Intuition - what is it to you?

I found a (to me) wonderful definition of intuition recently and thought it would be interesting to share it here.

It came from a spirit guide called Silver Birch in the early 1950's so predates many new age discussions and writing about intuition.

Silver Birch was the name used by the spirit teacher brought through in trance by the English journalist and medium, Maurice Barbanell. You can google both names.

Intuition means different things to different people and I know there have been some debates about the meaning of intuition in terms of tarot reading here. Yes, I did a search. .

I am not sure that there is such a thing as an 'intuitive reading methodology" but also understand that meaning is is very different for each one of us. I believe that people read tarot by way of their understanding of symbols and patterns and their capacity to merge those into the story of the tarot reading. Some parts of that might be intuitive, some not.

But the point of this post is to offer you this beautiful (to my way of thinking) definition.

Intuition is the prompting of the spirit. Intuition is the means by which the spirit becomes aware of itself; it outpaces the processes of normal earthly reasoning. Intuition accomplishes at lightning speed what normally you would reach after much deliberation. Intuition is that process of attunement during which you receive that prompting which you would otherwise reach after much time and thought on the same subject.

For example, sometimes we see answers to questions without having done the tarot reading, as sometimes we all simply know something without having gone through any kind of methodical reasoning process.

Because we are human, few people are 100% intuitive. There are times when pragmatic requirements of daily life. stress or other factors stifle this approach a little.

I thought it would be interesting to ask people what the definition given above means to them.

If you use Aeclectic's google searching tool, you can draw up some interesting threads on intuition. From what I understand after years of reflection on this, Silver Birch's definition is congruent with scientific thinking on intuition. In fact some scientists are the most intuitive people I know .

BLessings. I look forward to your responses

Intuition is a conscious realisation that came from an unconscious conclusion.

ravenest said:

Intuition is a conscious realisation that came from an unconscious conclusion.

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Hi ravenest ~

Yes, but I think that Silver Birch's definition is more easily understood . There is also no acknowledgement in your definition of the speed of the thought or realisation: the lightning fast overwriting of normal reasoning processes.

What do you think?

Silver Birch said:

Intuition is the prompting of the spirit. Intuition is the means by which the spirit becomes aware of itself; it outpaces the processes of normal earthly reasoning. Intuition accomplishes at lightning speed what normally you would reach after much deliberation. Intuition is that process of attunement during which you receive that prompting which you would otherwise reach after much time and thought on the same subject.

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The 'spirit' stuff is gobbledygook to me, but the rest of the definition makes sense. I am not, however, sure that intuition is always lightning fast. I have had amazing flashes of intuition upon first awakening from sleep. (Once it even changed the direction of my life.) However, during sleep I may have been processing the information on which the intuition is based. The conscious realization may be instantaneous, but the process of arriving at the flash of intuition may have taken much longer. I don't know.

LRichard said:

The 'spirit' stuff is gobbledygook to me, but the rest of the definition makes sense. I am not, however, sure that intuition is always lightning fast. I have had amazing flashes of intuition upon first awakening from sleep. (Once it even changed the direction of my life.) However, during sleep I may have been processing the information on which the intuition is based. The conscious realization may be instantaneous, but the process of arriving at the flash of intuition may have taken much longer. I don't know.

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Yes, the acceptance that human beings are essentially spiritual in nature is a matter of personal faith.

I share that faith which is partly why I delighted in this definition. I was amazed to see it in a 1955 publication and to find it ratified (apart from the 'spirit' reference) in subsequent scientific literature.

Science does seem to support the 'lightning fast' aspect. Sometimes people call that 'flashes'.

You are right, we don't know for sure all that much about how the brain and consciousness work and we don't know all that much about the essential nature of 'spirit' although there has been much speculation about this in literature and philosophy.

You have raised a question as to whether intuition is triggered by something or whether there is a process of some kind happening in the background.

Both could be possible.

I sometimes, when reading cards, find that the images trigger a response to the question - a kind of flash response. When that happens, I usually go back and see how the images contribute to this but I used to know a reader who did not do the latter. He would simply give the answer. I guess I prefer the longer explanation because that is what most people expect and want

In real life the experience of intuition may be different. For example, once I interviewed an old clergyman for some research. When I met him, I understood immediately where he came from in life, what his values were, and what some of his experiences in life had probably been. This was a lightning fast understanding and I was able to interview him with a lot more depth and sensitivity because of this.

I had a similar experience a few years ago in my professional life where I had been invited to a meeting between nursing academics and some people who ran a homelessness agency. The nurses wanted to set up a student clinic in the agency but I knew straight away that the homelessness workers didn't want that (yet). They felt the academics were more self-interested than concerned about the wellbeing of the folk who used their service.

With that realisation I was able to mediate a process acceptable to both groups in a sensitive and inclusive way.

It is interesting to consider how intuition, insight and understanding function in the way we, as individuals, live.

Hi there! Beautiful definition, but... I've always had my own: intuition is 80% a natural ability of sharp observation, the "reading between the lines" capacity (and as any other ability, some people have it, and some have not); and only 20% intuition in itself: that hit from a ray from you-never-know-where which helps you, for example, on tarot reading. Sometimes, you "see" or "feel" something that not necessary is shown in the spread and your interpretation of it...
Anyway, I admit this perspective might be just a failed intent to racionalize what no one can!

momentarylight said:

Intuition is the prompting of the spirit. Intuition is the means by which the spirit becomes aware of itself; it outpaces the processes of normal earthly reasoning. Intuition accomplishes at lightning speed what normally you would reach after much deliberation. Intuition is that process of attunement during which you receive that prompting which you would otherwise reach after much time and thought on the same subject.

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It is a beautiful quote.

But perhaps it makes sense due only to its generalities? Because one can easily substitute intuition for love; awarenesss; or even music; and the quote still makes total sense.

I even tried inserting the word anger; and, oddly, it works:

"__________ is the prompting of the spirit. __________ is the means by which the spirit becomes aware of itself; it outpaces the processes of normal earthly reasoning. __________ accomplishes at lightning speed what normally you would reach after much deliberation. __________ is that process of attunement during which you receive that prompting which you would otherwise reach after much time and thought on the same subject."

momentarylight said:

Hi ravenest ~

Yes, but I think that Silver Birch's definition is more easily understood . There is also no acknowledgement in your definition of the speed of the thought or realisation: the lightning fast overwriting of normal reasoning processes.

What do you think?

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I understand what you mean as usually .... FLASH! ... intuition ... but it can be the 'realisation' process , that information influx that gets 'downloaded' into the consciousness that SEEMS 'lightning fast' ... since the process is worked out 'in the unconscious' it means we are not conscious of it, so, in some cases, who knows how long it took.

Since we are not defining (or I should say Silver Birch is not defining) what TYPE of intuition we are talking about here my caveat may apply, or in another type of intuition (there are types classified; see definitions 'congruent with scientific thinking on intuition') it may not.

Since the type of intuition was not defined I gave no acknowledgment to the 'speed' process (to make it more easily understood).

Actually I have no idea what it means when someone says " Intuition is the prompting of the spirit." or " Intuition is the means by which the spirit becomes aware of itself ..."

Spirit itself is undefined (like intuition) ... spirit has many different meanings (even the dictionaries and religions cant agree what it means).

I can understand ... say; " Flight of the Valkyrie's prompts my 'spirit of Mars' to action."

Or: My 'spirit of Mars' prompts me to write martial music.

The quote is just too general really . But I agree that it a nice sting of words , like a lot of 'spirit guide' stuff but it really doesn't explain anything ... unless one reads a lot of one's own meanings into it.

ravenest said:

Actually I have no idea what it means when someone says " Intuition is the prompting of the spirit." or " Intuition is the means by which the spirit becomes aware of itself ..."

Spirit itself is undefined (like intuition) ... spirit has many different meanings (even the dictionaries and religions cant agree what it means).

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The quote is just too general really . But I agree that it a nice sting of words , like a lot of 'spirit guide' stuff but it really doesn't explain anything ... unless one reads a lot of one's own meanings into it.

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I can understand where you are coming from. I guess from the quote itself, it generalize "spirit" to mean your higher sub-conscious self, prompting you of something that is hidden away or not obviously laid out in front of you.

Does that make more sense/explanation of the quote?