Here is one of my favourite quotations from Sigmund Freud thatmight provoke some reflection on how you make decisions:"When making a decision of minor importance, I have always foundit advantageous to consider all the pros and cons. In vitalmatters, however, such as the choice of a mate or a profession,the decision should come from the unconscious, from somewherewithin ourselves. In the important decisions of personal life,we should be governed, I think, by the deep inner needs of ournature."My web site has a compilation of over 100 quotations and shortexcerpts. A shorter list of about 50 of them can be found at:http://www.gurteen.com/gurteen/gurteen.nsf/ID/X00003ACE/

How do we know what decision our unconscious wants?

I think here's your answer!  http://pandawhale.com/post/20539/focusing-short-form-gendlin

What do you think?  Very curious how you see it.

I think it's easier to say than to do! :)

Yes, it takes practice and guidance.  I teach & guide people in my practice.  It's worth it b/c it greatly improves your connection to yourself & others.

That's good. It also takes patience and time. 

Yes, although nowadays we don't call it the "unconscious".  Now we talk about knowing yourself, your values, what you want out of life, and we talk about mindfulness, intuition, and connection.  And we talk about attunement, as well as wisdom.

Those are all better words than unconscious. 

Consciousness has less control than previously believed. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/06/150623141911.htm

It's not about control, it's more about listening, paying attention, being mindful, overall, being self-compassionate.

Self-compassion is the hardest. And most important. 

The article you cite seems to concur.

It does. You got it right -- it's about listening, paying attention, and being self-compassionate. 

I'm glad that we support each other's ideas in this.  Yes, it's quite a practice, but so worthwhile, in my experience!

Interesting! Especially the Science Daily article. Recently I've been finding that when stuck on a difficult problem (e.g. in programming), it's more efficient to walk away, anywhere from 15 minutes to overnight. When I come back to the problem the answer often pops up easily....I'm pretty sure that's my unconscious processes working on the problem for me. I've been coming to rely on this more & more.Also, here's a book I read years ago which suggests that consciousness was not always as we know it todayhttp://www.amazon.com/Origin-Consciousness-Breakdown-Bicameral-Mind-ebook/dp/B009MBTRHA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1435388950&sr=1-1&keywords=bicameral+mind

That is a good idea: walk away for a little while.

"Get still and the answer will come."

http://pandawhale.com/post/63896/when-you-dont-know-what-to-do-get-still-the-answer-will-come-oprah-winfrey

go Oprah :)