My dad came over recently and asked me the question he has been pondering on his own path of self awareness:
Can the negative ego use our intuition?
meaning is it safe to always trust our intuitive side, or could it sometimes be being used by our negative ego: as the negative ego is possibly capable of using any means to bring about our unhappiness.
Could it be true that our intuition can be highjacked, and how would we know, REALLY KNOW, if we are listening to the true voice of the intuition for the greatest good of our evolution in consciousness, rather than egoic measures towards our unhappiness….
I had a few answers but truly the real answer for you: lovely, comes from you. Developing our own intuition is a goal that some have, and I find it a worthy goal. I was a science and math person for most of my life: I loved Math because there is always an answer: its definitive. I dislike English because it is subjective. So coming into more mystical, spiritual or esoteric practices as a primary source of decision making was a challenge for me. We never do anything whole-heartedly if we don’t fully understand and agree with they big “Why” underneath an action.
What I found in my adult life was that every time I made choices against my own “highest and best good” or intuition, I felt horrible. And sometimes these “off track” decisions would lead to days, months or years headed in the “wrong direction”. I now know that my life was perfect all that it was and all that it wasn’t because I am now here: in this present moment: with the practice, skills and vitality that I have.
However, I resented the lost TIME. When I feel ON TRACK, alive, in the flow, that is when life is the most beautiful, regenerating and I am the most expansive in my capacity to love. Those are my reasons to get in touch with intuitive decision making practices-it saves time, keeps me on track and I have many hours of my days, weeks, months, feeling in flow with life. My second and by far equally important qualifier for decision making (partnering with intuitive practices) is having my Values as a north star. My intentions for my contribution and the direction of my life. What persistently changes is the HOW, not the why.
Practically speaking what does this look like:
I have been using a plain and simple practice of having a YES and NO written on 2 equal pieces of paper in a bowl folded up. I hold a question in my mind about my life:
Example: “is it in my highest and best good to……….?”
However before I even ask the questions, I have filtered the decision through what I can my values informed decision making matrix. I have life values: Future Generations, Self-Honour, Integrity, Efficiency are a few of my top values.
So partnering with Intuition, I can ask:
“is this direction or choice making life better for future generations,
Is this direction or choice in integrity with my commitment to honour myself, (and my other commitments)
and lastly: is this choice or direction efficiently supporting and not hindering my other life areas, commitments and relationships?”
If something makes it through the matrix, then i will use the bowl.
Questions for self- reflection:
1. Are your life values intentionally used in your decision making processes?
2. Whether you name it intuition or not, do you have a practice of finding that feeling of being IN THE FLOW?
3. Do you have a way of unravelling the negative ego’s voice in your decision making process?
Ultimately I wouldn’t be surprised if the negative ego could mimic the voice of intuition in my mind: our minds are tricky places! Our neuroscience is programmed to make choices based on conclusion jumping, assumption making and memories…not necessarily intuition. That is why I developed the somatic practice of picking the folded paper: the one that warms up in my fingers….that is easier to trust as a non-bias answer to the query. Muscle testing, dousing and the 3 sounds that are used with human design practitioners: mmmhmmm, unun and huh also back up this type of approach.
Hope that you have ease in your decision making practices, and that you have many routes to the flow feeling in your life.
Blessings