By Peter Dawkins
POLARITIES IN THE BRAIN
If you look at any modern research done on the brain functions, as indeed also in older studies, you will see that whilst the left hemisphere is associated with rational thinking, as understood nowadays (i.e. examining, questioning and grasping things in detail), and is the more academic and logical side of the brain, the right hemisphere is associated with conceptual thinking (i.e. grasping the whole picture, rather than the detail) and is the more artistic and creative side of the brain. In fact, in the Renaissance times, the right hemisphere was associated with imagination (i.e. seeing the whole, and artistic imagination), which many people still agree with now (although I don’t think this is entirely true, as I will explain further on). Thus the two hemispheres are often referred to as reason (left) and imagination (right). The more correct description is as rationality (left) and conceptualisation (right). Even this is nowadays challenged as being too simplistic. The intuition, however, is something totally different.
INTUITION IS TO DO WITH THE HEART AND THROAT
The intuition has two aspects. In the first place it refers to the inner voice of the heart (the Teacher within), which speaks to the mind via the throat. In the second place it refers to the throat, which vibrates with this voice, thereby giving it a form (language), and sends this vibration to the mind centred in the head (i.e. the throat is equated with both hearing and speaking). The head mind then translates this into a vision or idea, which is conceptualised by the right hemisphere and then analysed by the rational part of the mind centred in the left hemisphere. Also, at the same time as the intuitive voice is speaking and generating the vision or idea in the mind, an opposing voice known as the Tester will also be speaking from the heart. This voice challenges the Teacher’s voice, to make the mind think about choices and which choice is best to follow or we want to follow. In this way we are given free choice, to choose between what we think is right or wrong, or what we desire the most; otherwise we would just be puppets, doing only what we are told to do, with no choice in the matter. Then we would not be able to know the truth, as we would have nothing to compare it with.
INTUITION AND THINKING
So, to summarise, the intuition is to do with the heart and throat. It comes from our desires, which at their best are loving. They are what we want or will. These speak to the mind so that the mind can work out (a) whether it is a good desire or not, or what we really want, and (b) how to put it into action. As Francis Bacon says, the imagination acts as a messenger between our desires (feelings, intuition) and our thoughts, then again between our thoughts and our actions. True intuition is the voice of the truth in the heart – the divine Word (Wisdom) and Intelligence. The former is the Teacher, the latter the Tester. False intuition is the vibration of the lower desires, coming from what is referred to as the lower heart, or, as some say, from the lower (abdomen) chakras. It is because intuition can be false as well as true that we need the mind to check it carefully.
The three faculties of the head thinking are conceptualisation, rationalisation and memory – a trinity. These are associated respectively (and perhaps simplistically) with right hemisphere, left hemisphere and ‘middle’ (all-over). In the old days, all three were classed as Reason.
IMAGINATION
Imagination, speaking from my own experience and studies, is indeed to do with conceptualisation, but it is more than this. It is really the faculty of the whole mind, wherein all three aspects (conceptualisation, rationality and memory) play a part, working together to both grasp the picture in the first place (given it by the intuition) and then to build it up in detail – form, colour, shape, detail, meaning, etc.
The throat listens and speaks. The head thinks and decides. Imagination is the go- between, and more besides.
MYTHOLOGICAL INTERPRETATION
The Gemini are representative of the opposites – the polarity in all life necessary for there to be any manifestation at all. The first polarity, as described in the Bible (Genesis) is male-female (Abba-Aima, the meaning of Elohim, the Hebrew name of God in Genesis 1). Abba-Aima (male-female) then made (or became) heaven and earth. These then became spirit and matter. Their love affair, made possible by the separation of the One into the Two, enabled Love (the inherent nature of the One) to be expressed, and that expression was Light. This Light was likewise male-female. It produced individualised man (mind), in likeness of Itself, as male-female. It also produced the two states of immortality (the ever-present Now) and mortality (changing Time, form and experience). This male-female mind (soul) then incarnates part of itself in order to gain knowledge of truth. The incarnated part of the mind/soul is mortal, whilst the discarnate part of the mind/soul remains immortal. Moreover, the female part of the immortal mind/soul incarnates, or can incarnate, separately to the male part of the immortal mind/soul. Hence the story of the children of Leda and the Swan (Zeus). There are two eggs laid. From one egg are hatched the immortal twins, one male, the other female. From the other egg are hatched the mortal twins, one male, one female. The two brothers, one immortal, the other mortal, are the ones who are called the Gemini.
THE EXPRESSION OF LOVE
The whole aim of life is to express Love, and in this all opposites or twins or partners or friends, or whatever one calls them, is required, so that always there can be lover and beloved. We can do this with each other. We can do this between ourselves and nature. We can each do this inwardly between our mortal self and our immortal self. We can also love our own mortal selves, by expressing love between the opposites within ourselves – between left and right, above and below, inside and outside, and so on and so forth. The expression of love is the union of the opposites, twins, partners or friends. We become one in love by means of the expression of love between us, and between ourselves and nature, and between ourselves and the universe.
Peter Dawkins 2020:
[Zoence: Core Truths of the Western Wisdom Traditions - https://www.zoence.co.uk]