We as human beings have a tendency to function from a place of reason or emotion. When we view the world through either lens, we operate out of objective understanding of things or relating to something that can be known and thereby miss out on the big picture. In reality, we are always moving from known to the unknown whether we are conscious to such phenomenon or not. We are always guided by some degree of intuition. And this holds true even for most mundane tasks to making some important decisions.
There’s always an intuitive understanding of things. It is only that some of us take long to figure the way our intuition is paying out, but it kinds of stands ready to guide our way through, especially in risky situations or when it comes to being safe.
“Intuition does not come to an unprepared mind.” Albert Einstein
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Intuition is the intelligence of subconscious mind.
Our intuition is the ability to gain immediate understanding of things without conscious reasoning. It also called the ‘gut feeling’, or ‘sixth sense’. Our five senses and certain spiritual traditions use the concept of the third eye to explain our intuitive ability. It is considered as a window to higher realms of knowledge and consciousness. Like our five senses that point us outward into the world, which are direct experiences, intuition is also considered as a direct experience.
We toggle back and forth between our conscious and intuitive mode of thinking based on the situation. We all probably would have had such an experience at some point in our lives. Like for instance, whenever we react to a new idea, or to decide under stress, we tap into our intuitive ability to check whether it is good or not. Such abilities are quite evident in situations where one needs to make decisions in a very short time. This is because our learning mind takes longer to process the learned information, analyse it, or to come up with a logical reasoning to put two and two together in order to come up with an answer or a decision.
On the contrary, our intuitive mind which operates below the surface of our consciousness tends to figure things out much before they play out. We reach conclusions without weighing every single evidence and considers only what could be gathered in a glance.
Such intuitive abilities are also referred to as adaptive consciousness in cognitive psychology. It is the ability with which we quickly and quietly process a lot of information. Intuition depends on the collection of all your subconscious experiences. Its use isn’t for deriving information from the outer world, but is mainly a tool to develop a deeper understanding of our true nature. The more intuitive you get, the more you can be a direct witness to the happenings all around you and so will be your ability able to navigate any situation with a sense of clarity.
Even though adaptive consciousness is considered as a new field, its applications could be dated back to ancient days. For instance, it was used to make decisions instinctively as part of our survival mechanisms. Inventors or scientists had to tap into their intuitive abilities to come up with some groundbreaking discoveries or predictions without any prior knowledge. They could make very quick judgments based on their intuitive knowledge as there was very little information available to them at that time. All of their work strongly suggests the presence of intuitive mind, which can grasp information not accessible to anyone else.
The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift.
Albert Einstein
Intuitiveness activates the Wise mind
It is true that most of our intuitive abilities are taken for granted in today’s world as we are becoming more and more dependent on technology to gain information quickly. Also, most of us are taught to think logically, and our minds are conditioned through habitual thinking patterns to interpret what is already known. Such conditioning only makes us unaware of the intelligence of our subconscious. No matter how deep or extensive our knowledge may be, it cannot direct us to more than what is contained in the knowledge. But to know intuitively is to tap into our wise mind.
As human beings, we operate from three states of mind —the reasonable mind, the emotional and the wise mind. We all possess each of these states, but the majority of us operate in a specific one most of the time. When we grow in knowledge and experience, we often approach things rationally or approach situations intellectually. We use mostly the reasonable mind to weigh in on facts, information and ideas. Relying heavily on reasonable mind however can keep us stuck in opinions and endless debate sometimes.
We use the emotional part of our mind when feelings control our thoughts and behaviours. Emotional mind doesn’t necessarily work with facts, but it generally works on a perception of truth. It is our emotional mind that makes us react impulsively at times and give little consideration to the consequences. The wise mind is the balance between the reasonable and the emotional mind. With wise mind, one can emotionally regulate themselves, and analyse information rationally to make mature choices or decisions.
However, just as we must pedal to start a bike rolling, we must be willing make an effort to initiate the wise mind. And our intuition is what steers us towards the wise mind. We can use our intuitive knowledge to develop a sense of inner confidence to calm emotions in the heat of internal conflict or to find clarity of choice when confused. The wisdom comes in a flash or as a sudden revelation when our intuitive abilities are stronger.
Intuition requires a deeper level of receptivity and awareness
Intuitive mind can help us see any given situation in a manner that our learning mind cannot conceive. It helps us to better understand situations that are exceedingly complex where reasoning falls short. So, if you think that your rational mind and reasoning gets you no where, or keeps you stuck, you can always rely on deeper part of our brain, that is your intuition. It better complements our learning mind and can be at times proves to be more valuable than a mind full of accumulated knowledge and information. But to strengthen it, you need a certain degree of trust and faith to leave the comfort of accumulated knowledge and information.
When you reach the end of what you should know, you will be at the beginning of what you should sense.
Kahlil Gibrain
Intuition is more active when our thoughts are inactive, and the mind space is transparent and more open. In other words, we strengthen our intuitive abilities when our thinking mind is off, and the receiving mind if open and free. It works best when the mind as a whole is at an receiving end.
Since intuition comes instinctively and does not interpret of what only comes through knowledge, it is important to strive towards emotional or self-regulation. When one becomes more emotionally self-regulating, their intuitive self can lead them to right choices, ideas and towards their higher potential.
It is also equally true that our intuition may not always shines through. Our intuitive abilities sometimes can go wrong as they often have to compete with all kinds of validations, interests and feelings. It is however possible to identify the reasons when our intuition goes wary, or to learn when or when not to listen to our first impressions and snap judgments. And this requires self-awareness and assigning as much value to our intuitive abilities as we do to our learning mind.
Self-awareness opens up the mind space by breaking down old habit patterns thereby making us more receptive.
The more you trust your intuition, the more empowered you become, the stronger you become, and the happier you become.
Gisele Bundchen
To-Do:
- Intuition needs no external props or equipment. Since intuitive understanding manifests in right environment, it is important to declutter your mind by disconnecting with other sensory distractions. New ideas and insights may start to come intuitively once you learn to sustain inner peace and patience. Adopt a more peaceful and relaxed participation in life. The more relaxed you are, the more your usual dominant, logical left brain steps back and your intuitive capacities come forward.
- Negative emotions prevent you from picking up intuitiveness of your subconscious. Through self-reflection, you can build inner awareness of your self-sabotaging beliefs, thoughts and feelings. By developing a daily contemplative practice, you will be able to reframe negative patterns with helpful thought patterns attuning you to clarity.
- If you want to build your intuitive abilities, and make better decisions, control what you chose to focus on or disengage from. Practice attention control through your present moment awareness. The attentiveness to the present moment frees you up to go beyond your analytical mind to hear your deeper self in a more intuitive way. Another way to connect to your present moment is through conscious breathing. This is when we are most in alignment with our intuition.
- Trust your intuitive messages when you feel uncertain or doubtful. One way to do so is to listen to your basic self through your physical senses and emotions. The better you can see, feel, or hear the inner guidance, the better equipped you will be in accessing your intuitiveness. Be receptive and open to notice subtle things that pop up in order not to let your emotions or others’ opinions cloud your judgment.
Intuition activates our wise mind that is needed for our highest good and learning. It may not however tell you what you want to hear, but it will tell you what you need to do, to be able to navigate any situation with a sense of ease.
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