388. Insight and Intuition

Sherlock Holmes has captured the imagination of the world. When a crime is committed, we find ourselves taking almost the same view as the police. Several others in the story also take that view. It is a view taken by us dictated by the circumstances. That view never solves the mystery of any Sherlock Holmes story. Holmes goes to the root of the mystery disregarding the popular view, detects the criminal and solves the mystery. He says he does so by insight and intuition. Though he was a detective, there is a profound truth in his belief. What is this insight or intuition? Is it possible for us to understand it or acquire it?

Sometimes the evidence against a man will be compelling but he may give a feeling of innocence. In such cases, it is best to give the benefit of doubt to him and explore those possibilities. That way one may be led to an insight. Such an insight comes to one who has a broader view of life, a knowledge of the ways of life known as wisdom. When a man is accused of murder, if you find his looks innocent, better explore the avenues of his innocence. You will stumble upon very valuable evidence. To a trained eye or to a sensitive eye, the looks reveal the truth. He who has that sensitivity can develop insight. Insight is the capacity to place the event in its original psychological context and not in its social appearance. One law of life is true innocence will not attract any punishment.

Believing in that truth of life, and examining the circumstance of the act or behind the act, one will be rewarded with the FACTS of the case. The capacity to believe in innocence is the capacity to respect the Spirit. It acts as a mild invocation of the Spirit and changes the course of the enquiry. The activated mind thinks as everyone else's. The silent mind refuses to bring in the popular prejudices. That invites the Silence of the Spirit. The Spirit by its atmosphere enables us to have the insight into the circumstances which others are denied. When five people have been searching for a lost object for some time in vain, your silent mind will give you the capacity to catch sight of the object. It is the insight of vision. Insight generally comes as a thought, but can arise through any of the senses. Alert senses avail of insight. Intuition is a greater and more powerful faculty than insight. Insight serves as a door that opens on Intuition.