THE MASTERS OF INTUITION

Given the fact that there are legions of modern theorists who have already adopted the objective paradigm, it behooves us to take the road less traveled and adopt the subjective paradigm.

Just as scientists are viewed as the knowledgeable authorities of today, so the sages and seers were viewed as the knowledgeable authorities of yesterday. They were the theorists of their time. Yet unlike modern theorists, who are trained to develop their powers of empirical observation and mathematical logic, the ancient sages were trained to develop their powers of intuition. In fact, they were viewed as the masters of intuition.

This training was no trivial affair. It often took the form of a lifelong discipline that involved practicing various meditation techniques, following rigorous dietary and behavioral regimens, and performing symbolic rituals—all of which were designed to heighten powers of intuition. The ultimate goal of this training was to enlighten the mind and enable the individual to apprehend, directly and intuitively, the hidden reality of the universe. Those who succeeded in this endeavor were held in the highest esteem by the ancient cultures. They were viewed as complete men whose minds were merged with the divine mind—the mind of God. Compared to ordinary men, such enlightened souls seemed immortal gods. The ancient Hermetic texts thus state:

They received [divine] Mind, and so became complete men.... These, my son, in comparison with the others, are as immortal gods to mortal men. They embrace in their own mind all things that are, the things on earth and the things in heaven, and even what is above heaven, if there is aught above heaven; and raising themselves to that height, they see the Good....

In the earliest cultures, the enlightened sages played the role of seer-kings and seer-priests, and their words served to guide both the destiny of the state and the daily affairs of the people. Such individuals were viewed as embodiments of the gods or God on earth. This notion gave rise to the divine right of kings, which involved the propagation of what became known as holy bloodlines over the course of thousands of years.

The ancient leaders of society, whether they played the role of seer kings or seer-priests, were renowned for their wisdom, which was born not of empirical experience or mathematical logic, but of pure intuition. The ancient sages claimed the ability to apprehend directly and intuitively the hidden reality of God (the unified field) and his influence upon the physical universe. Based upon this intuitive insight, they attempted to answer the ultimate question—what is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything—by developing various metaphysical theories that were often couched in religious terms.