meet your intuition
how do you feel about intuition? is it something you think about? is it something you consult in decision making? do you hear the voice of your own intuition? is it something you trust?
intuition is a powerful tool that we can use to navigate life with more grace and understanding. unfortunately, we are not taught much about it or and are even discouraged from using it by peers, authorities and popular culture.
we favor logic and physical evidence (that is, something we can perceive with our five physical senses of taste, touch, scent, sight and sound) far above any sort of knowing that could arise through inner wisdom, premonition and feeling (what some call, gnosis). one form of gaining understanding is deemed realistic, while the other is not. let’s reflect for a moment on the hubris this artificially imposed dichotomy reveals- the concept that everything there is to be known can be known through human senses & today’s technology. I just don’t think that’s likely true. there’s so much we are learning every day that is shattering our previous understandings, and this is happening in nearly every field. we are in constant evolution and while logic and mental reasoning play an essential role in understanding our world, I suggest perhaps this should not be at the complete exclusion of nonphysical forms of information.
our modern habits of data collection and analysis allow us to quantify the tangibles of the natural world like never before, but could we be missing out on the intangibles?
there’s a lot of research currently going into exploring the nature of consciousness and its properties (check out this article from the Scientific American). we’re beginning to find evidence that consciousness may not originate within the individual body, but rather acts as a web of electricity that permeates all matter. this collective consciousness both makes up and is made up of everyone in existence and consists of energy. energy is information, and according to the First Law of Thermodynamics, energy cannot be created or destroyed. the collective consciousness is therefore a quantum web of all of the information of existence- past, present and future in every dimension, and it’s within each of us.
what does intuition have to do with this? “intuition” are the messages that float up from the collective consciousness. we are each connected to the collective consciousness through our subconscious, but because the subconscious communicates differently and in more subtle ways than the conscious mind does, we discount the information. the information received is not logical, simply because it comes from a different information system. logic and reasoning belong to the conscious system alone. that doesn’t mean that information from the subconscious is bad or wrong, but centuries of upholding one over another has made it hard for us to imagine allowing our intuition a seat at the decision-making table.
it feels uncomfortable, weird, perhaps unsafe or crazy. much fear can arise that will have us convinced that doing so will lead to certain destruction, but that is simply our conscious mind strung out and anxiety ridden because it is overburdened. anxiety rates are at an all-time high- it seems rare to meet an individual these days who doesn’t grapple with intrusive thoughts and fears. and this is certainly well-reflected on the world stage right now. where does all the fear, worry and scarcity mindset leading to the suffering of others come from?
trauma. it’s a trauma response- over protection, combativeness, communication breakdown, emotional reactivity, failure to connect or empathize- these are trauma responses. and what is our collective trauma? we have been telling half of ourselves that it is wrong, bad, irrelevant, imaginary or even evil for centuries. we have been splintering our consciousness, calling one side all powerful and the other side unnecessary and never taking into consideration the havoc that would wreak on our psyche. I believe this lies at the core of countless personal and collective problems present today.
our intuition is a guide. its messages come from the collective consciousness of all that is. all knowledge, all wisdom, all experience, all possibility- everything. some would call that God. others prefer to think of it as a super computer of reality, a cosmic A.I.
intuition has much to teach us, to show us, to help us remember- if we are open to receiving its messages. becoming open takes practice and persistence, but is possible for anyone regardless of circumstance or history. it’s a matter of changing the mind, the thought patterns and belief systems, and awakening to, then working with the subconscious information system. this is where mindfulness work crosses into the more subtle regions of emotional and spiritual work. it is an unfoldment that ultimately results in unity within- a symbiotic relationship between the conscious and subconscious mind.
wholeness.
and it’s contagious- the more you find wholeness within, the more the outside world reflects that wholeness back to you.
reach in to your intuition. if you know each other well, send it gratitude for the beauty and balance it contributes to your life. if you have a bit of a hot-and-cold relationship with your intuition, spend some time focusing on self-forgiveness. apologize to your intuition for doubting it, forgive yourself and extend compassion to yourself because each step forward is teaching you to let go of fear, bit by bit. if you don’t know what your intuition sounds or feels like, or you don’t believe you have one, or if you feel as though your intuition steers you wrong, it’s okay. every stage of the journey is necessary and good, and the journey is not linear either. even reading or listening to this can send a message to your subconscious mind that you are interested in getting to know your intuition.
to reconnect with your intuition, start small. this is about rebuilding trust with yourself. if you have been ignoring or diminishing your intuition, you have betrayed your own trust. we all do it. and when one betrays another’s trust, there is a period of relationship rebuilding that must occur to mend the hurt caused. give yourself small opportunities to include your intuition in your daily life.
perhaps while driving to work, you get the urge to follow a different route. you can choose to follow this urge, and by doing so you honor your intuition. you can further affirm your intuition by thinking to yourself, “this was a good idea!” “I’m glad I went this different route, look at that pretty park”, or “it feels good to mix it up”. telling yourself this message consciously can help solidify in your subconscious that your intuition benefits you. this will help draw it out further, each time you do this practice.
you can allow your intuition to decide other low-stakes decisions for you, such as what flavor of ice cream to eat or what color shirt to wear. close your eyes, turn your conscious attention towards the physical sensations of your body, take a deep breath, ask yourself the question, and go with whatever comes to you first: no hesitation, no second-guessing or backtracking.
remember that the intuition is an information system originating in the subconscious. this means it won’t communicate to you in conscious ways such as logical, conscious thought. the subconscious communicates in feeling and archetypal images (see Jungian psychology), so that’s what you need to be open to sensing. when you ask your intuition to make a low-stakes decision, what is the first image that pops into your mind? what gives you a calm feeling in your gut? what gives you that feeling of expansion in your heart? these are all subtle messages from your intuition that, with practice and attention, become much clearer.
there’s a lot more I want to discuss when it comes to working with the subconscious mind, its messages, and the emotional, physical and mental clearing necessary to reawaken our sensitivity to these aspects of ourselves. it’s a multi-layered process which looks different for each individual, but nonetheless has overarching themes that all humans grapple with. your intuition is a tool, a friend really, that can assist you in navigating these layers with greater understanding and oneness. welcome it in as a long-lost imaginary friend from childhood, and see what richness it adds to your life. you can keep a journal of the experiences and changes you witness to help further support your exploration and to validate the process for yourself.
I welcome hearing any stories you would like to share from your own relationship with your intuition! please feel free to write them in the comments below or reach out to me via the contact page; I am honored to share in your experience!
always,
emily