(souljourney)How To Gain Insight

Insight is soul vision. People who are interested in growth, meditation or spirituality often seek insight so that their goals and aspirations can be fulfilled. But seldom do people know how to get those insights. For example, they go into meditation where they may have been taught to receive insight, but without doing the preparatory work to receive insights. Or, they might try to gain insight by thinking.

Insight is an activity of soul that manifests in the personality, so an environment has to be created in which the insight can arise.

The following four steps are the basic procedures for gaining insight and being creative:

1. Every new process or birthing in life, which is what creativity really is, requires a focused purpose. There must be a kind of intensity of purpose that you want to pursue or fulfill. You therefore must have some passion about the issue or area of life for which you are seeking insight. You must really care about the issue, and be genuinely interested in it. Your attention must be absorbed by it so that you can focus on it and not be distracted by lesser interests. In terms of developing soul consciousness, you must have a deep, sincere desire to make this a priority in your life.

2. If any particular skills are required to understand, appreciate or express the insight, then those skills must be developed. If there are any materials required, then those materials must be assembled. If there is knowledge required, then that knowledge must be gained. If you are pursuing soul consciousness you need knowledge about soul and higher mind, and you need experience at a higher mind level as well as at the buddhic level. True knowledge is based on experience, but the knowledge can lead into the experience of the more abstract levels.

On a personality level experience precedes understanding. But on a soul level understanding typically prepares one for experiences at that level.

3. Once we have acquired sufficient knowledge, skills and materials, and still feel very dedicated to the pursuit, the amassed energy of it will begin to take over. We must allow it to do so, and we take a subservient role toward it. This is a gestation period, a time when we allow the soul or the universal wisdom to dominate our mind and brain.

Thinking does not create insight. So at this stage we don’t work at thinking to create, but become receptive long enough so that insight can unfold as revelation in the brain. Insight usually occurs when thought is suspended, or at least it pushes thought out of the way. An insight contains a lot of information. It is a type of wholeness, but appears suddenly. Thought is needed only afterwards to unravel it or apply it.

4. The final stage is manifestation of the insight into some practical or concrete application. The insight will likely be ‘larger’ than our ability to manifest it with a high degree of accuracy or perfection. The more knowledge and skill we have the better our expression of it.
Insight must lead to change and creative expression. Otherwise we betray its purpose and block ourselves from further insights.

Exercises:

1. What is so important to you for which you are wanting insight?
2. Are you willing to give a lot of energy to this?
3. What skills or knowledge do you need in order to manifest the insights you are seeking?
4. Are you willing to manifest the insights you get for the benefit of others?