Mind operating through Instinct, Intellect or Intuition🔗

The reason is this unconscious zone is filled with negative memories and restlessness. All of our past memories (samskara), all our past thought patterns are stored in this zone as files. Psychologists use the word 'engram' to describe these deeply engraved memories. There are many of these files stored in this zone without any logical connections between them.

Because of the great clutter in this unconscious zone, the file does not even reach the ego for a proper decision to be made. On the other hand, these stored engrams play upon the information that is received. They just impose themselves and cause havoc in the decision making process.

As a result, the ego makes a quick and hasty decision, purely at the instinctual level and passes the file back. All this happens unconsciously at lightning speed.

This unconscious area is very powerful. It is a great storehouse of latent energy and can be used in three ways:

As long as the unconscious is overloaded with deep restlessness and negative memories, it always works at the instinct level. All decisions are taken unconsciously and instinctively. That is why, during moments of clarity, we always end up regretting most of our decisions. We wonder, 'Why did I behave in that fashion? This is not me! How did I allow this to happen?' Our unclear decisions occur when the time taken to go to the ego and back is very short in comparison to the time taken for the process between the eye and the mind. In other words, we are operating at the instinct level.

At the intellectual level, we are conscious, we make decisions logically but we don't have any extra enthusiasm or energy. We are not creative or innovative; we don't take big steps and we don't grow. We are in a break- even state. We don't make hasty decisions out of restlessness or overloading of our unconscious zone but we are still not using our potential to the extent that it can be maximized.

The next level, the level of intuition is the zone wherein we can actualize our entire potential. Engraved memories can ultimately be removed if we infuse a deep silence and awareness into the unconscious zone. When we can be free from our memories, we are empty and blissful. It is then that we become alive and fresh every moment without the burden of our past, which is nothing but the weight of the engraved memories. When this happens, the energy of our Being expresses itself in its purest form. We experience our true nature, which is eternal bliss, nithya ananda. We realize that we are nothing lesser than God!

When we are in the intuitive level, all our decisions will be spontaneous, taken from the energy of our intuition, from deep awareness, peace and bliss. We simply know with tremendous clarity all that is to be known. We don't know the steps that have led us to our conclusions, but we know for sure that our conclusions or decisions are right. Intuition not only gives us the energy to make decisions but also the energy to act on these decisions. We are absolutely confident and brimming with energy and are in no doubt whatsoever regarding the decisions we make. This is the power of operating at all times from the level of intuition. The potential, which is inside our Being, is completely unleashed. If we recognize and encourage this, we can express the higher dimensions of our Being.

Intuition is the energy of our Being. When this pure energy starts coming out from the unconscious level, it also heals us physically, mentally and emotionally. Apart from healing it reduces stress and helps us take decisions spontaneously.

When intuition happens beyond our intellect, our whole being is integrated, comes together harmoniously. This is experiencing the meaning of yoga, union. Yogis have said again and again that when we operate from the level of intuition, we are at our peak. Accessing this level is what inner science is all about.

To most of us, intuitive people are classified as special or gifted. What we need to understand and what the great mystics of the inner world have repeatedly stated is that we also can have it.

When we make meditation the thread that ties together the various aspects of yoga, simultaneous integration happens. Then intuition becomes an integral part of our regular life. It will be the preferred mode of communication.

Yoga is the best method for an integrated approach to life. The practice of asana, pranayama and meditation together, act as a powerful, cleansing and energizing agent. What we need to realize is that unless we practice yoga in this integrated, wholesome manner, we cannot expect any kind of deep and lasting benefits from it.