What is it and why is it so important? What is insight? What is enlightenment in literature?

Creative people they often dream about it and wait for it as the most an important event in life. However, it also happens that they make mistakes and false enlightenment comes to them. This happens when a person finds it difficult to switch to other things. What is insight and how to understand that insight has descended - let’s try to find out.

Insight in psychology

Experts call the moment of insight in psychology part of Gestalt psychology. This term was first used by V. Koehler. He conducted experiments with monkeys and discovered their unusual behavior. The animals were offered tasks that could only be solved indirectly. However, after futile attempts, they became less active and simply looked at the objects around them, after which they could very quickly find the correct solution. After a while, this term was already used by K. Duncker and M. Wertheimer as a characteristic of human thinking.

This concept is often used by psychologists to describe the phenomenon where a person may experience insight related to memories. Here, not only a mental image is formed, but also various sensations inherent in a specific memory. In addition, this term is often used in the sense of extra-logical insight. However, after some experiments, the existence of the insight was called into question.

Philosophy of insight

Insight is called a subtle-energy phenomenon. However, if you wish, you can realize its nature and at the same time use analogies with physical reality. For energy to arise, there must be a potential difference or a level difference. When it comes to insight, this difference, or this difference, is extreme. An example would be the contact between the unmanifested and the manifested – emptiness and fullness.

The value of such a concept as a moment of insight can be called that it is capable of revealing a multi-level nature. With the help of such insights, energy and information come into the world, the origin of which cannot be explained unless the boundaries of experience are expanded into the realm of the transcendent. In this phenomenon, the future can be revealed, which becomes a source of information. This connection is possible provided there is a relationship with the future, which presupposes anticipation of causality.

What does it mean - insight has descended?

This term has several meanings. In one of them, the word “illumination” is the same term as the verb “illuminate”, that is, to brightly illuminate something. In the second meaning, insight is usually understood as a description of a sudden clarification of consciousness, an understanding of something. IN in this case insight as a solution to a problem, finding the right thought, idea. Here this term means that the process of understanding was long, and the search for a question or problem was rewarded with a sudden and understandable understanding of it.

Creative insight

Gifted people know firsthand the beauty of creative insight. Sometimes such clues arise completely unexpectedly, as if from another area of ​​life, from unexpected observations. Legends from the lives of scientists and inventors tell about unusual clues. Among them are Newton's apple, Archimedes' bath and much more. Such hints in solving a particular problem are often perceived under certain conditions. Thus, the mind of a scientist or inventor must be tuned to search for important answers.

Such tips are useful for all those people who have associative thinking. An example of such a circumstance would be a dream. Sometimes in this state the human brain is even more active than when awake. There are often cases when in a dream a person found the answer to a question that was tormenting him in reality. An example could be how D. Mendeleev found the desired key to the periodic table of elements in a dream. IN real life he could not figure out how to correctly arrange all the elements.

Spiritual insight

Speaking about, you can also hear about the insight of the soul. From spiritual practitioners you can hear about some special point in the spiritual development of a person who is working on himself. At such moments, a person can receive insight and understand that a completely new reality is opening up before him, more perfect and spacious. This state can be called a higher, sublime awareness, which is also called “enlightenment.” At such times, a person may undergo a radical internal change that allows him to experience a state of insight.

Intuitive insight

When insight comes, you can get answers to questions that have been bothering you for a long time. A concept called intuitive enlightenment can provide answers in many ways. Sometimes people wonder why a metaphor is needed and why it is impossible to directly obtain information about the object or person of interest. The answer is obvious - when people or issues are important to us, they can interfere.

How to get insight?

Many people know that insight is the power of instant decisions. Sometimes those who want to find answers to troubling questions are interested in how to achieve insight. So, in order to get insights you need:

1. Distract yourself and let go of your own thoughts. If you constantly think about your problem and at the same time wait for insight, then it is unlikely to come. It is important to switch your attention to something else. You can watch a movie, read a book or take a walk.
2. An effective way to switch attention is, which is usually classified as a “meditative type”.
3. Take a shower or bath. The effect of water improves blood circulation and stimulates the scalp, which means there is a chance to experience insight.

The false insight effect

Not quite the right decisions can also accompany a feeling of insight. According to psychologists, they can also be memorable and vivid. When solving a problem is very important for a person, he can become fixated on solving it and finding answers. In this case, a person does not allow his own subconscious to fully process the information.

So the task is constantly in the mind. As a result, the psyche, in an exhausted state, gives the owner the first solution that comes to him and the person happily accepts it, since he is already pretty tired and wants some kind of end. A very expected insight can also be false. A person wants to experience it so much that he rejoices at the first enlightenment that comes to him.

guess, insight) - a sudden, instantly arising and irreducible from past experience new understanding, comprehension of significant relationships, tasks, problems and the structure of the situation as a whole, through which a meaningful solution to the problem is achieved. Sudden recognition of the essence of the situation as problematic.

The concept of insight was introduced by Gestalt psychology. In the work of the German psychologist W. Köhler on the intelligence of great apes (1925), it was contrasted with the behaviorist idea of ​​gradual and “blind” learning by trial and error. In Köhler's experiments with great apes (when they were offered problems that could only be solved indirectly), it was shown that the monkeys, after a series of unsuccessful trials, stopped active actions and simply looked at the objects around them, after which they could quickly come to the correct solution.

Subsequently, this concept was used in the studies of German psychologists M. Wertheimer and K. Duncker as a characteristic of human thinking - as a special intellectual act in which a decision is achieved through mental comprehension of the whole, and not as a result of analysis.

The concept of insight should be given a descriptive, but not an explanatory meaning. From the standpoint of materialism, its scientific interpretation is associated with the recognition of the decisive importance of the “preparation” of insight in previous behavior and activity, as well as the role played by the organization of understanding the situation.

Insight is actively used in psychodrama.

Insight

sudden clarity of consciousness, clear understanding.

I looked at him carefully. At that moment he was completely occupied with trying, with his right hand wrapped around his left hand, to crush two nuts. The sharp needles of the eyes were hidden by the curtains of the eyelids. And then, as if in some kind of insight, I suddenly saw in the face of this man his whole soul - the strange soul of a formalist and a player, a narrow specialist and an unusually broad nature... (A. Kuprin, Liquid Sun).

“I never thought, I can’t imagine this! - Alyosha suddenly exclaimed sadly... He is going to Moscow, and you screamed that you were glad - you screamed on purpose! And then they immediately began to explain that you were not happy about that, but that, on the contrary, you were sorry that... you were losing a friend - but you played it on purpose... like you played a comedy at the theater!.. I suddenly had an epiphany... I know that I’m saying this in a bad way, but I’ll still say everything,” Alyosha continued in the same trembling voice and intersecting voice. - My insight is that you, perhaps, don’t love your brother Dmitry at all... from the very beginning... And Dmitry, perhaps, doesn’t love you at all... from the very beginning... but only honors... I really don’t know, How dare I do all this now, but someone needs to tell the truth... because no one here wants to tell the truth...” (F. Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov).

Hello, friends! Nikolay asked an interesting question: What is Illumination? And what kind of phenomenon is this – intellectual or spiritual? After all, there is an expression “spiritual insight,” but in many dictionaries this phenomenon is attributed exclusively to the human mind. Thank you…

I would say that Illumination is a complex phenomenon that has a direct relationship to both his mind, especially since it is part of the soul.

First of all, I will give definitions from the book “Philosophy of the Cosmos”:

Insight– one of the most powerful feelings, corresponding to the perception of ideas and the disclosure of mental structures during cognition. It is available from the 3rd level of development.

Insight is a feeling, that is, a powerful, very complex and structured energy that is placed and revealed precisely in the human heart (in). True insight comes from the center of the Soul (from the Atman), because all processes of thinking and awareness are controlled by the Spiritual Heart (Atman).

Illumination corresponds to the role of the Researcher, the one who is in a state of knowledge of the Truth, the Laws of this world, in the process of searching for Understanding of what is happening or something significant.

True insight is always accompanied by the birth of a large amount of energy in the heart. In the heart, like the sun flares up and a person experiences a state of happiness from the knowledge and development of his soul.

Insight can be called an instant awareness of something, something that a person is given to understand: the work of some Law, the structure of something, etc. Many outstanding scientists who discovered certain Laws, Phenomena, etc. experienced insight. It is interesting that more than 90% of these scientists were deeply religious people.

When and for what is Insight given?

Insight is a very pure feeling and a great reward! Insight is given as a gift - for development, for continuous self-improvement and pure motives. For development - spiritual and personal, for a sincere desire to enrich this world, make it better, people's lives - more beautiful, happier, etc.

Insight is not given to complete egoists, whose true motive in life is self-aggrandizement and vanity, self-interest and personal superiority over others. To receive insight, the heart must be sufficiently pure and alive, and for this, other bright feelings must live in it: Love, Respect, Gratitude, Devotion, Friendship.

Therefore, if you want to receive insight, develop yourself and set high noble ones!

How to get Insight?

Insight is an indicator that a person is moving in the right direction in his development. And for a person who develops quickly, constantly works on himself, primarily in a spiritual sense, insight occurs regularly when he reaches the next stage of development.

I repeat once again - insight is given to a person from above as a reward! Therefore, if a person deserves it, it can happen anytime, at any moment, when Higher power will consider it necessary: ​​in meditation, while jogging, in the process of thinking about something, during sleep (as in Mendeleev’s periodic table it worked), etc.

If you have any questions, you can!

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The phenomenon of insight is very important to understand - it is one of the mysteries that has yet to be solved. It is very strange that so little attention is paid to this - after all, it is in this phenomenon that there is potential for the development of human consciousness.

The word “insight” does not have a clear origin - usually a person simply uses this word to describe certain moments of understanding or awareness of some things, situations, phenomena.

At these moments, it’s as if some “invisible light” clears consciousness, illuminates from within, or from above - that’s why people often say that “insight came to me.” Where does this come from? Some of this has to do with the neurons of the brain, but this is only the physical manifestation of this process. More likely, this is due to the human superconsciousness, which is immaterial in nature, and it is contact with it that gives a feeling of “clarification” of our “ordinary” consciousness.

It is necessary to accept the fact that insight has happened to almost every person and more than once in his life. It could be of varying degrees of manifestation or intensity - but, in most cases, it will be possible to remember these moments of insight.

It is quite difficult to confuse insight with something else - insight carries an “axiomatic” understanding, like knowledge that does not require proof.

This is the so-called “direct knowledge” or seeing things most objectively or closest to the truth.

Why is this so important

With the help of insight, you can find answers to many complex questions, find solutions to problems and life challenges.

If we imagine difficult situation in the form of many puzzles, then thinking logically we will try to connect these elements with each other, look for connections, etc. Insight allows you to see the whole picture - which can allow you to find a solution more quickly, or at a different level of understanding.

If we do not use this phenomenon in our lives, we often walk “only the beaten path”, do what is already familiar, think the way we thought before.

Insight brings something new into our lives, it’s like a breath of “fresh air”, like a breath of new meaning, like inspiration for change.

How to create more insights in life

Insight, like creative inspiration, happens spontaneously, but this process can be influenced indirectly by creating the conditions for its manifestation.

These conditions do not have any particular sequence, but each of them influences this process in its own way.

1) Perceived need

It is important to understand why we need insight, how we want to apply it, what questions or problems we need to solve - this is how we can work with it.

2) Concentrated attention

This is a basic factor that can be used by every person. Insight, as a rule, always appears after a long and focused attention to a specific issue, the object of our attention.

Focused - this means without being distracted, we are looking for solutions, simply “looking” with our attention into the depths of the problem. This is similar to the practice of concentration in spiritual systems, only the object itself here is a thought, a situation, a task, and not an external or imaginary object.

At a certain moment of such focused attention, new thoughts, ideas may flood into a person, or a certain vision of a situation may simply open up that was not there before.

The quality of this factor depends on the strength of intention and the time spent fixing our attention on the object.

It’s easier to imagine this in the form of a metaphysical analogy - let’s say a person is looking for a way in the darkness, and his attention in this space has the quality of light. For a person to see the right way in front of him, he needs to direct his attention far ahead, so it must be bright and focused to illuminate the darkness. Usually our attention is not focused, and it does not have great strength– therefore we “see” only what is around us in a very small radius. To look further, to see more, you need a different “brightness” of consciousness, an indispensable attribute of which is the presence of insight.

3) Openness to new things

If a person is closed at the level of his beliefs, if he has a very subjective picture of the world, then this new thing will manifest itself with difficulty, even if the first two conditions are met.

4) Following the purpose

When a person goes “his own way”, follows his destiny - he, a priori, has more inspiration and contact with the world, and due to this, more opportunities for moments of insight open up.

5) Train your consciousness

Practices of attention management, meditation, reading important literature, communicating with more developed people and other important things.

These factors are important in themselves, and can not only reveal insight, but also be a source of positive life changes.