There are three steps or processes we must analyze in relation to spiritual experience:
- Imagination - perception of imagery or impressions
- Inspiration - recognition of symbols
- Intuition - comprehension
Imagination occurs in self-observation, meditation, or dream yoga experience. This is the perception of imagery, sounds, and the impressions of life within a state of alert novelty.
The next necessary step is the flash of momentary illumination, inspiration derived from the recognition of something new, spontaneous, instantaneous, and vivifying within our perception. This occurs when we see something in a new way, whether in an image, a sound, an experience in self-observation, dream yoga, or meditation. This is inspired knowledge, when we understand that there is a profound significance to a given experience or symbol that arises in meditation.
What comes next is intuition, comprehension of that given experience or symbol in relation to your everyday life. Intuition is knowing without the deliberation or mentation of the intellect.
Study the chapter on Imagination, Inspiration, and Intuition in
Tarot and Kabbalah and
Fundamental Notions of Endocrinology and Criminology by Samael Aun Weor. This describes how to differentiate between illusory perceptions and conscious experience of the divine through the awakening of objective clairvoyance.