c o n t i n u e d . . .

As a game, the defining characteristic of the maze is that it is very primal, unlike "acquired knowledge" puzzles like crosswords. To win at mazes you don't need to have an extensive grasp of vocabulary and facts. All you need are your instinctive decision-making skills and a little patience. Remember, no matter how difficult a maze of mine may seem, you can finish it. You're born with all the intellect you need to successfully navigate these mazes and accomplish your task.
To challenge you, I build in quite a bit of psychological warfare as I design each maze. Tricking or deceiving an opponent was one of the basic tenets of mazes when they were invented in ancient times, and one of my favorite ploys is to overload your mind by suddenly giving it a multitude of possibilities from which to choose. More specifically, imagine you are deep in a maze following a straightaway path with just a few offshoots. This path seems to be leading you closer and closer to the goal.
You feel pretty comfortable following it; you don't have to make too many choices along the way, and there's not too much work for you to do but follow along.
Suddenly, I'll bring you to an intersection of about six to eight trails and your first big decision. I give you an excessive number of choices to overwhelm you and tempt you into making a random pick.

Generally, the trails that look as though they take you right to your goal will actually lead you far from it; in my mazes, there is no "easy street". Maybe two of the six to eight paths will actually bring you closer to your goal, and probably only one of these will take you straight to the finish. This winning trail will appear to be leading in the direction opposite of the one where your want to go. Psychologially speaking, you will hardly choose a trail that seems to lead you back the way you came. It doesn't conform to your comfort pattern.
Another favorite deception of mine is to hide a trail entrance right under your nose. A third is to twist and turn a path in such a way that you pass up on the winning trail and stay with a more seemingly direct artery. And the smaller the maze of mine is, the harder it is likely to be. There are more tricks, but they're trade secrets.
It will help you to remember that human beings as a species are a little impatient. by nature, we prefer immeditate gratification with as little effort expended as possible. When I make a maze I take advantage of this trait any way I can. So if you're in one of my traps, stop to carefully analyze the problem confronting you. As the Zen master said, be here now. Then, analyze me. When you play my game, it only seems as if you're playing alone. I am the other player, and you are playing my mind. I set up a scenario, a situation of dead ends, swirling eddies, infinity signs, and other hypnotizing obstacles, and for a short time you journey through it. Unless you give up, you'll eventually beat me, because I won't be in front of you to counter your every move.