Intuition and Emotional Presence - Part 2

Making Decisions

Our unconscious mind, receives multiple layers of sensory information continually, but has to filter this in order to keep the input to a minimum, whilst keeping us safe. Our unconscious mind does this by associating patterns and past experiences, and 'hash-tagging' them with codes that are relevant to particular thoughts, beliefs, or past realisations or associations. Our mind is 'coding' the information to store it. This keep the need to store huge amounts of information to a minimum, but allows a flexible approach to memory, which is based on 'connection' or association of separate parts.

A sound, or a smell may be recognisable individually, but put them together in a set pattern or combination, and they will alert the mind to past scenarios where they were meaningful or significant. That 'alert' will activate different strategies that we may have used in the past to cope with or address the situation as it emerges.

It is often the EGO mind which anchors onto set patterns and beliefs and makes them 'sound' and significant. The EGO proves its intelligence again and again in the box of constructs, beliefs and rules that it has created for itself! Over time the conscious mind begins to associate its sense of 'self' with the 'ego' mind. It is important to remember that the 'EGO' part of the mind is always engaged in an act of self-preservation.

This act of self-preservation is one that primarily relies on us 'surviving' past conflicts, problems or attacks - whether physical, mental or emotional! Our ego is always aimed at keeping us safe from external attack. The ego mind senses danger at all turns and has adapted multiple strategies to avoid or avert danger. It has built constructs and frameworks of beliefs and values around which it hangs the 'truths' that it has elicited along the way.

The EGO relies on ITSELF heavily - patterns built within the unconscious begin to communicate and become evident through the conscious mind. As the conscious mind becomes a part of the active mechanisms of safety and presence in the outer world. It shows up as the conscious mind 'protecting the self' in all of its forms (real or imagined). Therefore the EGO is often easily recognised when it is acting to protect itself from any perceived attack. Highly egotistical people will not respond well to threats upon their intellect, their point of view, or the things they have decided are 'truths' in their world.

We might describe these people as being headstrong. They are those who believe that they are always right. They tend not to bend their own thinking or constructs, nor to be adaptable to other ways of thinking. They are the people that we might say are 'full of themselves' - of their own importance and presence within the world! We should remember that these people, with their projection of 'big egos', are merely trying to preserve their own sense of self, and are ultimately trying to keep themselves 'safe' in a BIG way!!

Our conscious minds have been built on set standards and truths - which we define through our learnings as we grow up. Through family, school, society, religion, gender: all of these create our filters, and colour our perception of the world in which we live - and our place and purpose within it. We will rarely let go of those constructs, which are tried and tested and re-affirmed to us every single day in the society in which we live.

It requires a different experience - one where we are feeling unsafe to such a massive degree, that the construction of our 'ego' becomes shaken.

It is only within these 'ego-shattering' moments that the normal 'patterns' we have built over a lifetime can become uncertain enough for us to be alerted to an inner, divergent voice.

These 'ego-shattering' moments can turn everything on its head! It does after all mean that the individual will have to learn to listen to a quieter and less 'certain' inner voice.

In such times of confusion and uncertainty, that inner voice tends not to be in alignment with the things that traditionally 'made sense' to our ego or conscious mind. However, it is interesting to be aware that if we have this experience - our conscious mind is less pliable (or in neurological terms less 'plastic') than our unconscious mind. In these times, our conscious mind is unable to "make sense" of things, the situation, the experience. It is our unconscious mind which will initiate protective mechanisms, precisely because it perceives such (real or perceived) life-threatening danger.

Sometimes the "protective mechanisms" that the body will initiate, are "biological programs". These are the 'adaptations that occur within the body whilst it is trying to find biological solutions to the problem. These "biological programs" are what the Mind Body Detective explores through Meta Perspectives on Health and Disease. It is a Meta Health, or a Metacological approach to uncover the root cause "stress" behind disease.

For example, a 'biological program' that might be initiated for a person who often uses their mind to "work out problems". A person who uses their logical, cognitive mind to a high degree, may find that this cognitive part of the brain is no longer functioning well. The brain becomes "foggy" and unreliable. They may suffer memory loss, or the inability to focus or 'think straight'. The conscious mind has traditionally been used to "getting everything right". However, when the unconscious mind recognises that the "constructs" of this ego, conscious mind are no longer working, or worse - it considers them downright dangerous - the unconscious mind will use biology to 'shut it down'. Long before our conscious mind understands what is happening, the unconscious mind has activated protective, life-saving programs. The conscious mind remains in 'darkness' (a state without understanding or awareness) of the unconscious mind and the individual only recognises the dysfunction of their cognitive mind. Living with symptoms of brain fog, forgetfulness or other deteriorating brain-functions.

Intuition

Intuition allows us to tap into the blocks of our experiential language - and to interpret the information in a more pliable and plastic way than our conscious mind allows us to do. Intuition is part of the subconscious mind.

The subconscious mind is working 'just below the surface' of the conscious mind. It "glimmers" with the sense of awareness thats awaiting to 'break through' into the light. But it is slightly out of focus. Not yet at the forefront of our awareness, or just slightly beyond our current ability to understand it.

In comparison, the unconscious mind is the large harmonic and rhythmic process (and processor) of knowledge that oversee all levels of life. They underpin the processes of evolution itself, and allow the 'energy of life' to emerge in any number of variations. It is adaptable, intelligent and endlessly connected to potentiality through the causal and quantum fields.

It is this connection to such a vast 'potential' through our unconscious and subconscious mind, that allows us to evolve creatively, spontaneously and temporally through our biological, mental, emotional and spiritual adaptations.

Some people tend to be naturally connected to this 'field' of creativity. It is far easier for them to be adaptable and fluid in situations of change. Other people prefer more rigidity and 'defined' ways of thinking and behaving. They rely on 'constants' - on solid constructs that they want to believe are "definite" and immutable. Situations of change and adaptability are much more difficult for these people.

Creative, fluid people are much more likely to be connected to their own inner intuition. Whilst those with more 'solid' ego-based characters may find this more difficult. However, we are all able to connect into this ability. We are all connected to this infinite field of potentiality. We simply need to recognise that it is there, and become open to the possibility of interacting with it.

Compared with more ridged egos, 'intuitive' people are often much quieter. They may be more 'inward looking' generally, and may be more likely to search for deeper connections within themselves and within the world around them. They may be far more open to the idea that they do not have all the answers - which is why they maintain an unending search for ever deeper 'truths' compared to those who believe they already have a defined and definite construct of the world and their place within it!

However, for each of us, the search and exploration of our inner language, of our inner symbolic world, will develop a deepening trust in our ability to receive the right answers. As we each allow ourselves to hear and accept the counsel of our inner teacher.

For this same reason, many artists, musicians, dancers and creative people are often considered more 'intuitive' in nature, when they work from this perspective.

Creativity is an exploration of the languages of our inner worlds - and therefore explores the same realms of existence and experience that we enter when connecting to our intuition.

Intuition & Truth

It is a difficult job to be completely certain of ones own truths - guided by ones own ego state, and simultaneously be attuned to ones own inner guidance, or intuition. That is not to say, that an individual cannot be suddenly made aware of their inner teacher - particularly if the requirement from that deep part of the self believes that making the conscious mind 'hear' the quieter voice is essential for overall survival! However, there may be instances of such people - and I would love to hear about that - and understand their experience - so please comment and share these.

One such example that we often might see in our society is the Highly Successful Intuitive Business Person!

A highly egoistic personality may have breakthrough moments of intuition - I suspect that these people are receiving that intuitive information as part of a strategy which is allowing them to fulfil some activity that is 'essential' to them in some way for their own survival. This might b, a highly successful business person who receives amazing intuitive insights which have helped to make them very successful. Their success may be driven by a deep need to be highly successful, with a deeper fear that any failure in their business could be massively destructive to them at a deeper level of awareness. Their ego requires the success of their business in order to really experience itself as being 'safe'. A business failure would mean that they were not safe, which could be potentially so disastrous as to be life-threatening to them in some deeply unconscious way!

In this scenario, we can see that the ego is attached to the need to build a successful business, and the persona may appear outwardly highly egoic in nature. However, they may also be very connected to their inner teacher - their intuition - which arises to guide them towards the safety they require. Their active engagement in following their intuition as part of this pathway that aids their survival - and the continual 'proving' of intuition itself (within the business market) will further strengthen this persons ability to connect into their own intuition. We will then see a successful business person, who demonstrates both a strong egotistical nature, alongside a strong intuitive direction in their actions.

Intuition & the EGO

The fractured self is an old idea. The shaman believes that when our soul is wounded, a part of it 'fractures' and separates off. Part of our healing is in its retrieval and reintegration to our whole self. This is why the shaman practices 'soul retrival'.

Psychologically, we are fractured when our thoughts, ideas and beliefs are not in alignment. When they do not create a 'cohesive whole'. This will show up as inner conflict(s) for the individual. Large or small. We all have some conflicts, as this is a natural part of our own evolution - of our own path to personal and spiritual growth. However, our overall biology requires that we have more inner 'stability' than active conflict. As long as we are more stable than not, we have the resources to overcome our conflicts. The irony is, of course, that if we are stable enough to ignore our inner conflicts, then we will do so! Until, of course, they become too big for us to ignore!

This is why the fractured self is always a part of personal evolution and growth. It is always present in any learning. For without the instability caused by such fractures and their associated conflicts, we would simply remain 'as we are' - in a state of non-growth and unending stability.

Of course, stability is what we are aiming for.

Peace, health and wellbeing are general signs that we are 'more stable' than unstable, more complete than fractured. Our underlying, inbuilt trajectory is to aim for such 'completeness' - for a sense of wholeness and unity within our very being!

If we are unable to unify our thoughts and our values fully and cohesively INTERNALLY, then it is likely that we will need to apply artificial constructions EXTERNALLY; to our environment and our place within it, which gives us the tools and the techniques to be able to function well within it!

It is how we keep 'order' in a disordered world.

It is how we apply strategies and rules to nature and to society which give us a structure in which to self-realise.

Our EGO, even though it often gets a real bad wrap - is doing an amazing job at keeping us sane and operational within our world, as we strive to evolve whilst maintaining a state of stability!

Our Intuition is that part of us that can reconnect us to the expanded field of potentiality that exists beyond our current understanding, It is that field of potentiality and creativity that our conscious ego mind can sometimes 'miss' when we remain 'too long' inside the comfort of our own stable and safely constructed reality.

Intuition and EGO - are the sides of the same coin - a coin which moves us towards self-preservation and survival. However, one is based on self-defined constructs and truths (the EGO), whilst the other connects into a deeper well of information that arises from the deepest realms (the intuition), and is not self-defined.