Developing intuition involves openness to the direct subliminal experience of significant true insights, such as, alerting us to potential dangers, opportunities, or a true understanding of seemingly ambiguous situations, when such crucial insights may be hidden from the conscious mind. The direct intuitive experience of truths often functions at a subconscious or subtle level, unmediated by any proof or evidence derived from sensory experience or analytical reasoning, but instead arises from openness to the direct experience of subliminal impressions or energy patterns of unknown origin. This view of intuition as a direct, unmediated experience of subliminal impressions that reveal significant helpful true insights and clarifying discernment about matters that would otherwise be unclear or possibly misunderstood by us finds support in the Miriam-Webster online dictionary definition of intuition:

“A natural ability or power that makes it possible to know something without any proof or evidence: A feeling that guides a person to act a certain way without fully knowing why….Something that is known or understood without proof or evidence….quick and ready insight….immediate apprehension or cognition….the power or faculty of attaining to direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought and inference.” [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intuition].

The arising of intuition as a subtle impression arising from deep within our own individual being is also epitomized in the Bible by I Kings 19:12 alluding to a “still small voice.” The conscious mind and the information available to it through analytical reasoning and sensory data is only like the tip of the iceberg compared to the submerged base of the iceberg, metaphorically representing deeper subconscious levels of our being that are naturally more open and receptive to subliminal or subtle energy-impressions alerting us to the direct experience of significant realities and clarifying discernments that are hidden to the conscious mind.

Developing intuition is most likely to occur when our consciousness is relaxed, open, receptive, fully immersed in the present moment of experience, not cluttered and distracted by predetermined thoughts, presumptive beliefs, rigid expectations, other mind chatter, and related exaggeratedly egocentric emotional dramas. When the mind and energy-heart-feeling center are filled with narcissistic mental/emotional monologues, predetermined beliefs, and demanding expectations, that desensitizes us to much quieter, deeper intuitions coming from beyond the parameters of what we presume to already know. In this context, narcissism or ego refers to the conceptually defined false sense of presumptive identity, incessant self-preoccupation, and distracting mind chatter.

The more that our conscious attention and heartfelt feeling energy are recoiled in various kinds of distracting egocentric self-involvement, the less conscious attention and heartfelt feeling energy we have available to detect subtle impressions intuitively arising from deeper levels of our own real individual being, beyond the ego, as well as relational insights arising as subliminal energy impressions through non-egocentric communion with other individuals and situations around us. Therefore, another related factor that contributes to developing intuition is to be deeply invested in heartfelt caring non-dualistic communion with other individuals and situations around oneself. Empathic communion is like a bridge that connects us to subtle fields of energy and experience arising within and around us.

The insights that arise when we are alertly receptive to subliminal energy impressions arising within and around us can alert us to important information and helpful discernments that may be hidden from the more superficial conscious mind. That communion with subtle energy impressions arising in the actual present moment can go far beyond the more limited, restrictive, pool of accumulated information and predetermined beliefs available to the conscious analytical mind, often based on speculative interpretations that, in some cases, are only presumed to be present, but which may be only unfounded inferences extrapolated from past experience, future expectations, and unreliable conceptual abstractions of the present moment.

Developing intuition is most likely to occur when our consciousness is relaxed, open, receptive, fully immersed in the present moment of experience, not cluttered and distracted by predetermined thoughts, presumptive beliefs, rigid expectations, other mind chatter, and related exaggeratedly egocentric emotional dramas. When the mind and energy-heart-feeling center are filled with narcissistic mental/emotional monologues, predetermined beliefs, and demanding expectations, that desensitizes us to much quieter, deeper intuitions coming from beyond the parameters of what we presume to already know. In this context, narcissism or ego refers to the conceptually defined false sense of presumptive identity, incessant self-preoccupation, and distracting mind chatter.

The more that our conscious attention and heartfelt feeling energy are recoiled in various kinds of distracting egocentric self-involvement, the less conscious attention and heartfelt feeling energy we have available to detect subtle impressions intuitively arising from deeper levels of our own real individual being, beyond the ego, as well as relational insights arising as subliminal energy impressions through non-egocentric communion with other individuals and situations around us. Therefore, another related factor that contributes to developing intuition is to be deeply invested in heartfelt caring non-dualistic communion with other individuals and situations around oneself. Empathic communion is like a bridge that connects us to subtle fields of energy and experience arising within and around us.

The insights that arise when we are alertly receptive to subliminal energy impressions arising within and around us can alert us to important information and helpful discernments that may be hidden from the more superficial conscious mind. That communion with subtle energy impressions arising in the actual present moment can go far beyond the more limited, restrictive, pool of accumulated information and predetermined beliefs available to the conscious analytical mind, often based on speculative interpretations that, in some cases, are only presumed to be present, but which may be only unfounded inferences extrapolated from past experience, future expectations, and unreliable conceptual abstractions of the present moment.

Developing intuition also involves openness or receptivity to subtle impressions coming from the related core integrity level of our being, which subliminally alerts us to distinctive vibratory energy patterns that are directly experienced as feeling sound or unsound, reliable or queasy, true or false, right or wrong, wholesome/pure or unwholesome/foul, and so on. That is to say, the “still small voice of intuition” is naturally connected or related to the core integrity level of our being, which spontaneously, subtly, alerts us to what seems right or wrong in a given moment, consistent or inconsistent with the intrinsic purity, goodness, genuineness, wholesomeness, and integral wholeness of our own individual being, the related being of others around us, and the flow of all being, the indivisible integral whole web or network of life.

Intuition is the key to unlocking our inner treasure

Developing intuition, and related subliminal noetic faculties such as, integrity, empathy, inspiration, and appreciation of true inner and outer beauty, alerts us to how best to follow or attune ourselves to what is most genuine, vital, and precious in us and in others around us, and guides us not to become sidetracked by spurious egocentric imitations or distortions of the true treasures of our real being. Developing intuition enables us to discern what is or is not truly consistent with the intrinsic goodness and greatness of our own being and all real being. We intuitively follow the winding trail of the energy pulse of our own real being and of our right relationship to others, like following an inner beacon, guiding us to explore, discover, and develop the true treasures of Being, life, or reality, within and around us. Following the uncharted mysterious call of our intuition wherever it may lead, from moment to moment, is how we discover and develop the sublime qualities that are latent or dormant within and around us, epitomized by the Native American precept of “walking in beauty,” as well as comparable terms for intuitive living consistently with our core integrity, such as, following the Tao, Dharma, Ma’at (ancient Egyptian term for righteous living), and “holiness.” Thus our intuition is like the unfolding call or energy pulse of our inner treasure, our true self, the beautiful “song, “dance” and “story” of our energy-heart and soul, gradually leading us Home to itself, metaphorically represented by the call to “follow the Yellow Brick Road” to the Wizard of Oz, or to follow the rainbow to the Pot of Gold that is its Source.

Our developing intuition guides us to be open to constant re-visioning, or seeing ourselves and others in new ways, and encourages us to let go of old patterns of thought and behavior that are no longer right for us, so our perception and functioning becomes more flexible, liberating, empowering, vital, refreshing; but less stale, rigid, and restrictive. That openness to letting intuition move us beyond our old familiar comfort zones into limitless new possibilities or expanded horizons makes our life an exciting great adventure of endless exploration, discovery, and fruitful transformation, whereas the ego’s basic sense of insecurity, fragility, and inner insubstantiality induces it to cling to predetermined ideas, habits, and expectations, even when those no longer serve the further development of what is truly genuine, appropriate, vibrant, and fulfilling in ourselves.

The process of developing intuition and related subliminal noetic, experiential, and transformational faculties such as, empathy, compassion, integrity, inspiration, courage, and warmhearted caring is discussed, in greater depth and detail, in two books co-authored by Dr. Max Hammer, Dr. Barry Hammer, and Dr. Alan C. Butler.1) Psychological Healing Through Creative Self-Understanding and Self-Transformation. (ISBN: 9781628570755) 2) Deepening Your Personal Relationships: Developing Emotional Intimacy and Good Communication. (ISBN: 9781618975904).

None.

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.