Today, I want to talk about a subject that may be familiar to some in name, and yet unfamiliar in practice: Intuition — and how we can cultivate it as a skill, a resource to intentionally tap into.

Intuition is something we all have. It is there. It has potential. And it can be an indispensable aid — but only when it arises from a calm mind and partners with an active intellect.

One place to access this resource is in those moments between being asleep and being awake. You have likely heard of the song ‘Yesterday’ by The Beatles. Did you know that the tune for this song came to Paul McCartney in a dream?

Paul has been quoted as saying, “I woke up with a lovely tune in my head. I thought, ‘That’s great, I wonder what that is?’ There was an upright piano next to me, to the right of the bed by the window. I got out of bed, sat at the piano, found G, found F sharp minor 7th — and that leads you through then to B to E minor, and finally back to E. It all leads forward logically. I liked the melody a lot but because I’d dreamed it I couldn’t believe I’d written it. I thought, ‘No, I’ve never written like this before.’ But I had the tune, which was the most magical thing. And you have to ask yourself, ‘Where did it come from?’ But you don’t ask yourself too much or it might go away…There are certain times when you get the essence, it’s all there. It’s like an egg being laid — not a crack or flaw in it.”

This power of activating intuition in that state between sleep and awake is well established in scientific studies.

So I invite you to experiment with this today: Reflect on a problem you might be facing. A problem for which there aren’t any easy answers. Gather together the right information and perspectives on this problem. Then, before you go to bed, formulate a clear question for your subconscious to work on as you sleep. When you wake up in the morning, before you are fully awake, continue to lie in bed for a few minutes. Take your mind back to the problem and note what ideas arise in you. Repeat this over the course of a few days, and see what insights your intuition opens you up to.

Warmly,
Hitendra

Note: I discuss Intuition as the fifth and final stage in the cultivation of Wisdom in the chapter Living with Wisdom in my book, Inner Mastery, Outer Impact.

Like This Newsletter?
Share it with someone who might find it valuable.