How To Be Intuitive

Metaphysical intuition is very much like chi, metaphysical energy, and is in fact enhanced in the same meditative practices. To initially feel the flow, one must first believe, one must first imagine, and then the chi – the metaphysical intuition – will arise. This runs completely contrary to our post-modern mind state that refuses to believe until being presented with proof, sometimes even after being presented proof.

We are trained to sense only the tangible and physical. We believe we are not trained, we think we are completely developed. But take a step back – there is no limit to our development. If you do not practice developing your chi or your metaphysical intuition, instead concentrating on the tangible routine, you are limiting your comprehension and being. If you’re not training, you’re being trained. Meditation and meditative movements are called practices because one is never finished, for if you are not practicing or training, especially in the extensively meditated post-modern world, you are being steered or trained by others.

Sometimes we catch metaphysical intuition and then convince ourselves that our physical senses revealed the observation, not our metaphysical intuition. This is part of the predominant training of outside influences, that we do not have intuitive insight, that the institutions have the answers and that it’s not in us. We convince ourselves to even stop listening to our own insights because we have been trained that way.
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The Balanced Mid-Point

The idea of balance in tai chi and all meditative movements for that matter is best expressed using a dual linear cross reference. Consider one can be tense or limp and that relaxed awareness is balance between the two, the midpoint of a horizontal line. Consider also that one can perform actions out of form or function, optimally expressed in a balanced midpoint between the two points on a vertical line. Relaxed awareness is a requirement and conversely a result of meditation and meditative movement, and can be represented as the point where these two ideas intersect and balance. This point of relaxed awareness is achieved when one properly intersects and balances the linear ideas of tense and limp, form and function. Whenever performing any activity, this state is required for optimal results, be it tai chi or meditation or shedding burdensome training.

“The loose string, which is like a life of indulgence, produces a poor sound when struck. The overly tight string, which is like a life of extreme asceticism, similarly produces a poor sound when struck and is moreover likely to break at any moment. Only the middle string, which is like the middle path, produces a pleasant and harmonious sound when struck.” ~ Story of Buddha

4 Levels of Awareness

Tai chi and meditative movements activate all aspects of awareness, physical awareness and metaphysical awareness. The first level of awareness multiplied through practicing meditative movement is interoception, the understanding of the one’s material self, how you feel and move. The second level of understanding is exteroception, the understanding of the material world outside oneself. Thirdly is proprioception, the understanding of how much strength, speed and from what position one can best manipulate or deal with the material world outside oneself. The fourth aspect of this set of four forms of perception is preproprioception, the utilization of intuitive understanding and sensitivity for metaphysical observation.

Tai chi and all meditative movements enhance these four forms of perception, expanding one’s perimeter awareness metaphysically. Interoception, exteroception and proprioception are commonly understood terms, but the fourth part, preproprioception, while  obvious to meditative movement practitioners is mostly unconsidered. And it’s mostly omitted and unconsidered along with metaphysical intuition, because otherwise institutions could not lie to us. If one practices enhancement of intuition, proprioception, institutions cannot lie.

Language is a map, and omitting words rubs whole regions from the map. Simply understanding the four forms of perception can help enhance metaphysical intuition and make it so one might not be lied to so easily.   Practicing meditation and meditative movement will enhance your perception also, of course.
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Four is recognized as symbol for completion. This symbolism is illustrated in the four seasons, derived from the two solstices and two equinoxes of orbit. Secondly it is represented in the four forms of arithmetic. These fundamental universal absolutes are alone powerful enough to be the sources of the matrix of four and its symbolism. Beyond that there are four aspects of self; the mental, physical, spiritual and the natural. To instigate and raise consciousness, awareness of the four aspects is crucial, followed by building on the aspects.

The first step to raising consciousness is development of the mental aspect. Consciousness requires awareness. In order to increase knowledge of self, one must increase knowledge of what is happening in the world. Learning what is happening leads to awareness and increased understanding. It is important to expand your field of view as to what is happening in the world, as well as focus your field of view inward. Taking a moment to understand that which cannot directly be seen is as important as understanding what’s right in front of your face. Consider things great and small, far and wide, seen and unseen, known and unknown. Consider what you do every day and what you’ve never done or considered before.

A specific contemplation which broadens one’s spectrum of consideration is the Analogy of the Divided Line. Socrates divided information into four parts, in a formation I call the philosophy of the duality of polarity. Socrates noted there is the tangible, like a tree (DE) and there are reflections of the tangible (CD), like the tree’s reflection in a pond. There is also the intangible like numbers (BC) and finally the smallest portion is reflections of the intangible (AB), algebraic equations for instance. (see below)
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The largest part of the set is the tangible and the smallest, most elusive part is the reflections of the intangible. Consideration of the four types of information expands one’s awareness and initiates consciousness.

The second step to raising consciousness is developing the physical aspect. Learning about diet and practicing a mostly vegetarian, if not totally vegetarian diet makes one literally and figuratively, physically lighter. When one learns about a predominantly vegetarian diet one might come across information pertaining to bioaccumulative toxins from industry. One finds about institutionalization and pollution so vast, it taints the food, the air, the water and everything living and breathing. When one learns about diet one might learn about how Edward Bernays made people think bacon and eggs was tradition and how he had more influence on “taste” than many people since.

It is said that some yogis practice holding one arm above their head, as an exercise in commitment, for many years. When westerners take on the training it is said they only have to do it for one year. Being that a westerner has a shorter attention span the same lesson might be learned in a shorter period of time, of course it will seem longer. One form of yoga, which was not designed for a short attention span, but is accommodating nonetheless, just so happens to be a series of movements that takes about fifteen minutes and will build the physical aspect. It is called The Five Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation. It is five movements repeated twenty-one times, with coordinated breathing, followed by meditation. Research and read about the movements before attempting. If you have done yoga before, you can figure them out easily. Do the Five Tibetans every day for a month or two, as a test of commitment and to see how development of the physical can be accomplished.

The third step to raising consciousness is integration of the now improved mental and physical. This integration enhances the intangible spiritual aspect of oneself. Commitment to developing the mind and body transmutes into the development of the spirit. Building on the spiritual muscle requires more meditation. The Five Tibetans is integrative and meditative, but there are other ways to meditate, the best being to live meditatively. Meditation of the highest order is perhaps the meditation which is practiced most frequently. To meditate be calmly aware of one’s breath. The four parts of breath are inhalation, pause, exhalation, pause. Inhalation and exhalation should be equal time periods and the pauses should be equal to each other as well. The best way to practice meditation is by being meditative throughout one’s day, whenever possible.

According to Angelles Arrien, the author of the Four Fold Way, there are four basic postures in which one can meditate. There is standing meditation, lying meditation, walking meditation and sitting meditation. Throughout one’s day one can decide to actively meditate as one goes throughout one’s chores, responsibilities and interactions. This practice, when done correctly, heightens the spiritual aspect. Intuitive awareness increases and reaction time speeds, whether working or playing.

The fourth step to raising consciousness, after developing the mental, physical and spiritual within, is willing oneself positively upon the natural world of which you are a part and dependent. After one develops inside one demonstrates one’s will upon the outside physical world. The fourth stage to raising consciousness is to will oneself, from within, upon the outside world. When one has developed oneself within, one can practice influencing and imparting one’s will on the outside world in a positive manner.
According to Arthur Schopenhauer, a German philosopher born in 1788, who authored the book On The Fourfold Root of the Principal of Sufficient Reason in 1813 there are four classes of human reasoning; becoming, knowing, being and willing. The highest order of human reasoning is willing, but one has to develop consciousness to enact willing.