Instinct is an innate behavior, thinking, or feeling, repeated by an individual without noticing it. Natural desire or tendency that makes you act in a particular way, also is considered under the definition of natural instinct. It is something that a human being cannot override.
There are two kinds of basic instinct: life instinct, or death instinct.
There is no transitions between instinctive and experience-based behavior components. The differences usually lie on how they emphasize biological and/or environmental forces.
Behavioral patterns come into sequences of innate and learned behavior components. Only the innate components qualify as instinctive behavior. They are rigid and do not get modified or become more flexible due to experience.
Flexible or intelligent behavior does not evolve from instinctive behavior.
In the Scriptures, in the 2nd Epistle of Peter, warns against the instinct of the false teachers who will try to substitute human words, that leads to spiritual death, for the 'Divine Word' that leads to life bringing a new heaven and a new earth. It says:
"We do not follow cleverly devised myths ... You must understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the 'impulse' of man, but men moved by the 'Holy Spirit speaking to them from God.' But false prophets also arose among the followers of the Truth, just a s there will be 'false teachers' among you, who will secretly bring in 'destructive heresies', even denying the "Master" who "bought them", bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their licentiousness, and because of them 'The Way of Truth' will be reviled. And in 'their greed' they will exploit you with 'false words'; their condemnation has not been idle, and their destruction has not been asleep ... These, like irrational animals, creatures of 'instinct', born to be caught and killed, reviling in matters of which they are ignorant, will be destroyed ... They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their dissipation, carousing with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice 'unsteady souls.' They have 'hearts trained in greed'... These are waterless springs and mists driven by storm; for them the nether gloom of darkness has been reserved."
One of the major risks for people who are on the path of a renewed natural and spiritual awareness, is to misunderstand the concept of 'instinct and 'intuition. To rely blindly on instinct, thinking that is the best tool to follow nature, is the greatest danger.
Many people who have embraced the natural spirituality believe that the mind (the ability of thinking) is an obstacle to the connection with the forces of nature, and therefore do not avail a training; they simply think that even the study and cultural deepening are tools that could pollute the purity of their natural soul. They rely exclusively to the personal improvisation, without understanding that the pursuing of knowledge of Truth, based on laws, regulations, ordinances, etc, will get them more in tune with the forces of nature.
Every aborigine knows that instinct is not only to be dominated, but also to be driven, and that we must learn from the elderly (ancient laws). What would happen with one of these improvised learners if they encounter a wild bear in the forest? For sure this person will follow his basic instinct of conservation of life, he/she will run away. Well, this individual will be torn apart. But if someone had previously explained what is best to do in that situation, he/she would have saved his/her life.
The paths are personal, individual, and tailored to the needs of the individual. But taking the easy and simple way of thinking that consist in doing the minimum in the pursuit of "truth" is unfortunately limited.
We need a common ground shared by all, that its own aim should be to structure a good body of shared knowledge, "the knowledge of "truth." The study of nature and its real symbolic manifestations in heaven and earth. Only with this basis we can expect to make a qualitative leap that will take us to lead the 'instinct' through intuition.
Intuition is defined as an attitude that is learned, trained and nourished by 'theory' (study) and 'practice' (experience).
A perfect example is when an individual learn how to drive a vehicle, regardless the size. Learning the theoretical part (rules) and absolutely unnatural movements like pushing on a pedal to brake or accelerate makes you to coordinate the understanding of moving in space with a gigantic mass and follow the rules given for that purpose. After a short period of time practicing these movements and rules together, they are not only being assimilated, but internalized so deeply that they become automatic. After we have internalized the experience the intuition springs, and this new way of 'take rational decisions without thinking' is a state of mind in balance between the domain of the instinct and the domain of the mind.
It is the intuition which makes us put a feet on the brake before a pedestrian appears on the sidewalk, and this is simply the result of the interaction between the driver's past experiences and the unconscious calculation of the possibilities to avoid an accident.
The thinking that 'theoretical information can ruin our natural purity and the ability to connect with the divine' is a childish attitude. Indeed there is no spiritual path anywhere in history of the world that does not include an apprenticeship, which serves to bend the ego strength which always tries to make us believe that 'just as we are' we are perfect.
It is very beautiful to look at the sunset, but even more beautiful is to comprehend it. We confuse very often learning with knowledge, experience with wisdom, saying with doing, and this confusion leads many people to individual paths, that have value in itself, but only to understand our own limitations, and not longing for the divine.
The 'Divine' is the force of 'Love' that unites everything. It is the manifestation in the whole reality of the eternal symbols, and only knowing the deep meaning of such symbols we can expect to enjoy improvement in the life we share all together here in this world.
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