we're able to come into alignment with our design so that we can be more connected to ourselves, physically, literally, and figuratively.
I've shared this before and I know I’ll repeat myself by sharing it again, that I deeply believe that Human Design helps us develop body, mind, and emotional awareness and the Variables are another layers for us to do so.
To find your Variables when you look at your Human Design chart, at the top of the body graph chart, surrounding the Head, which is also called the Crown Center, are arrows. There's two on the left and two on the right. The direction of the arrows determines what your Variables are.
As this is a mini-series on the different Variables, last week, we covered Determination, and today we're talking about Cognition, then upcoming episodes will be on Environment, Perspective, and Motivation – all the other variables.
“When you're in your correct Environment it sets up your Perspective, so it's easier to be Motivated and Nourished correctly.”
If you recall, I shared this quote in Episode 198. These aren’t my words, and I wish I could remember where I heard it so I can give proper attribution, but when I heard it, I wrote it down because I think it so succinctly describes the Variables.
The “nourish” part of this quote refers to Determination and Cognition. Because when we talk about “Digestion” in Human Design, we’re talking about how we nourish ourselves.
When we digest food, we're nourishing our bodies. The nutrients from the food that we eat, feed the organs and the systems in our bodies, providing the nutrients that they need to function and thrive.
This is the same concept as Determination and Cognition. They’re how we nourish our brain and our body. Hand in hand, in Human Design, it’s the best way for our brains to take in information for nourishment.
When we eat according to our Determination, it feeds our Cognition, which is what we're talking about today. So, let's get into it.
What is Cognition?
Well, Cognition is our super sense. It's what I like to say, and I've heard other people refer to it this way as well, it’s our “Spidey sense.” It's the strongest sense that we have, our most developed sense.
It’s how your body energetically best finds, collects, absorbs, and processes information that perhaps other people might miss - again, your strongest “Spidey sense” - your super sense.
When it comes to Cognition, there are six different kinds and so we're going to go through each one.
The first one is Smell. If you have a Smell Cognition, you can sniff things out.
You sense that something may not seem right, which leads you to find and uncover what that is, that might be missing or hidden from the obvious eye. You might say things like, “Something doesn't smell right here.”
I've found that people unconsciously use language associated with parts of their design - their Determination, Cognition, or even their Authority. In client sessions, I’ve heard clients use words like this often – it always makes me smile.
So, if you have a Smell Cognition, you might say something like, “This doesn't Smell right…” And when this happens, you’ll want to follow your hunches and trust your instincts.
So, how do you refine your Smell Cognition? I think by reading mystery books, watching crime shows listening to true crime podcasts, anything that’s a mystery to solve.
The second Cognition is “Taste.”
If you have a Taste Cognition, you have a Taste – a flavor - for things - people, ideas, place. You develop a Taste for knowing what works and what doesn't, not only for yourself but also for what's around you. You develop, I guess you could say, your palate, by being open to trying new things and opening yourself up to new experiences so that you know what you like, and you don't like because people with the Taste Cognition know what their likes and dislikes are. So, try new foods, eat at new restaurants, visit new places, listen to different types of music. These are ways to refine your Taste Cognition.
Thirdly is Outer Vision. This happens to be my Cognition, and I love it! It resonates so much with me. If you have an Outer Vision Cognition, you’re able to see external things that other people don’t.
You have the ability to see the big picture. You have a sensitivity and awareness for what you see for the world around you. This makes you a visionary. You can see the potential of what's possible, of what might be to come.
So, it's important for you to pay close attention to how things look. There's a certain element to having an Outer Vision Cognition where aesthetically pleasing things, things that are pleasing to the eye, appeal to us more than others. And so, you really want to pay close attention to what those things are, and if something doesn't look right.
You can see the senses here, right? With Cognition being our super Spidey-sense, there’s Smell, Taste, Vision – our senses.
And with Vision, if something doesn't look right, then you may want to pause, and take a minute, and think about what is it about this that doesn't look right.
You can refine this sense by putting things in your sight or seeking things out that you like and find visually pleasing versus what isn’t – the same as with Taste Cognition and trying different flavors to determine your likes and dislikes.
Now, the fourth kind of Cognition is Inner Vision. Like Outer Vision, it’s the sense of sight, but rather than external to you it's internal.
If you have an Inner Vision Cognition, you're also able to the big picture, but it’s more often for yourself – inwardly versus external to you.
You're able to develop a vision for yourself. So, a question you might ask yourself is, “What is it that you see for yourself? What is it that you want to see for yourself?” Because you have the capability and space energetically, to process what that might look like for you in a stronger way than others.
Like with Outer Vision, you have the potential to see things that other people might miss or might overlook, but those things are inward-looking. It’s about discovering what's within you. You can refine this sense by creating private, mindful moments. Take some quiet time to disconnect and to be in be present with yourself so you can get back in touch with who you are. This opens you up to receiving that vision for yourself, that insight so that you can see what is possible for you. What's your potential?
When you have this vision for yourself, it’ll help you know where to invest your time and your energy. So, this then begs the question, how do you create mindful moments?
Well, it can be through meditation, journaling, and taking quiet time for yourself to allow those visions to come forth so that you can bring them to fruition.
The fifth Cognition is Feeling so if you have a Feeling Cognition, you have a feel for things – that’s your super-Spidey sense.
You can feel things out, whether it be ideas or things related to your work, or your relationships. You might not always be able to explain what you feel, kinda like having a Splenic Authority. You may not have a logical way to explain it to others, but you sense it within yourself. It’s a sensitivity, an awareness of being in tune with your feelings, as well as the feelings of others.
So, if you have a Feeling Cognition, it’s important for you to be in touch with your body your feelings because you can feel things deeply, or feel deep empathy, especially for others. Your body holds the space for this to happen, and you're able to share that, energetically, with others. So, don't shut down your feelings, allow yourself to feel them.
And so how do you refine this sense? Well, for me, I would think that opening yourself up and consuming things that allow you to “feel the feels” is a great way to do that, whether that be through watching TV shows or movies or listening to music.
I don't know about you, but I’m currently obsessed with Taylor Swift’s newly re-released Red album. It feels like I’m re-discovering her all over again, and I'm in this place where all of a sudden, I have this deeper appreciation for her as a songwriter. She may not be the best singer or the best performer, but her music makes me, and millions of other people feel things.
So, if you have a Feeling Cognition, find what makes you feel things and that's how you develop your super Spidey Feeling Cognition.
The sixth and last Cognition is Touch. If you have a Touch Cognition, then Touch is very important to you.
You have a way of touching others and making them feel things. You provide experiences that move others – experiences that touch their hearts and motivate them to take action.
So, when I think about this, it’s about sharing your experiences, sharing your wisdom, sharing your own life experiences. And there might be some heavy stuff that you’ve experienced, or you're experiencing, right, if it’s powerful enough to touch people’s hearts and move them.
If that’s the case, then just remember to be gentle with yourself, practice self-compassion, have gratitude for yourself, and if warranted, practice self-forgiveness.
Well, as you can imagine, you can refine this sense with touch – by using your hands. So, things like cooking, sewing, knitting, gardening, sports that require eye-hand coordination - whatever experiences allow you to use your hands and touch.
Let’s recap the six Cognition senses:
Smell Taste Outer Vision Inner Vision Feeling Touch
So, what’s your Cognition? How does it currently show up in your life? Or, in hindsight, how has your Cognition shown up in your life? How does it resonate with you?
As I shared in the last episode, I find the variables intriguing parts of Human Design. And many others do too - everyone wants to learn more about their variables.
But I don't want you to forget that these are advanced topics. So, if you don't yet have a strong foundation of your Type, Strategy, and Authority, this part of your Human Design may not land as well as it could for you right now.
Don’t get me wrong, it's fun to know and be aware of your variables, but don’t abandon your Type, Strategy, and Authority.
Now, if this is all brand new to you, I have a free guide on my website called, “Get to Know Your Human Design.” It walks you through, first, how to find your Human Design chart if you don't already have it.
Then, if you do have it, you know that when looking at it, it's not easy to comprehend. My guide helps you to understand what your chart means. And when you download it, you'll get a discount code for 15% off a foundational chart reading session with me.
Now, you might have listened to all my podcast episodes and downloaded my guide and wonder why you need a foundational chart reading. Well, the reading brings it all together for you. It’s also the only service I offer that’s available for open booking on my site, meaning, you can go to my website and book that session.
I cover the Variables in an advanced chart reading session that’s only available by invitation to my clients after they’ve had a foundational reading with me.
And then, of course, I also invite clients to schedule single-session follow-ups or coaching packages if they want to dive deeper into their Human Design.
Looking forward, we're continuing with our mini-series on the Variables. Next week, I'll be sharing my personal insights on my Determination and Cognition because it’s one thing to know what they are, but it’s equally important that once you have the information, to know what you do with it.
So next week I'm sharing my thoughts and experiences on leaning into and learning my Determination and my Cognition.
And then from there, just to give you a little preview of what's coming up, we're going to continue with interviews with different people on how they experience the different Human Design Authorities. These are wonderful interviews that I can't wait to share with you.
Then we will pick back up into continuing to explore the Human Design Variables come the new year.
So, with that, thank you so much for listening. As always, I still appreciate your time and attention. And I will see you right back here again next week.
Bye.
Naomi Nakamura is a Health x Human Design coach who’s creating a healthier society through aligned energy.
She blends a bespoke mix of Functional Nutrition and Human Design to help others shift into alignment to leverage and correctly manage their energy to support their body, mind, and spirit.
She believes that when we embrace our authenticity and lean into our bio-individuality, we naturally live a life of freedom, empowerment, and optimal health.
Naomi resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and can often be found exploring the area with her puppy girl, Coco Pop!
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