by Marinus Jan Marijs
If we place trans-logical intuition at level 8B in the scheme of three forms of mysticism, than inspiration has to be placed at level 9B. Intuition normally has a pulse-character while inspiration has more of a wave-character. Inspiration often combines multiple elements. Henri van Praag, a well-known Dutch professor in the field of anthropological parapsychology, noted that with inspiration people have the sense that something “from outside” acts upon their mind. This is often not the cause with intuition. Inspiration generates an structuring which is superior to step by step or constructed mental activity. When artists or scientists look for inspiration, as they often have described, they first experience a mental quietness which resides at level 9A of the scheme. Next they sense a shift to level 9B where they experience inspiration.
Saint John the Evangelist, Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (1708 – 1787)
If inspiration is a paranormal ability, coming from a source outside oneself as the meaning of the word itself suggests: ”A supernatural (divine) influence”, and is claimed by many of the greatest artists from different fields of art, than surely the paranormal isn’t just a fringe, marginal phenomenon, but it’s one with a far reaching influence upon human culture and society.
Without inspiration there would be no great art: no symphonies, no great paintings, no great architecture, no great literature, no great poetry and so on.
And if intuition is extrasensory perception, identical to clear-knowing, than this paranormal ability is fundamental in the development of philosophy, mathematics and science.
“I believe in intuitions and inspirations…I sometimes FEEL that I am right. I do not KNOW that I am.”
― Albert Einstein
I decided that it was not wisdom that enabled poets to write their poetry, but a kind of instinct or inspiration, such as you find in seers and prophets who deliver all their sublime messages without knowing in the least what they mean.
Socrates
Inspiration is an awakening, a quickening of all man’s faculties, and it is manifested in all high artistic achievements.
Giacomo Puccini
John Lennon about inspiration:
“…..then that’s when I suddenly could do it again with ease with a most enjoyable thing for me apart from putting them on the tape when you first put them is the inspirational, in the spirit because when the songs really come and you’re not sitting down like a craftsman writing.
I can do that you know you want a song about bananas for a movie I could do that okay you know I’m quite capable of turning it out like that.
I wouldn’t enjoy it so much maybe but I could do it on that level but my joy is when you’re like possessed like a medium I’ll mean I be sitting round and it will come in the middle of the night all the time and you don’t want to do it you know that’s the exciting part so I’m lying around and this thing comes as a whole piece you know words and music.
I don’t think can I say I wrote it I don’t know who the hell wrote it I’m sitting and this whole damn song comes up so if you’re like driven and you find yourself over the piano, a guitar and you put it down because it’s been given to you or whatever it is that you tuned into”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeK83r5r3sw 3.35 – 4.32
Robin Williams about inspiration:
“There is something that happens, comes through you ….. that basically when you’re really firing and it really works, it’s like musicians said it, all writers said it, it’s just like you’re channelling that’s where you say that divine inspiration where you just let it pass through you….”
