The patron saint of mind enhancement?

I've just been reading about a pretty amazing character from history who had some good ideas for making decisions and using your mind's powers to help you in life.

You see, many ideas put forward by today's psychologists actually have their roots back in history.

An example is in decision making. Most people have heard of the idea of listing the pros and cons of each alternative choice when trying to make a hard decision. This apparently modern psychological technique can actually be traced back to St Ignatius of Loyola, who wrote/inspired 'The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola'.

He taught a number of exercises to help you make decisions – and for keeping yourself mentally healthy.

His techniques used thinking and imagination in tandem.

An example of this is his technique for weighing up the pros and cons of a possible decision. This is how it works: First consider the possible options available to you. Then take each one, one-by-one, and imagine you had taken that choice and live with it for three days, and pay attention to how you feel about it.

He claimed that this would help one deeply discern which was truly the best choice in line with one's deepest values.

Its probable that St Ignatius was adapting earlier techniques. For instance, another exercise was the examen of conscience. He believed that this exercise would maintain his monks mental and spiritual wellbeing amidst all troubles. This is how the technique works: Last thing at night, before you go to sleep, you review the day (like watching back a video of it in your mind). First you notice what was good, and be grateful for it. Then you look at was not so good, objectively and without judgement (try imagining looking at it from a distance). One accepts what has happened and hands the problems that are ongoing to (in his value-system) God.

This technique was also used in the past by the Tibetan Buddhists who would review the day in a cool, dispassionate way.