Cameron was visiting a friend and noticed the lovely little farmhouse next door. A feeling came over her that it would be the perfect house for her. A month later, the friend called to say the owners had suddenly decided to sell it. A month after that, she was walking through the door of her new home.
Joe “just didn’t feel right” about that parking place, so he chose another. A short time later, he watched as the car that did park there was sideswiped by an out-of-control vehicle.
You find yourself thinking about a friend you haven’t spoken with in months. Two minutes later, she calls.
Coincidences? Maybe not. There is more happening in our world than just the objects and events around us. Call it a hunch, call it a sixth sense; however you define it, you have experienced “gut feelings” many times in your life.
Once considered the province of a gifted few, intuition is now acknowledged as an innate capacity available to everyone, and a natural skill anyone can cultivate. This natural mental faculty can be a powerful source of information, creativity and inspiration.
Intuition is like an internal GPS system, offering you guidance and direction. Florence Scovel, a theologian, described it this way: “Intuition is the spiritual faculty that doesn’t explain; it seemingly points the way.” When you listen to your intuitive voice, life flows more easily, things seem to fall into place and you experience less stress.
The dictionary definition of intuition is a direct perception of truth or fact without conscious reasoning, literally, to gaze inward. But what does gazing inward mean?
Our non-conscious mind is constantly registering events and changes around us that are happening below our conscious awareness. Scientific research shows that our conscious mind registers about 2,000 bits of information per second, while our non-conscious mind processes 400,000,000,000 bits per second. Yes, that’s 400 billion. This is how you find yourself leaping out of the path of a dangerous snake before your conscious mind has even registered that it is a snake.
Dean Radin, Ph.D., a respected research psychologist, says “We can now demonstrate in the laboratory what at some level we've known all along: Many people literally get a gut feeling before something happens.”
So if it’s happening below our radar, how can we access and strengthen this amazing capability? Here are 5 tips to get you started:
1) Be Aware
The first and most important thing you can do to develop your intuition is to recognize and appreciate the intuitive messages you are already receiving. Start paying attention to those little impulses you get. The more you trust them and act on that knowledge, the more you’ll receive, and the more you will be able to rely on them. If you did nothing else, this alone would yield a dramatic improvement in your intuitive abilities.
2) Be Quiet
It is much easier to hear the quiet little whisper of your intuition when you have damped down the noise that usually obscures it. We all have busy lives over-filled with multitasking. Find some time on a regular basis to quiet your mind. Don’t worry about eliminating your thoughts; just creating a quiet environment for the mind allows you to begin to distinguish between your intuitive voice and the normal mental chatter. Meditation, walking silently in nature, focusing only on your breath for a few minutes are all good options.
3) Be Creative
Doing something that gets you into the feeling of “flow” where time disappears, takes you out of your logical left-brain mind and into the right-brain mind, where creativity, imagination, the larger picture, and non-linear thinking arise. Drawing, writing, dancing, gardening, designing and creative visualization are all possibilities that will put you in touch with intuition.
4) Be Curious
Being curious about something, exploring it deeply in a state of inquiry, generates a magnetic pull that draws answers to you, creating fresh insight and clarity. Ask open-ended questions, like “Given all the circumstances, how can I best address this situation?” rather than yes/no questions, which can shut down the flow of information. Asking follow-up questions like “What is the next action that needs to happen?” can keep the flow going.
5) Be Open
If you are working on a problem or opportunity, gather all the information you can by reading, studying, speaking with others, etc. Totally saturate yourself in everything you can find on it. Then, hand it off to your intuition and take a mental break. It might be a few minutes or hours, or even days. Allow yourself to relax, with no tie to a particular outcome.
Intuition can’t be forced, but it can be invited. Frequently, the answer will appear in a form or from a direction you could never have anticipated, in an “aha” moment or as a symbol in a dream. Be open to new possibilities.
You might have noticed that all five of these tips have one thing in common: being in the present moment. Finding yourself in the present moment, involved in other than past events or future concerns, creates an ideal environment for intuition to emerge and to flourish.
It is important to practice accessing your intuition. Begin with small things of no consequence, like guessing which elevator will arrive first, or what drink the person in front of you will order at the coffee shop. Practicing will build your intuition “muscle,” allowing you over time to recognize the sensation when it arises and building confidence in the accuracy of your intuitive impulses.
Like any good relationship, intuition requires some time and attention to feel nourished and rich, but if you do, it can be your best friend, dependable and wise.
As Albert Einstein noted: “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” Spend time with this gift and you’ll reap the rewards.
Joe “just didn’t feel right” about that parking place, so he chose another. A short time later, he watched as the car that did park there was sideswiped by an out-of-control vehicle.
You find yourself thinking about a friend you haven’t spoken with in months. Two minutes later, she calls.
Coincidences? Maybe not. There is more happening in our world than just the objects and events around us. Call it a hunch, call it a sixth sense; however you define it, you have experienced “gut feelings” many times in your life.
Once considered the province of a gifted few, intuition is now acknowledged as an innate capacity available to everyone, and a natural skill anyone can cultivate. This natural mental faculty can be a powerful source of information, creativity and inspiration.
Intuition is like an internal GPS system, offering you guidance and direction. Florence Scovel, a theologian, described it this way: “Intuition is the spiritual faculty that doesn’t explain; it seemingly points the way.” When you listen to your intuitive voice, life flows more easily, things seem to fall into place and you experience less stress.
The dictionary definition of intuition is a direct perception of truth or fact without conscious reasoning, literally, to gaze inward. But what does gazing inward mean?
Our non-conscious mind is constantly registering events and changes around us that are happening below our conscious awareness. Scientific research shows that our conscious mind registers about 2,000 bits of information per second, while our non-conscious mind processes 400,000,000,000 bits per second. Yes, that’s 400 billion. This is how you find yourself leaping out of the path of a dangerous snake before your conscious mind has even registered that it is a snake.
Dean Radin, Ph.D., a respected research psychologist, says “We can now demonstrate in the laboratory what at some level we've known all along: Many people literally get a gut feeling before something happens.”
So if it’s happening below our radar, how can we access and strengthen this amazing capability? Here are 5 tips to get you started:
1) Be Aware
The first and most important thing you can do to develop your intuition is to recognize and appreciate the intuitive messages you are already receiving. Start paying attention to those little impulses you get. The more you trust them and act on that knowledge, the more you’ll receive, and the more you will be able to rely on them. If you did nothing else, this alone would yield a dramatic improvement in your intuitive abilities.
2) Be Quiet
It is much easier to hear the quiet little whisper of your intuition when you have damped down the noise that usually obscures it. We all have busy lives over-filled with multitasking. Find some time on a regular basis to quiet your mind. Don’t worry about eliminating your thoughts; just creating a quiet environment for the mind allows you to begin to distinguish between your intuitive voice and the normal mental chatter. Meditation, walking silently in nature, focusing only on your breath for a few minutes are all good options.
3) Be Creative
Doing something that gets you into the feeling of “flow” where time disappears, takes you out of your logical left-brain mind and into the right-brain mind, where creativity, imagination, the larger picture, and non-linear thinking arise. Drawing, writing, dancing, gardening, designing and creative visualization are all possibilities that will put you in touch with intuition.
4) Be Curious
Being curious about something, exploring it deeply in a state of inquiry, generates a magnetic pull that draws answers to you, creating fresh insight and clarity. Ask open-ended questions, like “Given all the circumstances, how can I best address this situation?” rather than yes/no questions, which can shut down the flow of information. Asking follow-up questions like “What is the next action that needs to happen?” can keep the flow going.
5) Be Open
If you are working on a problem or opportunity, gather all the information you can by reading, studying, speaking with others, etc. Totally saturate yourself in everything you can find on it. Then, hand it off to your intuition and take a mental break. It might be a few minutes or hours, or even days. Allow yourself to relax, with no tie to a particular outcome.
Intuition can’t be forced, but it can be invited. Frequently, the answer will appear in a form or from a direction you could never have anticipated, in an “aha” moment or as a symbol in a dream. Be open to new possibilities.
You might have noticed that all five of these tips have one thing in common: being in the present moment. Finding yourself in the present moment, involved in other than past events or future concerns, creates an ideal environment for intuition to emerge and to flourish.
It is important to practice accessing your intuition. Begin with small things of no consequence, like guessing which elevator will arrive first, or what drink the person in front of you will order at the coffee shop. Practicing will build your intuition “muscle,” allowing you over time to recognize the sensation when it arises and building confidence in the accuracy of your intuitive impulses.
Like any good relationship, intuition requires some time and attention to feel nourished and rich, but if you do, it can be your best friend, dependable and wise.
As Albert Einstein noted: “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.” Spend time with this gift and you’ll reap the rewards.
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