Intuition and Dream Intuition rises from the depth of the human heart. It has two aspects: one is dependent upon an outer impression, the other is independent of any outer impression. The former is called impression, the latter intuition. Intuition is a fine faculty. As it comes by responsiveness it is a feminine faculty. Woman therefore is more intuitive by nature than man. Often one says: This person gives me such and such an impression, but there is no reason to prove it. One is perhaps not capable of finding any reason to prove it, nevertheless ones impression is right. There are some persons, and there are some peoples, who are naturally intuitive. For someone who is intuitive it is not necessary to wait till he, so to speak, finds a person out: all he needs is one moment. As soon as his eyes fall upon the person, this gives instantly rise to an impression, which is the former kind of intuition. Someone with a fine mind, and with a still mind, generally has intuition; someone with a gross mind and a restless mind lacks it. Intuition is a supersense; it may be called a sixth sense; it is the essence of all senses. When a person says he sensed something, it does not mean that there were objective reasons to prove that it was so. It means that, without any outer reasons or objective signs, he has sensed it. Intuition which is independent of impression is of a still deeper nature, for it comes before one wishes to begin a thing, and so one knows what will come out of it. Before the beginning of an enterprise one senses the result of it. Intuition is sometimes a kind of inner guidance; sometimes it is a kind of warning from within. How does one perceive intuition? It is first expressed in the language of feeling. That feeling, spreading within the horizon of the mind, shapes itself, and becomes more narrative of its idea. Then the mind turns it into a form, and then language interprets it to one. Therefore it is the feeling heart to which intuition belongs. In order to become clear, so that it can be distinguished, intuition turns into three different conditions: into a feeling, into an imagination, or into a phrase. The person who hears the voice of intuition even when it is in its first process of development, is more capable of perceiving intuition, and it is he who may be called intuitive. Another person distinguishes it when it expresses itself in the realm of thought. Then there is a third person who can only distinguish his intuition when it is manifest in the form of a phrase. It is the kind person, the loving person, the pure-hearted, the person of goodwill, who is intuitive. Intuition has nothing to do with learning. An unlettered person can be much more intuitive than one who is most qualified, for intuition lies in another domain of knowledge; it comes from quite another direction. Very often an intuitive person makes a mistake in catching the right intuition, for the intuition comes from one side while his mind reacts from the other side, and he does not know which is which. If he takes the action of his mind for an intuition, and is once disappointed, he loses faith in himself. So naturally he no longer gives thought to intuition, and that faculty diminishes in him more and more every day. To catch an intuition is the most difficult thing, for in a moments time both are working: intuition on the one hand and mind on the other. It is as if two ends of a stick which is placed in its center upon another stick were to move up and down, and one did not notice which end rose first and which rose after. Therefore this needs taking a very keen notice of the action of the mind, which is gained by a thorough practice of concentration. One must be able to look at ones mind just as at a slate placed before one. While looking at it one must be able to shut oneself off from all sides, fixing ones mind solely upon ones inner being. By developing concentration, by stilling the mind, one can be tuned to the pitch which is necessary to perceive intuition. Besides, if one has once been disappointed in perceiving ones intuition, one must not lose courage; one must go on following it even if it continues to be a mistake. If one continually follows ones intuition then one will come to the right perception of it. The dream is another wonder, a phenomenon of the mind. In the dream it is not only imagination and thought that work, but also intuition. Intuitions which rise in the waking state rise in the dream state and become clearer, for at that time a person is naturally more concentrated, his eyes being closed to the outer world. But then also there is the same problem: no sooner has intuition risen from the depth than imagination rises from the surface, and one does not know which is which. That is why many dreams are confused: a part of the dream is expressive of some truth, and a part of the dream is confused. There is no dream which has no meaning. If the dream has nothing to do with intuition, it is a purely automatic activity of all that the mind has gone through in ones work during the day; the same activity goes on automatically just like a moving picture before one. Yet even behind that there is a meaning, for nothing is projected on the curtain of the mind which does not take root in the soil of the heart, producing similar flowers and fruits. If in the dream intuition is working, then the dream is narrative of something in the past, or present, or coming in the future. There is however a kind of dream which shows everything upside-down, just like a mirror which shows a fat person thin and a thin person fat, a tail person short and a short person tail. So there also comes a condition of the mind where everything shows quite the contrary to what it is. This fault can be traced as the fault of the mind. The mind has been turned upside down, and therefore all that a person sees looks upside-down, especially in that dream state. Sometimes this dream shows quite the opposite to what was, what is, and what is going to be. If a person did not understand this nature of the dream, he would interpret it quite contrarily to its real nature. There are dreams which may be called visions. They are reflections; reflections of persons, of their minds, of worlds, of planes on which the mind has become focused. If the mind is focused on a certain world, then the dreams are of that world. If a person is focusing his mind upon himself, then his own thoughts come to him. If the mind is focused on a certain person, then that person and what is within him is reflected in the dream. If the mind is focused on a certain plane of being, then the conditions of that plane are reflected upon the mind. The deeper one goes into this subject, the more one finds that in the understanding of the dream - its nature, its mystery, its character - one understands the secret of the whole life. Question: Could you please tell us about the difference between impulse and intuition. Answer: The impulse of an intuitive person is often guided by intuition, but the impulse of a person who lacks intuition may come from another direction; it may come from the surface. Impulse directed by intuition is desirable. Impulse is just like a little straw floating on the surface of the water. This straw becomes an impulse when it is pushed by a wave which is coming from behind. For a right impulse man gets credit, for a wrong impulse he is blamed. Yet, if one saw what was behind the impulse, one would be slow to express an opinion on the subject. Question: How do you explain symbolical dreams. Answer: The symbolical dream is the working of a subtle mind, and it is a most wonderful working. As subtle as is the mentality, so subtle is the symbol in which the intuition or the thought is expressed. Therefore it has been very easy for the mystics to see the evolution of a person from his dreams. The subtler his dreams, the subtler the person is in his evolution. Nevertheless the virtue is not only in subtlety; the virtue is in simplicity. Poets, musicians, thinkers, writers, people of imagination have wonderful dreams, and the splendor of their dreams is in their marvelous symbology. Question: Is it the study of symbols that develops intuition? Answer: Not at all. It is intuition that develops insight into symbolism. Question: Are conditions in dreams the same as the conditions after death. Answer: Certainly. Question: Are dreams of suffocation, drowning, and inability to walk and speak a result of ones health. Answer: No, they are results of impressions which have been held in the mind. It is a kind of psychological disorder of the mind, a disease of the mind. The mind must be cured from it. Question: What about dreams that are inspired by a stimulus from the physical body, as for instance a dream inspired by a feeling of pain in the body. Answer: The mind has a reaction upon the body, and the body has a reaction upon the mind. Therefore it is natural that a bodily disorder may throw its shadow upon the mind and produce the same disorder in the mind. Question: What about dreams of flying? Many people say they are a bad sign. I think this is the most interesting thing in the world. You do not need airplanes! Dreams of flying have much to do with biology. Psychologically they are expressive of the souls continual effort of rising above the imprisonment and limitation which it experiences in this earthly life. Also dreams of flying signify a journey awaiting one in the future. Question: Will you please tell us what makes a person sing in his sleep? Answer: The dance of his soul. Question: What is the condition of the mind of people who nearly never dream? Are they not imaginative. Answer: I think that they are better than imaginative: they are happy! The truth is that either a very advanced person does not dream much, or a very dense person, who never troubles his brain to think. He is quite happy and content without troubling to think. He does not have many dreams. Do not think that you seldom find such souls. You often meet with souls to whom thinking is a trouble; they would rather not trouble themselves about it. Question: What is the difference between the dream which may be called a vision and the real vision. Answer: Vision is vision. The more one knows reality, the less one uses the word real. There is one vision which is seen in the dream, and there is another vision which is seen in a state of trance, a state between dream and wakefulness. CHAPTER XIII Inspiration Inspiration is a higher form of intuition, for it comes as an idea, as a complete theme with its improvisation, as a phrase creative of a poem. Inspiration is a stream, a stream of wonder and bewilderment. The really inspired person, whether a writer, a poet, a composer, or whatever may be his work, when once he has received an inspiration, has found satisfaction - not with himself, but with what has come to him. It gives his soul such a relief, for the soul was drawing from something and that object from which it was drawing has yielded to the soul, has given it what it was asking for. Therefore inspiration may be called the souls reward. It is not by being anxious to receive something that one is able to receive it. It is not by straining the brain that one can write poetry. It is not by worrying for days together that one can compose a piece of music. One who does so cannot receive inspiration. The one who receives inspiration is quite tranquil and unconcerned about what is coming. Certainly he is desirous of receiving something, he is passionately longing to conceive it. And it is by focusing his mind to the divine mind that, consciously or unconsciously, man receives inspiration. This phenomenon is so great and so wonderful that its joy is unlike any other joy in the world. It is in this joy that the inspirational genius experiences ecstasy. It is a joy which is almost indescribable. It is an upliftment. One feels that one is raised from the earth when ones mind is focused on the divine mind - for inspiration comes from the divine mind. What the great musicians, poets, thinkers, philosophers, writers, and prophets have left to the world is always uplifting, although it is not every soul who comprehends their work fully, and therefore not every soul can enjoy it fully. But imagine their own enjoyment of what came to them; there are no words to express it! It is in inspiration that one begins to see the sign of God, and the most materialistic genius begins to wonder about the divine Spirit when once inspiration has begun to come to him. One might ask: Does inspiration come as a finished picture? Does it come as a written letter? No, it comes to an artist as if his hand was taken by someone else, as if his eyes were closed, his heart was open. He has drawn something, he has painted something, and he does not know who painted it, who has drawn it. inspiration comes to a musician as if someone else were playing or singing, and he were only taking it down: a complete melody, a perfect air. And after he has written it down then it enchants his soul. To a poet inspiration comes as if someone were dictating and he were only writing. There is no strain on his brain, there is no anxiety in receiving it. It is therefore that many confuse inspiration with spirit communication. Many inspirational people are glad to attribute inspiration to a spirit, knowing that it does not come from themselves - but it is not always spirit communication. It is natural that inspiration should come from a being living just now on earth or from someone who has passed; yet the most profound inspiration comes always from the divine mind, and to God alone the credit is due. Even if an inspiration comes through the mind of a person living on earth or through a soul who has passed on to the other side, it still has come from God, for all knowledge and wisdom belong to God. It is a fault on the part of mankind to attribute inspiration to some limited being, who is nothing but a shadow covering God. When a person believes that an old Egyptian comes from the other side to inspire him, or that an American Indian comes to lead him on his way, he builds a wall between himself and God. Instead of receiving directly from the source which is perfect and all sufficient, he is picturing his limited idea making it a screen between himself and God. The best way for the genius is to make himself an empty cup, free from pride of learning or conceit of knowledge, to become as innocent as a child who is ready to learn whatever may be taught him. It is the one who becomes as a child before God, at the same time longing and yearning to express music through his soul, who becomes a fountain of God. From that fountain divine inspiration rises and brings beauty before all those who see the fountain. There is one step further, and that is when the person no longer remains a poet or a musician or a philosopher, but becomes Gods instrument only. Then God begins to speak to him through everything, not only in music or verse, in color or line: he begins to communicate with God in all forms. Everything he sees above or below, before or behind, right or left, either heavenly or earthly is communicative. He then begins to speak with God, and it is this step which is called revelation. There is a story of Moses which relates that, when he was looking for fire to bake bread, he happened to see a light on the top of a mountain. So in order to take this fire he climbed to the top of the mountain - but there the fire became lightning. Moses could no longer withstand that great flashing and he fell to the ground. When he woke up he began to communicate with God. This story is allegorical. The idea is that Moses was looking for light to make it his lifes sustenance. But he had to climb on to the higher planes. It was not possible to get it on earth where he stood; it was necessary that he should climb to the top. And then there was not only a light, but it was lightning. It was a light which was beyond the power of Moses to withstand, and he fell down. What is this falling down? To become nothing, to become empty. When he reached that state of emptiness, then his heart became sonorous, and he found communication with God through everything in the world. In the rock, tree or plant, in the star, sun or moon, in whatever he saw he found communication with his soul. So everything revealed its nature and secret to Moses. It is in connection with this revelation that Saadi says that every leaf of the tree becomes a page of the sacred scripture once the soul has learned to read. Question: I quite understand that inspiration comes from God, but would you kindly explain how one receives inspiration from a person on earth whom one does not know. Answer: Inspiration comes through the mediumship of a living being in three forms: when you are in the presence of someone who is inspiring, when you are in the thoughts of someone who is inspiring, and when your heart is in a state of perfect tranquillity and inspiration flowing through the heart of an inspirational genius comes into your heart. It is just like the wireless: sometimes you connect it with a certain station from which you are to receive the music, and sometimes you do not connect it - but it remains a wireless machine. If anything passing through is not received, it is not heard - but the sound is there just the same. In the same way one receives inspiration from these three different sources. Question: When inspiration comes originally from the divine Mind, must it always be vehicled by someone who has passed on, or who is on earth. Answer: There are different processes. It all depends upon how the heart of the person is focused on the divine Spirit. There is a person whose heart is focused directly on the divine Spirit; there is another to whom the divine Spirit it too remote. His heart is focused on a center, and this center is focused on the divine Spirit from where it receives the message. So it all comes from the divine Spirit just the same.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Nov 2013 18:10:00 +0000
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