Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan now addresses the theme of intuition and dream, beginning with the statement that women are more intuitive than men by nature. The previous post in the series is here.

Intuition rises from the depths of the human heart. It has two aspects: one is dependent upon an outer impression, and the other is independent of any outer impression. The former is called impression, and the latter intuition. Intuition is a fine faculty. As it comes by responsiveness, it is a feminine faculty. Woman, therefore, is more intuitive by nature than man.

Often one says ‘This person gives me such and such an impression,’ but there is no reason to prove it. One is perhaps not capable of finding any reason to prove it; nevertheless one’s impression is right. There are some people who are naturally intuitive. For someone who is intuitive, it is not necessary to wait until he, so to speak, finds a person out. All he needs is one moment. As soon as his eyes fall upon the person, this instantly gives rise to an impression, which is the former kind of intuition. Someone with a fine mind and with a still mind generally has intuition. Someone with a gross mind and a restless mind lacks it.

Intuition is a super sense. It may be called a sixth sense. It is the essence of all senses. When a person says he sensed something, it does not mean that there were objective reasons to prove that it was so. It means that, without any outer reasons or objective signs, he has sensed it.

Intuition that is independent of impressions is of a still deeper nature, for it comes before one wishes to begin a thing and so one knows what will come out of it. Before the beginning of an enterprise, one senses the result of it. Intuition is sometimes a kind of inner guidance, and sometimes it is a kind of warning from within.

How does one perceive intuition? It is first expressed in the language of feeling. That feeling, spreading within the horizon of the mind, shapes itself and becomes more narrative of its idea. Then the mind turns it into a form, and then language interprets it. Therefore, it is the feeling heart to which intuition belongs.

To be continued…