Intuition is knowledge that you can access; however, it is not contained in the logical part of your mind. The logical part of your mind has been over-trained while the other valuable part of your mind where intuition resides most likely has been overlooked. I believe all aspects of your mind have valuable and unique functions, so I’d like to share with you some ways you can increase access to your intuitive abilities.
Quiet your logical mind. Your mind’s intuitive aspect will not overpower the logical side because you currently give more credence to logical thinking and the feeling of being in control. You can encourage access to the intuitive side, however, by creating a tranquil atmosphere in which you remove stimuli for the logical part of your mind. In the process, however, be sure that your logical mind does not become involved analyzing the beauty or activity that is happening around you.
Sit in a comfortable position: one in which you can relax but won’t fall asleep. There is no mystery in meditation; you simply create a neutral situation which does not stimulate your logical brain. If you find it difficult to sit and meditate, try doing something you love such as gardening or walking. When faced with very difficult situations, I find it helpful to do something with enough physical effort involved to keep my mind busy. If this does not work, I increase my physical activity until I get tired. Then I sit down to meditate. One sure way to access your intuitive mind to place yourself in a situation in which there is no seeming logical solution. An example would be one of imminent danger. In such situations the logical mind gives up after running out of solutions, now the intuitive mind can be heard. As effective as it is, I do not recommend people pursue imminently dangerous situations as a meditation method.
Watch your thoughts as you meditate. Do not try to consciously stop thinking or try to block out thoughts. This will only raise your anxiety level. Close your eyes and watch your thoughts but do not hold on to them. See your thoughts as a moving billboard, observe them and let them move on. As you do this, you will eventually come to a place where you are not aware of thinking. A helpful adjunct to this practice is to watch your breathing. Inhale deeply and then let the breath out slowly. Repeat this procedure for several minutes remaining aware of the inflow and outflow of air in your body. If you get to the place where you see colors, hear sounds or buzzing in your ears, or are startled by the realization that you have not had a conscious thought for some time, you are doing very well.
Create a routine for your meditation. It is best to meditate early in the morning before the “busy-ness” of the day intrudes on you. You can start by meditating for just a few minutes and then extend your time to 10, 15, or even 30 minutes. It is good to keep a note pad beside you for both interrupting thoughts and insights. If thoughts occur to you as you meditate, write them down so your mind can let them go. You may want to follow up this meditation time with a few moments of writing in a daily diary. This can create a nice stream of consciousness for future reference. Read what you have written down the following day.
Read from a spiritual or personally meaningful book before you enter mediation. This helps to set your mind in a good place and to create a theme for your meditation that day.
Write down insights that you receive during mediation or later during the day. This gives the insights more validity in your mind. Whenever possible, act on these intuitive thoughts or at least take steps that will lead to their incorporation in to your life. Meditation will always be a game if you treat it as such. If you have questions that you want answered, write the questions down before the meditation and ask to have clarity concerning them. Do not let them become the only reason for your meditation as this can focus your logical mind on problem-solving. Your logical mind would love nothing more than to interrupt your meditation as it struggles to solve the problem.
Don’t problem solve while mediating. Meditation is for quieting your mind and creating a clean slate on which you can receive new information. The answers will come in their own time and in their own form. They may or may not come in meditation and you may or may not recognize them when they arrive. Have faith that intuition works and that solutions will come. Often it has been my experience that I receive an answer in a very different form than what I expected. For example, I often find that the problem for which I am seeking a solution is not a problem after all. I can assure you that intuition works very well. Most of the great discoveries and technical breakthroughs are the result of intuition and not logic or formal experimentation. As Einstein said, “You cannot solve a problem at the level of the problem.” Intuition and creativity are ways of rising above the problem so it can be seen in a new light and from a different viewpoint.
Intuitive solutions are different from logical solutions. As I said before, intuitive solutions come in their own time and cannot be rushed. You may think you need to have an answer but intuition does not provide the solution until all aspects of the “problem” are ready. Intuition taps into universal knowledge and universal timing.
The intuitive solution is inclusive and universal—the information you receive includes everyone and everything involved. If you prefer, it is a cosmic or macro viewpoint. Logical thinking tends to look at the “problem” from your individual or micro point of view. Creativity looks at all aspects and all viewpoints and tends to see the total picture and not just one viewpoint. Logical thinking can seem much more appealing because it gives us the feeling of control while the opposite is true of intuitive thinking. Since intuition includes everyone and everything in the situation, you may feel like you are involved in something larger—something knowable but not controllable. The intuitive solution is quite different in form; it takes practice to recognize and utilize it.
Use your intuitive senses in small ways. As you put intuition to use in your life, you will begin to see the benefits it brings to you in terms of abundance and happiness. These benefits will increase your confidence in your intuitive ability. As you use and learn to trust this ability, it will become more natural for you to use it in more complicated situations. Again I caution you to not make this a game, a way of showing off, or a new form of behavior justification. Keep your intuitive sense to yourself and nurture it through application and commitment.
Be alert for intuitive information from all sources, all the time. I call this inner “listening” because all the time I am “listening” for messages, clarity, and insights. Discerning when you get these insights can be quite a challenge. The audio example I use is of an “Aha!” and the visual example is that of a light bulb going on. These are positive experiences as if one is suddenly aware of a new twist or dimension. They come as clarity or as all the pieces falling together in your mind. The information may be in a stream of meaningless material of which one part sticks in your mind or carries a very definite image. The source can be from what you may consider positive, but it also can arrive in a negative form. Inner “listening” is not the same as a fearful or cautious thought, though it may be in the form of taking care and not proceeding with a project. The hardest part is to differentiate between fearful or limited thinking and real intuition and insights. The first is based on past experiences; the source is your limited mind reminding you of potential pitfalls. Insights and intuition come from your contact with the unlimited source and leave you with a feeling of clarity and awareness. When I say be alert all the time, I mean while you are awake. Do not forego your sleeping time. If you have a strong or reoccurring dream, “listen” to its message. Make an effort to recall dreams in the morning and during meditation to ask if they held any messages.
Awareness is the key to inner “listening.” Honesty is required of all who choose to follow the intuitive path because most problems, while seeming to be outside of us, come from our own blocks to receiving the unlimited potential awaiting us. It is very easy to blame our problems on others or the current economic situation. If we do this, we will never hear the answers that come to help us change our thinking. We must also realize that we have the power to change our thinking and thereby our experience of any situation. Intuition and inner “listening” show us the mis-thinking that caused our problem, but only if we are willing to honestly assess how we created the results we have.
“Accepting” is an important step towards happiness and abundance.
Source: Listening, Accepting, Being, and Awakening by Lee Coit
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