The year was...sometime in the 1980s. The setting was a hot, humid, outdoor summer camp in Orlando, Florida. My mood was grumpy. I did not enjoy camp. I was sweaty, the counselors were nowhere to be seen, and there was a bully on the playground. I was a teeny tiny kid, which is probably why I remember the bully as being massive. She had been getting into trouble all week long for mistreating her fellow campers. I was scared of her and she was headed my way.
It will be a surprise to all of us when I tell you that by the end of that day, she thought we were best friends. (It was a surprise to me, anyway.) The counselors were as baffled as I was. For the rest of the week, they paired her with me because I inexplicably knew how to keep her well behaved. (Sense my joy.)
What happened to create this weird change of attitude? In hindsight, I know exactly what happened. From the perspective of that permed-hair neon-clad 80s girl, I had followed my instincts. Another way to say this is that I followed my intuition.
That is not the first time intuition had saved my life (to be dramatic) and it would certainly not be the last; however, it took until my mid- to late 30s for me to understand my intuition and to use it intentionally.
Understanding and purposefully utilizing intuition is the most popular topic of conversation among clients who are attracted to work with me. We have all had experiences where, in hindsight, we can see that we understood something on another level. The ability to be in better touch with our innate knowing is something that most of us crave.
Let's dive into this topic and uncover some Intuition Basics!
First of all, everyone's intuitive style is unique to them (think: fingerprint). As humans, we love to categorize in order to understand phenomena and this is no different. We tend to break down types of intuition into 4 groups (though I have seem some people create 7-10 groups):
- Clairvoyance: Seeing. Some people will see images either within their mind's eye or even with their eyes open. For example, Lucy is at the grocery store. She knows she is forgetting something. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and suddenly she sees the image of a pie. That's what she was forgetting!
- Clairaudience: Hearing. Some people will hear words or phrases as if someone is standing next to them talking directly to them. For example, when Lucy closes her eyes to check in, she can hear a voice saying "pie".
- Clairsentience: Feeling. Some people can feel. This category is quite diverse. Some people feel physical sensations in their bodies; others feel emotions of anything surrounding them; some feel all of the above. For Lucy, who is checking in at the grocery store, perhaps she feels a full tummy and a sense of joy that she associates with a post-Thanksgiving meal. Oh! she thinks, I need to get the pie. This style can be confusing because you have to take feelings (physical or emotional) and translate them into useable information.
- Claircognizance: Knowing. Some people will suddenly have information in their heads that was not there a moment ago. Lucy is standing in the grocery store, mind wandering, and she suddenly knows that she forgot the pie. This is, in my opinion, the most challenging intuitive style because people will overthink this. "Did I just make up that story in my head or is that higher guidance coming to me?" It can also be unsettling to suddenly know something about the stranger standing next to you.
The truth is that all of us have access to all of these intuitive styles; however, one or two will come easily to us and will become our main pathway to accessing information. I have had experiences with clairvoyance (very cool) and clairsentience (only once - it freaked me out) but my main intuitive methods are a combination of clairsentience and claircognizance. I feel and I know, sometimes separately and sometimes in unison.
To start determining your style, become aware of how information comes to you. Are you a visual learner? Do you often think you hear things that aren't actually there? Can you feel the energy of a room the moment you walk in? When someone has an injury, do you feel twinges of it in your own body when you talk to them? Have you had instances when you knew something, you had no idea how you knew it, but there was not a doubt in your mind that it was truth? Pay attention as you look back at situations in hindsight. This will help you to understand how to pay attention in the present moment.
The more you start to understand your intuitive style, the more you will be able to use it on purpose. As children (such as 80s me who suddenly knew how to handle a bully) intuition is second nature. They use it unconsciously for they have not yet been taught to question themselves. As we move into adolescence and then adulthood, we shift into condemning these twinges as "simply imagination."
Reclaiming the innate ability of our intuition is something that allows life to make a lot more sense, though it generally takes a intentional effort to remember. For some people this may come quickly, effortlessly. For others (me), you will overthink and take the better part of a decade to figure it out!
There is so much more on this topic that can be explained. The rabbit hole goes deep! If you are someone who is interested in developing intuition, consider Reiki training. Reiki training naturally opens and expands our intuition; because of this, I incorporate intuitive information and practices within my trainings. You will be given information as well exercises to do to practice strengthening your intuition. It does not take a special or talented person to tap into intuition. It simply requires intention and practice. Anyone can do this!
If you have specific questions about intuition, reach out and let me know. I can tailor future blogs and/or newsletters to meet these needs.