Intuition is a product of consciousness. As such, it is a way of perception that is beyond the mind. It is closely allayed with feelings. And yet it goes beyond feelings. It is a way of seeing that is activated when we are attuned to our inner essence.
The mind, with its rational thought, lives through the ego and attachments, of good and bad as it relates to the self-interests of the ego. Intuition, on the other hand, is a faculty activated when one is free of the filters of the mind and ego. It is objective and it sees the whole.
The mind lives in a world of fragmentation, created by what is deemed agreeable and disagreeable, good and bad, right and wrong. It lives in the past, the source of its attachments, and in the future, a hypothetical concept where desires and aspirations might come true.
The speed of the mind, with all of its ripple effects and waves, makes it impossible for reflection. When someone is able to slow down the mind, consciousness can be reflected in it. That is the purpose of meditation and contemplation — to slow or still the mind.
Intuition, as a vehicle of consciousness, lives in the present moment, which is free of past attachments and future desires. And because of this, it sees the whole picture. It sees that there is no good or bad. The labels of good or bad that we attach to things, situations, or conditions, are creations of the mind. What one calls good is nothing but a fortification of the ego-mind’s claim to the past and future, and what one calls bad is a threat to it. The antidote to good and bad is acceptance. Taking each moment as it is.
When you can take each moment, not as good or bad, but as necessary for the unfoldment of consciousness, it can help in acceptance. And with acceptance comes poise. The opposite of poise is resistance and it is resistance that shuts down consciousness and intuition and allows the mind to run life as commander-in-chief.
Some people never take the time to develop intuition because they don’t believe in it, or they think it has little application in the real world. But intuition is of tremendous importance. It helps us to choose the proper path. It gives us joy, bliss, and creativity. It frees us from the demands of the mind. When the mind is the navigator of our life’s course, there is no freedom. Why? Because the mind is reactive. It’s like driving a bumper car at the amusement park, but blindfolded. You keep changing your course based on what you run into.
Intuition, on the other hand, when activated, is akin to finding yourself in the zone. Life becomes effortless and harmonious. Some of the greatest athletic and artistic achievements come from finding the zone, following intuition.
Breakthroughs in science come from the use of intuition. The mind likes to stay in a self-created box. Intuition goes out of the box and finds the truth. Often the intuitive leap takes place in the shower, or driving the car, or walking the dog, when the mind is relaxed and not focused on the problem.
A common problem, however, is that reason, a product of the mind, demands logical proof that the intuition is correct. And since intuition finds the answers it was looking for by going beyond the mind and reason, it cannot give the mind and reason the proof that it demands. And therefore reason causes the individual to doubt intuition. Then there is confusion and blocked energy.
Intuition becomes stronger the more we trust it, and the more conscious we are of its value. If we are afraid of appearing foolish, then it will fail us. For fear disturbs the perfect tranquility of mind needed for true reflection. It is like having your reflection in a still lake disturbed by dropping a rock into the water.
One tactic that you can employ, so as not to appear foolish if your intuition proves wrong, is to find corroborating evidence that supports the intuitive decision. With this rational explanation to fall back on, you have more confidence in your ability to make intuitive decisions. This stills the mind and gives you a clear image of what needs to be done.
Women have the reputation of being more intuitive than men. The reason is obvious — they have a more receptive nature and are more in touch with feelings. Men seem to have more of an affinity for rational thought. Again, it is the rational thought that is the enemy of intuition. Though women seem to have more of a predisposition to intuition than men, any man can develop it. The first step is to develop the sense of feeling.
Many intuitive conclusions are pronounced with a gut feeling. Ignoring the feeling is to invite failure or disappointment. Again, one way to enhance the feeling function is to slow down the mind. You can do that by focusing on the breath, or even focusing on beauty, such as you might see in a flower, or in a sunset, or in the graceful movements of a deer, or a flock of geese. The key is to get your focus out of the past, and out of the future. Those are the domains of the mind.
Allow yourself to get fully absorbed in the present moment. Therein lies the domain of consciousness. Intuition, if it is anything, is an act of consciousness. Use it daily and it will guide you more and more perfectly on the journey to knowing who you really are — a journey that culminates in discovering that you are identical with your source of being — unbounded consciousness, whole, perfect and infinite.
