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A Series of Lessons in Raja Yoga634
or faculty of the human soul by which it knows, as distinguished from the
power to feel and to will; the thinking faculty; the understanding. The same
authority defines the word Reason as follows: “The faculty or capacity of the
human mind by which it is distinguished from the intelligence of the inferior
animals.” We shall not attempt to go into a consideration of the conscious
Intellect, for to do so we would be compelled to take up the space of the
remaining lessons of the course, and besides, the student may find extended
information on this subject in any of the text books on psychology. Instead
we will consider other faculties and planes of mind which the said text
books pass by rapidly, or perhaps deny. And one of these planes is that of
Unconscious Reasoning, or Intellect. To many this term will seem paradoxical,
but students of the unconscious will understand just what is meant.
Reasoning is not necessarily conscious in its operations, in fact, a greater
part of the reasoning processes are performed below or above the conscious
field. In our last lesson we have given a number of examples proving this fact,
but a few more remarks may not be out of place, nor without interest to the
student.
In our last lesson you will see many instances stated in which the subconscious
field of the Intellect worked out problems, and then after a
time handed to the conscious reason the solution of the matter. This has
occurred to many of us, if not indeed to all of us. Who has not endeavored
to solve a problem or question of some sort and after “giving it up” has
had it suddenly answered and flashed into consciousness when least
expected. The experience is common to the race. While the majority of us
have noticed these things, we have regarded them as exceptional and out
of the general rule. Not so, however, with students of the mental planes. The
latter have recognized these planes of reason, and have availed themselves
of their knowledge by setting these unconscious faculties to work for them.
In our next lesson we will give directions to our students regarding this
accomplishment, which may prove of the greatest importance to those who
will take the trouble to practice the directions given. It is a plan that is known