Intuition

[Alexander]

Has anyone had experiences of intuition, where an (arguably) intrusive line of thoughts enters your head, just before X experience happens?

I've had several of these which has convinced me it's not just my imagination. Not that it's something I want to go around telling people about, either. But a few of the intuitions seemed to have confirmed that they were real, for example:

- One experience about a year ago, late in the evening, I get into my head one of my friends from high school, who I had not talked to in 2+ years. (This sounds much less impressive to put into words.) This is at about 1 o'clock in the morning. I get a weird intimation then to check my phone... and find I had just received a conciliatory message from her.

I had a similar experience a couple months ago:

- Again, I have a line of thoughts about one of my friends (actually in regard to something in particular we're both a part of), and when I go to check my email about 10 minutes after, I find a message from that friend along with a reference to the same subject that I had had in mind. Right when I was having the intuition, was about when he had sent the email.

Interesting is that these were also 2 people I had (and still have) pretty close emotional connections with. Though I can't say if that emotional connection is important or not to having intuitions. What seems key about the experience, though, is that an intuition is noticeably different in quality from an ordinary line of thoughts, i.e. it isn't something you would have been thinking about on your own. I can't manipulate or produce these experiences when I want them, but they just seem to come now and then and are (probably?) tied to events of personal importance.

[Jhanananda]

Thank-you, aglorincz, for posting your experience with intuition to the thread on Insight.  My experience of insight is that it is intuitive, and can be about anything I turn my attention to.  This means: I can have intuitive experiences about friends and acquaintances (as you described); or, I can have intuitive and revelatory insight into philosophy and the contemplative life; or, science.

Since my experiences of insight, intuition and revelation have all become more heightened as my contemplative life deepened, then I have concluded that leading a rigorous, self-aware, contemplative life is what produces and strengthens insight, intuition and revelation.  Are you a contemplative, if so, would you agree that leading a rigorous, self-aware, contemplative life is what produces and strengthens insight, intuition and revelation?

[Alexander]

I have been engaging in regular religious practice since 2007, and meditating since 2010. I haven't experienced the arupa-jhanas you discuss in your videos, but I have reached things like the stilling of the mind, ringing in the ears, and a nondual state I believe you equate with the third jhana. And I agree, these sorts of experiences are only possible through a practice that penetrates every part of your daily life.

[lizj97]

I know exactly what you mean about intuition. Yes I have them too. As an example, not very long ago I had a dream about my niece who is also my godchild. I do not very often dream about her but this time I did. In the dream I was teasing her about something and she actually became upset. In the dream I hugged her and let her know I was only teasing and she bit her lip (a habit of hers) and then told me it was ok she was not going to be angry with me for the teasing. The next day I got an email from her which had been sent the night before probably while I was dreaming of her. In the email she was excited to let us know that the baby she is carrying (her second) is a girl. I wrote back and teased her to name the baby for me. Suddenly, after sending the email I realized the dream may come true and I would not be able to hug her since we are 1000s of miles apart. She did laugh off my first email but I wisely decided not to persist in teasing her about the new baby's name.

[Jhanananda]

Thank-you aglorincz and lizj97, for posting your experiences with intuition and intuitive dreams.  lizj97, I too often have intuitive dreams about people I know.  I find it is good to listen to those intuitive dreams, because they can help us a great deal.

Last week I had a "dream" about my daughter.  She was getting married, and because I have been marginalized for being a mystic I have not been able to get more than a short-term entry-level job for the last 12 years, which means I have little money.  So, in the "dream" my daughter was getting married, but I could not so much as give her a decent wedding present, or travel to where she is to give her away.

To be a rigorous, self-aware contemplative we have to make many sacrifices.  Some too great to bare.  But, in exchange for our many sacrifices we gain bliss, joy and ecstasy.  I would not give them up even to give my daughter away on her wedding day.

[stugandolf]

Some years ago I dialed my phone only to find myself connected to my friend, Norman - no rings at either end...

[Jhanananda]

Stu, it sounds like you two were thinking about each other at the same time and reaching for the phone at the same time and calling each other at the same time.  So, at least one of you was most probably exhibiting intuition, although scientifically we would have to dismiss it as a coincidence until such occurrences became more common for the subject.