Natural Intelligence (NI) has been within us since the creation of this universe and the onset of biological Creation. From the simplest single-celled organisms exhibiting basic forms of sensing and response, to the complex brains of humans and other advanced species, intelligence has progressively developed and diversified.

This evolutionary process involved:

Natural Selection: Traits that enhanced survival and reproduction, including various forms of intelligence, were favored and passed down through generations.

Environmental Pressures: The need to navigate diverse and often challenging environments drove the development of more sophisticated cognitive abilities.

Neural Development: Over eons, the complexity of nervous systems increased, allowing for more intricate information processing and storage.

Significance of Natural Intelligence:

Understanding Natural Intelligence is crucial for several reasons:

Cognitive Science: It provides insights into the fundamental mechanisms of thought, perception, and behavior in living beings.

AI Development: Studying NI often inspires and informs the development of new AI algorithms and architectures.

Ecology and Conservation: Recognizing the intelligence in various species can foster greater appreciation and ethical considerations for the natural world.

In essence, Natural Intelligence is the very fabric of how living beings interact with, understand, and adapt to their world, a testament to the power of evolution.

Inner Engineering and Exploration of the Universe

The concepts of “Inner Engineering” and “Natural Intelligence” are deeply intertwined, particularly within the framework of traditional Indian spiritual and yogic philosophies. While “Natural Intelligence” refers to the inherent cognitive capacities of living beings, “Inner Engineering” can be seen as a systematic approach to unlock and enhance the full potential of that natural intelligence.

Ancient Indian saints and yogis, long before the modern term, engaged in similar practices. Through rigorous discipline (tapas), meditation (dhyana), contemplation (vichara), and various yogic techniques, they sought to:

Silence the external senses: By withdrawing attention from external stimuli (pratyahara), they aimed to quiet the constant chatter of the mind.

Focus the mind: Through concentration (dharana) and meditation (dhyana), they sought to achieve a state of single-pointed awareness.

Access deeper states of consciousness: This allowed them to transcend the limitations of the ordinary waking state and perceive realities beyond the physical. It’s believed that through these states, they could directly experience the interconnectedness of all things and gain insights into the fundamental nature of the cosmos.

Realize the microcosm-macrocosm connection: A core principle in Indian philosophy is that what exists in the universe (macrocosm) also exists within the human being (microcosm). By deeply exploring their inner being, these saints believed they could understand the universal principles governing existence.

This “exploration of the universe outside” through the “inner mind” wasn’t about observing planets through telescopes, but rather about comprehending the laws of nature, the cycles of creation and dissolution, the energetic forces at play, and the underlying unity of existence through a direct, intuitive, and experiential knowing.

Which do you believe is better: Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Natural Intelligence (NI)?