Instinct Vs. Intuition

“Intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”~Albert Einstein

“Intuition is a spiritual faculty and does not explain, but simply points the way.” ~Florence Scovel Shinn

   What is instinct? What is intuition? Is there a difference between instinct and intuition... Or are they one and the same? In this blog, I am going to explore the differences between the two, but also, delve deeper into what intuition truly is... Enjoy this trip along my thought process.
   First, let's deal with instinct. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of instinct? For me, 'reflex' is the first word that comes to mind. When something falls, you reach to catch it. If you touch something hot, you jerk your hand back. If someone is shooting, you duck and/or run. Those are reflexes (The last one may be common sense, but you get the point). Reflexes are involuntary (for the most part). You do them without thinking. Your brain is constantly sending signals, most of which, you're unaware. Instinct is something biological--born into you. Instincts can be adapted, but are not learned. So, instinct is a physiological response, controlled by the brain. You can train yourself out of reacting with your instincts, but they are always there.
   Now, let's deal with intuition. What comes to mind when you think of intuition? 'Clairvoyance' immediately comes to my mind. Intuition is knowing beyond doubt and beyond reason. Intuition comes from within. Is it of the spirit? Is it of the mind? It can't come from the spirit.



The spirit is just energy; non-thinking. So, perhaps emotions belong to the spirit, since emotions are energy. Perhaps when people say "my heart", they really mean their spirit (Hmmm... Another build for another blog)... But back to the topic, intuition cannot be taught nor learned. Only your ability to listen to your intuition grows, but not the intuition itself.
   Let's discuss "the mind" for a moment. The mind is housed within the brain, but it is NOT the brain. Let's divide them like this: The brain is an organ; a part of the body. It is the "command center". It is our brain that controls all bodily functions. It is our brain that receives the signal that our stomachs are empty, but it is the mind that says, "I am hungry. What shall I eat?" We don't think about breathing, our blood flow, our digestion. The brain tells our body to do these things, but we don't have to make a conscious decision to do them. They're involuntary. Our brain, the lower. Our mind, the higher.



      Brain---> Organ--->Tangible
      Mind---> (?) ------->Intangible 
The mind is a conduit between the physical and the unknown. It is a bridge that enables the different realms and planes to cross over and interact with this physical one. You can't hold the mind, nor grasp the mind (pun intended). Our mind deals with logic and logic is limited to those things which can be explained. If the mind deals with logic and reason, then intuition cannot be of the mind, because intuition defies logic and reason. Our very minds, themselves, defy logic and reason. People who deal only with logic and reason, limit themselves. (Strictly) Rational minds think all things can be explained. They deal only with the physical. This is why they cannot deal with spirituality, intuition, et cetera.
   Most people deal with instinct and mistake their instincts for their intuition. They ignore and neglect intuition, so their ability to hear/feel their intuition gets weaker and weaker. I think some completely lose their ability to hear/feel their intuition. They deal only with sight, taste, touch, smell, and hearing. Those are senses of the physical body. Intuition is a higher sense. It is the sense of our higher self. Intuition is beyond 'intellectual reasoning'. Perhaps intuition belongs to the soul... The soul is our being. It is our purest, truest self. Intuition is the voice of the soul. It interacts with the mind, but the mind has the choice if it wants to listen to it or not. (Strictly) Rational minded people only listen with their physical senses and only deal with that which can be explained. A (strictly) rational mind is a closed mind. These type of people dismiss the soul, the spirit, and the intuition, because they cannot explain them. People fear what they don't understand. Spirit, soul, intuition... No one knows their cause, where they come from, et cetera. They defy scientific reasoning. A rational mind deduces, calculates, etc. But intuition knows things that it should not know, according to rational thinking or intellectual reasoning. It knows without deducing, without calculating... It is precognitive... Clairvoyant. Intuition will tell you things that cannot be gleaned from reasoning, logic, and rationale. Intuition knows without any of this. Instinct is your "gut reaction" or "gut feeling". Instinct has causality, whereas intuition, does not. So, instinct is a biological response, controlled by our brain. Intuition is a higher sense that is housed within our being. Also, there are many who mistake their fear for their intuition. We must learn to be balanced with all (physical, spiritual, mental, emotional, etc, etc), so that we will not make such potentially dangerous or ill-thought out decisions. Peace & brothers and sisters. More to come!