Memory: The Heart and Soul of Intuitive Guidance

       Have you ever regretted not following a hunch? It seems to be a universal experience. Usually there is no presentable evidence to back the intuition. When our inner guidance arrives without such credentials, we tend to ignore that wisdom, often to our detriment.

       I believe we can create some credentials for intuition. We must begin changing how we envision this often invisible marvel. Typically we marginalize intuition by portraying it as “spontaneous knowing, without thinking, or knowing how you know.” Defining intuition within a narrow boundary of improbability, makes it easy to dismiss the experience by rationalizing its source as unreliable. If we can portray intuition simply as “knowing from within,” we will make better progress.

Intuition Involves Rapid Pattern Recognition

       Academics have a standard approach to explaining what happens within. For example, in his book, Intuition: The Promise and the Perils, psychology professor David G. Meyers describes intuition as an act of pattern recognition that derives from very rapid, unconscious perceptions and calculations. We cannot, however, review those perceptions for appropriateness, nor those calculations for accuracy. In fact, one of the “perils” of intuition, according to this a viewpoint is the familiar truism from information processing, “garbage in, garbage out.” False notions, extreme experiences, etc. can bias or distort the intuitive process. This approach receives support from studies showing that the older, more experienced worker is more likely to successfully rely on intuition than the less experienced.

       The academic approach seems compatible with Cayce’s frequent instructions to “correlate those truths” in situations where intuition is the operative process. If intuition is a quick study based on past experience (and in the view of transpersonal theory, such as Edgar Cayce’s, experience can trace back lifetimes), exploring the subjective source of the wisdom might lead to some revelations. Let’s start by asking, what does it mean to know from within?

       When Mary met John at a party, she experienced herself as being the focus of his attention. He presented himself in an attractive and agreeable fashion, subtly suggesting that she would really enjoy even more of his company. When he asked for her phone number, she was positively inclined, given the appetizing vibes of his presence. Mary was somewhat surprised, therefore, by her almost involuntary reluctance to accept his invitation as she fumbled a clumsy excuse to demurely decline. What was going through her mind? How was her intuition functioning? Was she being wise, or simply shy?

       Unconsciously, Mary knew something that she felt applied to the situation confronting her. But what was it? Without being aware of what exactly she knew, she nevertheless acted on the feeling it stimulated. Let’s see if we can get a more detailed glimpse of what happened unconsciously.

Intuitive Guidance as a Reminder

       When we are being intuitive, we can say it is like, “I know THIS about THAT.” In Mary’s case, the THAT was John and the prospects of their spending time together. What was the THIS? Since the intuitive response formed within, yet outside Mary’s awareness, she cannot answer that question. But what if Mary were asked to focus on her feelings standing there next to John, and then asked, “what are you being reminded of?”

       After a few moments, Mary might have answered, “I’m remembering a time when I discovered the candy bar, Almond Joy. Its name excited me. I bought a few bars and ate them quickly and with enthusiasm. It wasn’t too long afterwards, however, that I had a real bad pain in my stomach and felt very queasy and disoriented. A few weeks later, I tried to eat just one, but had the same reaction. I like the “Joy” on the wrapper, but the actual candy doesn’t suit me.” Might the same approach/avoidance conflict apply to her reaction to John?

       It may be that intuition arises from a process of being “re-minded” of something, bringing the wisdom from a past experience to apply to something currently in focus. If so, how can we become conscious of that information? Asking, “What are you being reminded of?” is susceptible to all kinds of distorting influences. How can we evoke a response from the unconscious that we can trust? What would make this process most trustworthy? To give you my answer to this question, let me share with you the thought experiment I created to resolve a dilemma involving sharing intuitions.

Holding an Ideal for Invoking Intuitive Guidance

       I considered this hypothetical question: A person has enlisted my professional services as a psychotherapist. I am extremely psychic. How can I use this ability to help without violating my code of ethics (‘do no harm’)?” It requires that I present a healing mirror. Sharing a story about myself is less intrusive than diagnosing or giving advice. I would have my psychic abilities functioning creative ly, and I would think of just the story to tell about myself that would stimulate in the person the bit of shift they needed at that time.

       To test this idea, I asked my friend Donna to participate in what I called an “In My Experience” memory experiment. I asked her to silently focus on a current dilemma in her life, without revealing it to me. Using the “Inspired Heart” meditation (described in Jan-Mar, 2017 Venture Inward) I embraced a heart connection with her, and then I prayed that Spirit would direct into my awareness a memory of a specific experience in my life that I could share with Donna, something that she might find helpful in dealing with her dilemma, whatever it might be.

       After a few moments pause, I found myself remembering an incident from my youth. I had been granted provisional permission to use dad’s power mower to cut the grass (instead of the usual push mower that was mine to use). At the moment of my memory, I had just lost control of the mower and it veered out of line. I quickly recovered and tried to hide my mistake and as I did so, I looked back to see if my mom, who was reading outside out back, had noticed my slip up. The lesson I took from that had to do with my habit of seeking approval, especially from my parents, and how I tried to hide and keep a secret from them about my experience with the mower. I went on to talk about how the seeking of approval had hindered me in many ways.

       After I relayed this memory, and my reflections on it, Donna had a smile on her face. With a slight gush of relief, Donna revealed that her question concerned her teen-aged daughter, and whether or not to take her to a counselor. Donna explained that she was seeing evidence in her daughter that she may be adopting a trait that Donna had to work hard to overcome with her own mother—too strong an attachment that seemed to undercut her daughter’s self confidence in her own instincts. Donna was wondering if it was worth working on in counseling. My story helped her decide to follow through. Following my ideal regarding sharing intuitive guidance seemed validated.

In Gratitude, a Pure Heart is a Trustworthy Guide

       We need to feel confident that our intuitions reflect reality rather than our hopes, fears, or other judgments. When I began my process with Donna, I didn’t want to be reminded of just anything, but specifically about a spiritual truth underlying Donna’s situation. Preparation for this intuitive operation is needed just as a doctor might prepare for a physical one—by cleansing self of all but the ideal and purpose of the operation. Here is where the practice of the “Inspired Heart” meditation comes into play. Taking a few moments to experience the pleasure of heart awareness (“knowing myself to be myself and one with All…” ala Cayce) makes a big difference. Letting go of breath control and trusting the spontaneous inspirations during this special meditation leads to feelings of gratitude and an open heart. A grateful heart is a pure heart, with no hopes, no fears, and no agendas. It is a simple embrace of and attunement to “All that is, As it is, in Truth, Goodness and Beauty.”

Memories Provide a Footprint of Intuitive Recognition

       Having made the proper preparation, to then find a way to make the unconscious wisdom available to the conscious mind, we have a couple of choices.

       We can draw upon an ancient expression of Cayce’s axiom of oneness: divination. As Mark Thurston explained in his book Synchronicity as Spiritual Guidance: All of Life's Working Together to Leave Your Little Hints, if we work with ideals and purposes, we can prepare ourselves to observe “meaningful coincidences” for guidance. Imagine that a person’s countless memories are each imprinted in a separate marble within a gigantic lottery sphere. The seeker makes an attunement to the ideal and purpose motivating the inquiry, then spins the ball, and accepts the memory that pops out “randomly.” The person meditates on the memory to digest the spiritual lesson it implies as it pertains to the inquiry. We could call it “memory divination.” Instead of using cards, or other objects, we use our own memories.

       On the other hand, we could adopt the model outlined in my book Edgar Cayce on Channeling the Higher Self. In this approach, the person meditates on the ideal, and sets the purpose to receive a memory that will be the seed of the necessary guidance, and makes the attunement to oneness. To then “channel from the higher self,” the person simply accepts the first memory that comes, and interprets it for the lesson it implies.

       In either case, reflecting upon a memory to gain wisdom is a natural soul activity. As documented in my book The Intuitive Heart, spiritual literature has often referred to heart awareness as a witness to it. To use a memory in this way makes a lot of sense. Using either of these models to portray the otherwise hidden process of intuitive guidance, we may provide the beginning of the revelation of intuition’s credentials. The memories provide a clue, like a footprint, suggesting the nature of the intuitive connection.

Pilot Studies in Cyberspace

       To test the value of using memories as intuitive guidance, I’ve involved A.R.E. members in our online pilot studies “Normalizing the Paranormal.” We began with an adaptation of the online “Dream Helper Circle,” (described in Venture Inward, April-May-June, 2017), using memories instead of dreams. I called this new experiment the “Remote Empathy Circle.” It’s a word play on remote viewing, but more suggestive of our ongoing theme of Oneness.

       In such a circle, seven to ten people join up, each by submitting a personal “dilemma” to resolve. A computer randomly chooses one of the submissions to be the designated target. I notify the players that a dilemma has been targeted (although no one knows whose or what it is). Everyone then uses a recorded guided meditation to receive a memory to use as a teaching parable. The memories are collated and the collection sent to all the players, who then respond by noting the commonalities they see in these stories and the lessons derived from them. I then reveal the actual target for evaluation.

       In one circle, the memories had many references to lack of confidence, not feeling good enough, and relationship issues causing problems for the person’s self-esteem. The person whose dilemma was chosen had submitted a question concerning self-sabotage with regard to responding to opportunities for professional advancement. Upon reading the memories and their analysis, the person’s response was, “I found the experience absolutely amazing. It was very interesting, indeed. I was very moved.” In this case, I think the saying, “you teach best what you have to learn” applies to the memories folks provided, because everyone said they gained from their participation.

       The circle allows us to better appreciate the individual response by examining commonalities with the other responses. Success at this level builds confidence and encourages players to relax more, let go more completely into the Inspired Heart process. The next step would be to see how well folks could perform on a singular basis, responding to their own questions or other material.

       There are many potential applications of this “memory-divination-channeling” process. As part of our “Normalizing the Paranormal” campaign, we have several other pilot projects underway in cyberspace, involving A.R.E. members researching the utility of these various applications. Getting answers and experiencing meaningful connections for oneself and with each other has been especially rewarding. I invite the reader to join us in these revealing projects.

       One project is an online program of spiritual self-guidance that has pleased many of our participants. I call it the “Soul Reflection Peep Show,” based on the idea that the soul reflects upon its memories to gain wisdom. In this program, a person submits to me six personal dilemmas. I add related questions of a more general nature to enlarge the target pool. A computer selects one question at random, and emails the person that a target had been chosen, but not revealing the question. The person listens to the recorded guided meditation, retrieves a memory, analyzes its lesson and sends me a report. In response, I reply by revealing the targeted question, and the person analyzes the connection for guidance.

       Another project involves a process of responding to hidden quotations. I first tested the idea with our online Atlantic University students. The assignment asks them to bring forth memories to provide a personal intuitive connection to important passages I’ve secretly targeted in their text books. In the “Intuitive Story Telling Circle,” folks make intuitive memory connections with spiritual quotations, such as the Edgar Cayce “wisdom cards,” or passages from the Bible. Sharing personal experiences related to a given spiritual truth or proposition is a perfect exercise in what Cayce advises in terms of sharing from personal experience rather than theories.

The Validation of Intuition

       As we explore this memory approach to intuitive guidance, using the various pilot projects underway, the issue of validation needs to be examined in a special light. At one level, I am proposing a protocol for eliciting intuitive guidance. It has specific steps that make “sense” and can be examined. Are the memory based teaching stories valid as intuitive guidance? I’ve made the case that it is a valid intuitive process. Do the intuitions prove valid? How do we evaluate? Here we get into some deep water.

       We are not dealing with simple psychic skills such as guessing the color of a card, or even describing what a camera at a remote location is recording. We are dealing with meaning and wisdom, qualities not of the 3-dimensional perceptual world, but more of what Edgar Cayce would call the 4th dimension. Is the value of a book contained in its physical constituents, or in the meaningful experiences a person has upon reading the text? One book is worth more than another by virtue of the meaning we experience, not by what we could get selling the material the book is made of.

       We are seeking wisdom, rather than facts that can be checked. At the moment, we can only partially evaluate the intuition: Does it reflect an ideal of oneness? Does it have applicability in the life? When we recall Hugh Lynn Cayce’s slogan, “the best dream interpretation is the one you apply,” we enter into the realm of Edgar Cayce’s “epistemology,” which is the philosophy/science of obtaining knowledge. As we will meditate on Cayce’s theme, “truth is a growing thing,” we will come to see that his approach is more like the epistemology that governed Native American science. Since both Cayce and the Native Americans both had a firm relationship to oneness, it shouldn’t be surprising that their thoughts on the nature of “evidence” are quite similar. Learning to grow into such truth will play an important role in our evolving the credentials of intuitive guidance.

       If you wish to participate in any of the ongoing, no-cost online research projects involving dreams and intuition, please email henry.reed@atlanticuniv.edu