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There are two options for using journal entries as case studies. In the observation mode, you focus on specific sections of the entry. Here you compare another's experience with what you know about intuition. For the evaluation mode, you approach the entry from a general view. Here you analyze the entry as a whole and reflect on specific sections relative to the overall entry.
Whichever option you choose, remember these entries are from personal journals. The diary form does not have the same consistency and coherence as formal writing. Although these entries are edited for style, their language and spirit remain that of the person who wrote them. No attempt has been made to remove inconsistencies.
You may find what you read in one section does not make sense compared with what you read in another. These differences reflect the early gropings of individuals who for the most part have had little or nothing to do with the intuitive side of their lives for decades.
The inconsistencies begin to clear up as a person reconnects with The Intuitive Self that dwells at the core of their being. That part has always been perfectly consistent. Discrepancies arise from our incomplete relationship with The Intuitive Self. When that connection is once again made whole, coherence returns to our state of being.
The following sections suggest ways you observe or evaluate the entries. Experiment to your hearts content. If the exploration peaks your interest in journaling, another section of this site provides the material you need to begin the inner exploration illustrated by these entries.
Specific Observations
Notice the everyday character of the entries. Occasionally an insight has life changing consequences. But the vast majority simply define the essence of the moment. Paradoxically the subtle complexities of even the simplest intuitions often lie beyond the power of the mind to fully comprehend. Intuitive experiences can happen anywhere at anytime. The Context section describes where the person was physically and mentally when the insight came. After completing a series of entries, a person often discovers a physical and mental pattern characteristic of their intuition. As you read others' descriptions, reflect on where and how you experience intuition. The Experience section describes what was happening before, during and after the intuition. Notice how easy it is to confuse an intuition with what was happening just before or just after. You may find the real intuition indicated in some phrase other than the one highlighted in red. The facets of the intuitive process are difficult to tease out of the fabric of the experience. Physical tension, fears, desires and mental clutter usually mitigate the occurrence, strength and clarity of intuitive experience. These dimensions of intuition are covered in the Obstacles section. Notice how these obstacles can overwhelm even the most direct and powerful insights. In spite of the obstacles, notice how an intuition sometimes comes through under the most adverse conditions. Some entries describe ideal circumstances for the appearance of intuition, others, less than ideal and some, downright hostile. Tune into the relationship between the Obstacles and the rest of the entry. One of the most challenging aspects of reconnecting with The Intuitive Self involves opening to the possibility that insights come not only from the subconscious mind but from the larger "mind" of which we are all part. In a rational society, knowing something you don't "know" seems preposterous to some.
Notice how thought dominates the form of intuition. Language has the power to cripple our intuitive capacity. The thought form may mask the fact that the intuition initially appeared in a more subtle way. What evidence in the entry suggests the original insight came in another form prior to the thought?
The strength, clarity, surprise and accuracy of an intuition appear in a variety of patterns depending on the circumstances. They may all score high, all low or any combination in between. Notice the patterns in the Information section by comparing the numerical values for all four characteristics.
Those rediscovering The Intuitive Self often do not make it a practice of evoking their intuition. The how intentional paragraph in the Evaluation section encourages this possibility. Notice how infrequently intuitions are evoked given the opportunities a person has to intentionally call upon intuition. The information use and benefits derived paragraphs are closely linked in the Evaluation section. Reading those paragraphs, consider whether you think the person made the best possible use of the insight. You may see how the benefits could have been enhanced through better use of the information. Compare your insights about The Intuitive Self with those expressed in the personal learning paragraph. You may have an entirely different idea about the role of intuition than those expressed. Or you may find their discoveries help you recognize something about intuitive knowing you had not noticed before.
General Evaluation
How well did the person understand their experience? What evidence in their entry suggests they did not fully comprehend the dimensions of the situation they described? This will often be the case since these entries were prepared by individuals rediscovering their intuitive nature.
Journaling the dimensions of an intuitive experience brings out the subtleties of direct knowing. Reading the entries, you will see how easy it is to miss the nuances. Imagine yourself having a similar experience. What might you have written in a journal entry that you do not find in the one you are reading?
Do you find the entry informative? For some entries, you may feel like you were with the person during the experience. Others may leave you wondering what the person was really talking about. What differences do you find in ability to recognize, comprehend and describe intuitive experience?
Was the person's overall experience as intuitive as they thought? How well did they understand the subtleties of the rational aspects of their experience? Since most intuitions have at least a hint of rational analysis, could their discovery have been accounted for to a larger degree by logical deduction?
Would you have chosen the same form and kind categories? See if you can tell when a person has apparently miss classified the intuitive experience. When you read their entry, you may get the feeling the experience was different both in form and kind from what the person indicated in the Message section.
What might account for the inaccuracy of some intuitions? Are there clues in the entry that might account for them being off target? Could a totally off the mark intuition have been on the money? Did the person miss the real intuition? Perhaps what happened was the real message. |