It has been said before – a person without intuition is lost. They will fall prey to those whose use elegant words, but have no heart or substance. At best, they will stumble upon a true teacher, but be unable to adapt that teaching to their needs. The best spiritual teaching is not a map. Rather, the best teaching tells you how to create a map by using your common sense (logic) and horse sense (intuition).
One must realize the need to improve the intuition. The mind is our tool in spiritual research. Within mind, I include thinking, feeling, the heart, intuition, reason, and any other faculty you can name. Intuition spans a continuum from feeling one should turn left instead of right, to knowing what another person is thinking, to a taste of the profound. Intuition, along with reason, helps guide us through life. Intuition is the feeling, the hunch, and the faint whisper – often obscured by reasoned thought and not always correct.
Developing the intuition is an experiment, as each person is different. I recommend:
Observation of the mind: watch the decision-making process in your mind, learn to distinguish among the conflicting desires. You may have the intuition to eat a doughnut. Over time, you will recognize that is an intuition of the body and is to be ignored at times. You may recognize a higher intuition that says not to eat the doughnut and to take a walk instead. During your walk, an even higher intuition may be sensed which says that neither doughnuts, nor walking, nor anything about you is of importance. Prayer: a statement of your intention to improve your intuition. This will reinforce your determination – a key ingredient for success. Creative endeavors: writing, painting, music, and such, especially if these are unusual activities for you. This will develop your inner listening skills. You may need to read books or consult artists on how to begin such activities. Associating with intuitive people: hang around people who have what you want. Discuss how they make decisions, how their mind functions. Without a doubt, those you associate with will change who you are. Develop empathy: put yourself in another person’s shoes. This forces the use of feeling rather than logic. At its extreme, you can know what another person is thinking. Take a job or volunteer in a helping profession. Work with children or the elderly – people who need your help and may have trouble communicating via words, so you have to reach out with all of your senses to understand them. Experiments in ESP: telepathy, card reading, precognition, etc. What first seems like random guessing, may eventually become a new way to discover answers. Being in natural settings: A walk in a park may stir the intuition. Being in nature gives us a clearer perspective on our daily problems. It allows a relaxation of the survival instinct and thinking along new lines. Celibacy: To clear distracting noise from the mind. If mental chatter associated with the pursuit of a mate is lessened, then there are more resources available for observing the mind. Fasting: To clear distracting noise from the mind and aid in observing the mind.
It will take intuition and reasoned experimentation to find methods of developing your intuition. It is trial and error. If you are completely at a loss, ask someone who is intuitive, or try anything just to take the first step and get moving.
Above all, be scientific about the process. You must test your intuition to know if it is improving. Verbalize your intuitions. Write them down and review them later to see if they were accurate. Admit your mistakes and be thankful for successes. We are trying to look within, listen quietly, and identify which voices in our mind are reliable.
To develop the intuition it must be used. Just like muscle, it will atrophy. Really you are just trying to find a technique that interests you, holds your attention, and captures your curiosity long enough for you to see the benefit. Do not be afraid to follow the intuition. Intuition will grow if it is allowed. It is the indistinct whisper, the hunch, which is usually overruled by the clear, loud voice of reason. The intuition may hint at a course of action for which the reason sees no call. Take the chance. Generally, all you stand to lose is false pride, although you will imagine it much more dangerous than that.
Eventually, there is little else to guide you on the spiritual path except intuition. You follow a feeling that somewhere within you is the answer to your questions. You follow a feeling of the profound.