Hi All,
The use of the signifiers I-I are common around here, where they are typically meant to mean Integral Institute; but i suspect that behind this choice was an homage or subtle reference to the I-I of Ramana Maharshi.
They other day in a TV commercial for a local attorney i found reference to yet another pair of I words: Instinct and Intuition. In it she was offering her answer to the question, “How to pick an attorney?” Almost in the same breath she referred to both Instinct and Intuition as a means to answer her ‘straw man’ inquiry; i took this as an unwise and unwarranted conflation of terms.
But let's back up a little. Both of these I words represent means that inform us; i.e. they offer input to our mental body, to our rational minds. That's what these two I words have in common. However conflating them leads to all sorts of problems; and presents as yet another form of the pre-trans fallacy.
Instinct, through ‘body/feeling’ informs the mind from one direction; while Intuition informs the mind through ‘soul/spirit’ from a completely opposite direction.
Confusing or conflating these two has the sad and unfortunate tendency to either leave us condemned to a mythic based existence or stunted in our growth to the more subtle but powerful aspects of our humanity.
By way of contrast, instinct may prompt me to greet the first warm days of spring with a walk in the nearby woods, where i can soak up some fresh air and some vitamin D from sunlight; while walking (perhaps mindfully) intuition may prompt some insight or image into the human condition worthy of a post here.
One of the early problems i had in recognizing intuition had to do with its speed. It worked so fast that my suspicion was aroused. This was quelled only when i came to this analogy: consider how much faster it is possible to think than it is to speak; pick a number say 30,000 times, by extension suppose that intuition works 30,000 times faster than thought. This is why in popular culture, cartoon figures are shown with an electric light bulb flashing over head when they ‘get it’.
If i look at this form of I-I signifiers from an astrological perspective, Instinct is related to the Moon, to our roots, to the past. (It is worth noting that technically the moon is not in orbit around the earth; rather the earth and moon revolve around a common axis.) While Intuition is related to the planet Uranus, an orb with a unique characteristic; is the only planet in our system whose axis of revolution is not at right angles to the plane of it solar orbit; rather this axis lies on it’s side more or less subsided into the plane, symbolizing the unique and extraordinarily valuable role of intuition in our collective future. This perspective also suggests that any moment of emotional tension can be seen as an opportunity to de-construct any lingering conflation of Instinct with Intuition; freeing us of its constraints.
Warmly,
Charles
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