“If only I had listened to my feeling” is a thought we have all probably had at some point in our lives. Other words for this inner voice are “natural instincts," or what some people call “a gut feeling." Top business leaders often say that the reason they were successful is that they were able to go by their gut feelings.
Oprah Winfrey is an example of a successful leader who listens to her inner voice:
“Learning to trust your instincts, using your intuitive sense of what's best for you, is paramount for any lasting success. I've trusted the still, small voice of intuition my entire life. And the only time I've made mistakes is when I didn't listen”.
Why is This Inner Feeling Powerful?
We take most of our information in through the senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell. Our senses connect our outer world with our inner world. Subtler than the senses is our intellect, which discriminates among the experiences coming in from the outer world. However, there is a quiet voice within every one of us that is even deeper than the intellect—our tender feeling level. This level of our being is so delicate and yet so much more powerful than the other levels which are closer to the surface of our existence—such as our senses and our behavior. The feeling level is the closest level to the field of pure silence—Being.
Access the Unified Field
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi describes the field of pure consciousness as directly mirroring the unified field of natural law identified in quantum physics. Physics tells us that it is this ultimate level where all the laws of nature are unified. This is the unified basis that conducts the entire universe in an evolutionary, orderly way at all times.
When our awareness is aligned with the transcendental level of our Being through meditation, then our thoughts and actions are more spontaneously evolutionary, in accord with natural law. This explains why people who meditate often report they are becoming more attuned to and are "in harmony with" their surroundings. They have tapped into their inner Self and the power of intuition that exists at the finest level of feelings within. When we experience silence within we will be more able to hear those quiet whispers that guide us every day.
These quiet impulses are also the whispers of creativity that artists and songwriters talk about. The ideas that an artist catches at this fine feeling level, emerging from pure consciousness, are what filmmaker, David Lynch, calls the big fish—the great ideas. Lynch refers to the thoughts that we have swimming at the surface of our minds are the little fish. These little thoughts are often born of stress and anxiety. If we are guided by these thoughts we can say things we don’t mean and do things we later regret.
Some people naturally have greater access to their inner level of feeling or are just stronger in listening and acting according to their intuition. We need to teach all our children to listen to their inner voice and also to act accordingly. They need to understand that a strong person is one who can go by that inner voice that tells them what is right rather than follow what their friends are doing.
The deep rest gained during Transcendental Meditation allows stresses to be released. Our mind becomes clearer and then we are more attuned to those tender feelings deep inside.
As Oprah said:
“How many times have you gone against your gut, only to find yourself at odds with the natural flow of things? We all get caught up in the business of doing, and sometimes lose our place in the flow. But the more we can tune in to our intuition, the better off we are. I believe it's how God speaks to us.”
I’ve tried to capture Oprah’s sentiment in the following poem:
God’s Voice in You
Listen to your innermost feelings
hear the whisper of God in you—forever divinely appealing,
His thoughts, tenderly rising through you.
Listen to your inner voice, steering your every direction;
fleeting notions and wavering choices cease in silent wisdom’s perfection.
In your heart He forever dwells, always there to support each need,
gracefully concealed in the bottomless well, rising to guide every deed.
Act upon God’s voice in you; harmoniously flow in His song.
Every thought, word, and act will sing true, empowering you in right, weakening all wrong.
Always go by your inner feelings; hold on tightly to God’s leading hand.
Gain trust in His quiet revealings and walk in the light of His Divine Plan.
Ann Purcell is an award winning author—her latest publication is Tender Flower of Heaven a collection of 130 poems. Ann has been a full-time teacher of Transcendental Meditation since 1973, teaching Transcendental Meditation and advanced courses in many countries around the world. In addition, she has worked on curricula and course development for universities and continuing education programs. She over sees the teaching of Transcendental Meditation in girl’s schools and communities in several countries in Africa.
She also is a song-writer and has recorded 6 CDs.
Ann is a regular contributor to Huffington Post and has been featured in many podcast and radio interviews.