Here’s an interesting quote by William Walker Atkinson:
“Modern philosophy is displaying much interest in certain forms of mental activity which are grouped under the category of “Intuition.” In this usage of the old term, “Intuition,” however, these philosophers do not refer to the ordinary conscious or subconscious activities of which the source remains hidden, and which, therefore, are frequently referred to as “intuitive.”
Neither do they refer to those acquired habits of action, once performed consciously but now manifested subconsciously, which are known as “instinctive.”
Instead, they employ the term to indicate that higher form of Reason made possible by the reports of the superconscious faculties concerning their perception of certain higher truths, which reports are then passed down to the Intellect for reasoning based upon induction or deduction, or similar forms of thought. They hold that these reports of Intuition are not contrary to those of Intellect, but merely are more direct and convincing in “feeling,” and serve rather to support the reports of the trained Intellect than to oppose or contradict them.
Reason, being furnished the combined reports of both Intellect and Intuition, is possessed of material far surpassing in both quantity and quality those arising from sense‑reports alone; consequently, the Higher Reason is able to produce materials of a quality and beauty far excelling those turned out by it when it is limited to the comparatively scanty and imperfect materials of the senses. Or, employing another figure of speech, we may say that the Higher Reason, in which Intellect is reinforced by Intuition, acts like the skilled geometer who being given certain “sighted points” is then able to measure, chart and map great regions of land or of space over which his feet have never trod, his airplane wings never flown, nor his eyes ever scanned. The Higher Reason, thus given these “sighted points” furnished by Intuition, is able to measure, chart and map great areas of thought and knowledge over which his senses have not traveled, and which they cannot perceive.
When Intellect, throwing aside its prejudices and false pride, asks questions of Intuition concerning matters which lie in the field of intuitional activity, and then takes over the report of Intuition and employs it as the basis of rational induction and deduction, a wonderful result is thus obtained. A wondrous blending is thus secured, and an entirely new field of thought spreads itself out to the Reason of the individual thinker. The
correlated and coordinated activities of Intellect and Intuition produce what may be called the report of the Higher Reason, or the Completed Reason. Here the individual secures “the faith that knows, and not merely believes.”
