There is no need to choose up sides and elect to work either by intuition or by reason. Both should be used at the same time. They supplement each other. The conscious and the subconscious mind are as two sides of the same coin.
Many things are called intuition that are not intuition. In fact, the word is loosely used to cover numerous varieties of unreasoned thinking, neither logical, instinctive, intuitional, nor of any other acceptable order.
Intuition comes from within. In many ways it is merely a trained and well stored memory, perhaps a genetic memory dating far back in actual experience. What many call intuition is impressionism. They make decisions, for judgments or beliefs upon which they act, by a general impression which they may have derived anywhere.
Some people dream ideas, as did the young Belgian in the late 1400′s who was first to devise the process for polishing diamonds. Other jewels could be readily polished by using the next harder jewel to do it with, but since the diamond was the hardest of all, there was nothing harder one could use. In a dream he received full instructions. He was told to find another diamond, one of unimpressive quality, crush it with a hammer, and utilize the powder as a polishing agent. This he did, and the dream was happily realized.
But modern industry prefers more reliable methods than waiting for the occasional dream.
The intelligence that guides the bee in its building plans, that leads the birds in their unerring flight over uncharted miles to an exact destination, that keeps the sun steadfast in its course, is part of that cosmic mind from which sprang the miraculous fitness of all creation. A fragment of the same intelligence sparkles in each human mind. Sometimes, conscious of our powers, we can summon it. Sometimes the powers are dormant and only by prolonged effort do they rise to the surface to enlighten us. Great thinkers have faith in this inner force, and use it. Edison said:
“As I analyze my reactions to thoughts and ideas which appear in my mind, I feel that the fact that I have an idea is proof that the same Source that gave me the idea will also show me how to work it out”
The lower levels of the subconscious contain that which has been placed there by heredity, by the suggestions of others, and by our own conscious experience. From what we learn from dream and trance states we know that this subconscious territory has access to knowledge by other than by conscious means. It is this kind of knowledge which, when it makes its way into consciousness, we sometimes recognize by its emotional power and unexpectedness, and call it intuition.