The Art of It 

This is the basic technique, but there are subtle refinements that you need in order to practice it effectively. First, let’s talk about the importance of high energy. Just as  the flow of electricity in a wire creates a magnetic field, so too our thoughts produce a flow of energy that creates a magnetic field. The strength and quality of this energy determines the clarity as well as the kinds of answers we receive. If I want to  write a piece of music, for example, I try to tune in to a musical feeling, and then  with great energy ask the superconscious for a melody. In this way I’ve been able to compose hundreds of pieces of music quite quickly and easily. 

Remember the superconscious mind is solution-oriented. You, too, must be  solution-oriented to draw guidance, and you must have the courage to ask. Try to free your mind from the static of doubt, and strongly hold the thought, “There is an  answer, and it will come to me if I seek in the right way.” This is what Jesus meant  when he said, “Pray believing.” When we energetically offer our thoughts to the  superconscious level with confidence that the answer will be there, true guidance  readily comes. 

Another important point is to always pose questions to the superconscious in a  positive way. Don’t say as though anticipating a failure, “Why don’t I get an answer?” This negative kind of approach actually tends to paralyze the flow of intuition. Rather say with expectancy, “The answer is . . . ,” and you’ll find that the solution will be there. When there is confidence, patience, and positive determination  the right answer will come in time. 

Even with the best efforts, however, we don’t always get a clear answer. What  can we do then? Start by becoming inwardly calm, and trying to get yourself out of  the way. Strongly hold the thought that you don’t have any preferences about which  answer you’re going to receive. If you want to get true guidance, it’s important that  there be no attachment to a particular response or any desire to influence the outcome. 

Then pose various options, and see which feels right. Try to visualize the alternatives as distinctly as possible, because if your thoughts aren’t clear, then you  won’t get a clear answer either. Put a great deal of will power into visualizing the  different options, and one will emerge with strong positive energy around it.  In this process it’s important to be as impartial as possible. When you hold up  alternatives to the super-conscious mind, don’t put your bet secretly on one choice  over another. When the answer comes, even if it’s not the “horse” you bet on, have  the courage to follow it.

After receiving inner guidance, many people will reject the  outcome, saying, “I didn’t want that one.” Over time this attitude will constrict the  flow of guidance you receive.  There was a cartoon of somebody calling up to heaven, “Is anybody up there?”  A voice thundered down from the clouds, “Yes, my child, I am here.” Then the person asked, “What should I do with my life?” The answer came, “I want you to live  an honest and chaste life.” The person paused, and then asked, “Is anybody else up  there?”  So after offering up various alternatives, consult your heart to feel which one of  them seems best.

Go with that, but keep checking to make sure your guidance continues to feel right. In the beginning you may often make mistakes in recognizing true guidance, but keep trying and listening, and gradually you’ll come to know what your intuition is telling you.

 Unfortunately, people sometimes adopt an attitude of presumption or inflexibility about what they feel is higher guidance. Before we can hope to be rightly  guided, it’s important to be humble and open to the possibility of being wrong.  When you can accept other ways of doing things, you’re much more likely to be  guided correctly than if you’re convinced that your way absolutely has to be right.  There’s always the possibility that the solution is far greater in scope than what  may have occurred to you. 

There’s a story of a man who died and went to heaven. St. Peter was showing  the newcomer around, and took him to what was called the “heavenly junk-yard.”  This was the place where all the things that had been rejected by people on earth  were collected. After seeing some wonderful things there, the man said in amazement, “This isn’t possible! Look at that Rolls Royce over there! Who would reject  such a thing?”  St Peter said, “It’s interesting that you should ask about that, because the person who rejected it once was you!” The man was shocked. “That’s impossible!  What do you mean?” St. Peter replied, “Well, whenever you asked for a car, you always visualized a Volkswagen.” Superconscious guidance may exceed the logical  conclusions of the conscious mind.  If you’ve been trying to draw guidance, but can’t get clarity on a point because you’re upset or have become too close to the problem, that’s the time to say to yourself, “I’m not getting the answer by worrying about it, so let me do other things  for now. When I’m calm and a bit more detached, I’ll take this problem off the shelf  and deal with it.”

True intuition can never come when we’re in a state of emotional  turmoil.  When you’re having trouble getting guidance, it’s important to realize that  sometimes it isn’t the right time to receive an answer. Other events may have to be resolved before clarity will come in that area. When this occurs it’s helpful to keep bringing the question to the superconscious mind, but without any expectations.  Have confidence that the answer will come to you at the right time. 

Someone wisely said, “Asking for guidance is like planting a seed in the  ground. If you keep digging it up every day to see if it’s sprouted, it will never  germinate.” So plant the seeds of your requests in the soil of your superconsciousness, and let them come to fruition in their own time.  Another important point is being open to what others have to say.

Ask your  friends for guidance, especially those you trust who’ve proved their sense of good  judgment over time. I had a friend who was a great help to me when I wrote music.  She had a very good knack for sensing when something wasn’t quite right. I’d telephone her with a new song I was working on, and she’d say something like, “It’s very nice, but can’t you make that rhyme a little cleaner?” Then I’d work at it, and suddenly find that it was much better. 

In your openness to input from others, however, don’t lose your own center or  the sense of what’s right for you. If you repeatedly say to everyone, “What do you think? Gee, I don’t know what to do,” you may end up doing nothing. As somebody  said once, “Don’t be so open-minded that your brains spill out.” If we behave like weather vanes, going with any breeze that comes along, we’ll never find true guidance.  Remember that working with intuition isn’t just a Monday afternoon kind of  thing—it’s all-week round and all-year round. If we ask for guidance only when  we’re in a crisis, the chances are slim that we’ll be able to draw clear answers. It  could happen, but most often it’s the people who are always open to higher guidance that readily receive it. 

Try consciously to work with your intuition all the time, and you’ll find that it  can help you in every aspect of your life. At work, for example, if you’re trying to  make a decision about whether to hire somebody for a job, try visualizing their  eyes at the point between your eyebrows. Then feel in your heart what qualities they  project from their eyes. If you’re sufficiently calm and focused, you’ll feel in your  heart a positive, negative, or even a neutral reaction.

Some people may seem very nice at first, but if you look sensitively into their eyes, you may see there’s something wrong with their consciousness. Tapping into superconsciousness is like logging our computer on to the mainframe of a vast database: it gives us access to unlimited possibilities and  solutions. But tuning in to intuitive guidance isn’t just a mechanical act like searching for information on the Internet. The superconscious mind is conscious and  self-aware. The more we try to attune to it, the more it will respond to our needs and provide us with the answers we’re seeking.