INNER CONSCIOUSNESS/PART 10
LESSON 10.
INTUITION AND BEYOND
Just as there are mental planes which the investigator
naturally classifies as "below” the ordinary planes of consciousness—the
instinctive plane; the physical-function plane; the habit-plane; and even the
plane on which the so-called "automatic thinking,” etc., manifests—so are
there many planes which one naturally thinks of as "above” the ordinary
plane. As we have said, not only are there the basements and sub-cellars
beneath the floor of the packing and shipping department of the mind, but also
many "upper stories” above that floor. Upon these upper floors of the mind
rest those things which the world calls Genius; Inspiration; Intuition;
Spiritual Power; and other names denoting higher faculties of the mind.
Kay says: "It is in
the ultra-conscious region of the mind that all its highest operations are
carried on. It is here that genius works.” Carlyle said: "Shakespeare's
intellect is what I call an unconscious intellect; there is more virtue in it
than he himself is aware of. The latest generations of men will find new
meanings in Shakespeare, new elucidations of their own human being.” Goethe
said: "I prefer that the principle from which, and through which, I work
shall be hidden from me.” Ferrier says: "The sublimest works of
intelligence are quite possible, and may be easily conceived to be executed,
without any consciousness of them on the part of the apparent and immediate
agent.” Holmes says: "The creating and informing spirit which is within us
and not of us, is recognized everywhere in real life. It comes to us as a voice
that will be heard; it tells us what we must believe; it frames our sentences
and we wonder at this visitor who chooses our brain as his dwelling place.”
Schofield says: "The supra-conscious mind lies at the other end—all those
regions of higher soul and spirit life, of which we are only at times vaguely
conscious, but which always exist, and link us on to eternal verities, on the
one side, as surely as the sub-conscious mind links us to the body on the
other.” Schofield also says: "The mind, indeed, reaches all the way, and
while on the one hand it is inspired by the Almighty, on the other it energizes
the body, all whose purposive life it originates. We may call the
supra-conscious mind the sphere of the spirit life, the sub-conscious mind the sphere of the
body life, and the conscious mind the middle region where both meet.” Schofield
also says: "The Spirit of God is said to dwell in believers, and yet, as
we have seen, His presence is not the subject of direct consciousness. We would
include, therefore, in the supra-conscious, all such spiritual ideas, together
with conscience—the voice of God, as Max Muller calls it—which is surely a
half-conscious faculty. Moreover the supra-conscious, like the sub-conscious,
is, as we have said, best apprehended when the conscious mind is not active.
Visions, meditations, prayers, and even dreams have been undoubtedly occasions
of spiritual revelations, and many instances may be adduced as illustrations of
the workings of the Spirit apart from the action of reason or mind. The truth
apparently is that the mind as a whole is an unconscious state, by that its
middle registers, excluding the highest spiritual and lowest physical
manifestations, are fitfully illuminated in varying degrees by consciousness;
and that it is to this illuminated part of the dial that the word "mind,”
which rightly appertains to the whole, has been limited.” And as Emerson has
said: "Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason. It
shall ripen into truth, and you shall know why you believe.”
In the region of the higher planes of the
Inner Consciousness are to be found that wonderful aspect or phase of mind
which we call "Intuition,” which Webster defines as: "Direct apprehension
or cognition; immediate knowledge, as in perception or consciousness involving
no reasoning process.” Intuition is a most difficult thing to describe, but yet
nearly everyone understands just what is meant by the term. It is a higher form
of that which we know as "Instinct,” the difference being chiefly that
Instinct belongs to the phenomena of the "below” conscious planes, and has
to do chiefly with that which concerns the physical body and well-being—while
Intuition belongs to the "above” conscious planes and has to do with the
higher part of the nature of the individual. Instinct sends its messages
"up” to the Intellect, while Intuition sends its messages "down” to
the Intellect. Many of the highest form of pleasurable things come from the
region of Intuition. Art, Music, Poetry; the love of the Beautiful and the
Good; the higher forms of love; intuitive perception of truth; all these come
from above— from the region of Intuition.
Genius also comes from that enchanted region. All great
writers, poets, painters, musicians, actors, and artists of all kinds and modes
of expression have received their "Inspiration” from these higher regions
of the mind. All great artists, working through the various mediums of
expression noted above, have felt that their best work was rather the result of
the labor of some higher power, rather than of their own "every-day self.”
The testimony on this point is overwhelming. And, strange to say, the work that
impresses itself most strongly upon the public, is just this kind of work which
left upon the mind of the worker the impression that it came "from
above”—was the result of "inspiration.” The Greeks, recognizing the
wonderful phenomena emanating from this part of the mind, were wont to call it
the work of the "daemon,” or "spirit,” which, friendly to the artist,
would attach itself to him and "inspire” his work. Plutarch wrote that
Timarchus saw in a vision the spirits which were partly attached to human
bodies, and partly over and above them, shining luminously over their heads. In
the vision, he was informed by the oracle that the part of the spirit which was
immersed in the body was called the "soul,” while the outer or unimmersed
portion was called the "daemon” or "spirit.” The oracle also stated
that every man had his daemon, whom he was bound to obey; those who implicitly
follow that guidance are the prophetic souls, the favorites of the gods. This
idea of the "daemon” was a favorite one with Socrates, and even Goethe was
evidently impressed with the idea, for he speaks of the daemon as a power
higher than the will, and which inspired certain natures with miraculous
energy. Of course these ideas were merely the attempts of the thinkers of those
days attempting to account for and explain the phenomena which was apparent to
all. There is no necessity for postulating the existence of these
"daemons” or "spirits” to account for the phenomena of Intuition and
Genius. The "daemon” is merely the operation of the mind of each of us on
its higher planes. We have it all within us—that Something Within which seems
almost like a protecting and guiding entity.
In this connection we
quote the following from a well-known work: "The advanced occultist knows
that in: the higher regions of the mind are locked up intuitive perceptions of
all truth, and that he who can gain access to these regions will know
everything intuitively, and as a matter of clear sight, without reasoning or
explanation. The race has not as yet reached the heights of Intuition—it
is just beginning to climb the foothills. But it is moving in the right
direction. It will be well for us if we will open ourselves to the higher inner
guidance, and be willing to be 'led by the Spirit.' This is a far different
thing from being led by an outside intelligence, which may, or may not, be
qualified to lead. But the Spirit within each of us has our interests at heart,
and is desirous of our own best good, and is not only ready but willing to take
us by the hand and lead us on. The Higher Self is doing the best it can for our
development and welfare, but is hampered by its confining sheaths. And, alas,
many of us glory in these sheaths and consider them the highest 'part of
ourselves’. Do not be afraid to let the light of the Spirit pierce through
these confining sheaths and dissolve them. The Intuition, however, is not the
Spirit, but is one of its channels of communication to us. There are other and
still higher planes of mind, but the Intuition is the one next above the
Intellect in the line of unfoldment, and we should open ourselves to its
influence and welcome its gradual unfoldment and manifestation within
ourselves.”
There are indeed planes
of the Inner Consciousness above that which we know as Intuition, but the
consideration of these would take us beyond the scope of this little work and
on to the great field of what has been called "Spiritual Consciousness,”
and which is as yet practically undeveloped in the majority of the race. In
this great field is also included that plane of consciousness which has been
called "Cosmic Consciousness,” in which certain highly developed
individuals have been able to penetrate, and thus realize in actual
consciousness that Oneness of Life and the Unity in the Universe. But, as we
have said, this belongs to an entirely different phase of the general subject
from that which we are considering in this work. The purpose of this little
work is chiefly to point out to the students the various fields of
consciousness common to the whole race, and which may be developed by any
individual, together with certain suggestions concerning this work of
development and use. Therefore, we must pass by with a mere mention those
exalted planes of consciousness which have been penetrated only by certain
highly developed individuals. In fact, these higher planes can scarcely be
called "mental planes” at all— they belong to that part of man's nature
which is more properly designated "spiritual.” The possibilities before
any man and every man along the lines pointed out in this work are sufficiently great for
the majority of individuals, and the development and use of these various
mental planes will "keep them busy” for a long time to come. And when
finally they are ready for further progress, the way will open itself out for
them, and the book or the teacher will be found ready to give the needed
instruction.
While the phase of the subject of Inner Consciousness,
known as Spiritual Consciousing—that spiritual "knowing” by means
of which one is able to see through and behind the things of the material
plane—belongs to another branch of occult science, and can scarcely be touched
up in this work, still it would not be just to the reader for us to fail to
call his attention to the higher planes of his own being, which are unfolding
into conscious realization as he advances in spiritual unfoldment and
attainment.
All of us have recognized that
"Something Within” which comes to our aid in times of doubt, distress and
trouble. Many of us have considered this "Something” to be outside of
themselves, but it is really a higher part of the soul awakened into greater
activity by the needs of the individual. This Something Within is always alert
and awake to our interests, and tries to send us a warning word or a
restraining hand, but alas! we brush these loving admonitions aside as
"mere imagination,” "absurd notions,” etc., and refuse to accept the
message coming from the higher planes of our own being.
Not only in times of danger does the
Something Within send us its messages—it tries to help us even in the little
affairs of every-day life. Did you never feel an earnest desire for some
information of a certain kind and, after failing to find it, later be led to
some book shelf in a store or in a public library and, picking up a book at
random, find either the information you wish or else a reference to some other
book containing the information? Many have had these experiences—perhaps you
are one of the number. Have you never had the experience of being "led” to
a person or place in order to gain certain information or advantages? Have you
never been "led” apparently in the opposite direction from where you
thought a desired something might be found, only to find later that in that
opposite direction was the thing you desired? Have you never been conscious of
the little mental "nudges” in this direction, or the little restraining
"pull-back” drawing you away from certain
things—afterwards to find that the suggestion of the Something Within had been
actually right, whether you followed it or not?
These things are not mere imaginings, but are the
manifestations of that Something which is the higher part of ourselves, always
striving and trying to guide us aright. The old tales about "Conscience”
were founded on true scientific facts—each of us has that which folks have
called a "Conscience,” trying to "steer the way true” for each of us.
This Conscience or Something Within is not the "goody-goody” thing that
has been taught, but instead is a watchful Something, knowing better and seeing
farther than can we in our outer consciousness, and endeavoring to steer us
aright. Do not reject these things as "played-out relics of outgrown
creeds,” but recognize them for what they are.
Learn to recognize the pressure of the "Unseen
Hand”— welcome it when it comes, and bid it welcome. Do not shake it from your
shoulder as an alien thing, simply because you fail to understand it and its
laws. Trust to its well-meaning and kindliness. It is not an outside thing—it
is a part of your very self. It will manifest according to your faith and
expectation in its presence. It is striving to unfold further and further into
your conscious life, and you may aid it by bidding it welcome and treating it
as a part of yourself instead of as an alien. It is Yourself who is speaking—so
do not shut the door of your mind to it.
Let the Light Within you send its rays into your outer
consciousness, that it may illumine and make plain the way that your feet must
tread. And step out boldly upon the place illumined for your footsteps without
fear and with confidence. If you understand these things clearly you will know
what good old Newman meant when he wrote the beautiful lines:
"Lead, kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom, Lead
thou me on.
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead thou me on.
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me;
Lead thou me on.”
END OF THIS BOOK.
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