Develop Your Intuition

If you’ve ever said, “I just knew it was a good thing” or “It just felt right” or “I had a really bad feeling about it” then you’ve experienced your own intuition. One of our innate talents is intuition. It’s a primary, instinctive system meant to keep us out of the lion’s mouth, from marrying the wrong person, or from walking down the wrong alley late at night. It allows us to “know” more than we can ever explain logically.

The popularity of the television shows like theMedium and Supernatural demonstrate that as a culture, we’re becoming more receptive to the idea of all forms of intuition. We’re recognizing that intuition is remarkably useful – it can help guide and protect you and your loved ones. So how can you develop your abilities?

Call it
Before you answer the phone or a knock on the door, take a moment to guess who’s there. Logically, the odds are you’ll be wrong a high percentage of the time, yet if you persist, you’ll likely find that not only are you correct fairly often, the longer you practice, the more often you come up with the right answer.

See it
This one is best to do with a friend. Each of you gathers up some photos and then exchanges them. You’ll “read” your friends photos and then give her a turn. For example, if you’re given a picture of a man standing next to a woman at a banquet, you might feel that he was kind but that he and the woman were not close. Say whatever detail pops into your head, even if it seems odd. For example, if you get an image of a map of Italy, just mention it, don’t censor. Afterwards, go back through the photos together, telling each other about the people in the photos. You may well be surprised by how much you each intuited from the photos. This, too, will continue to improve with practice.

Feel it
Find some meaningful keepsakes that can be easily placed in envelopes, such as notes, letters, a key, a photo, a prayer or affirmation card. Choose identical envelopes, shuffle them so you’re no longer sure what is in which envelope and then number each envelope. Then “read” what’s in them by placing your hand just above the envelope. Write down the number of the envelope and your guess at the contents on a sheet of paper. After you’ve read each one, open it and see how you did. Make a note of how you performed and continue to practice. This can also be done with a friend who brings her things for you to read and vice versa.

Pick it
This is a very simple exercise, but it will help you learn to open your mind and focus. Use any deck of cards. Keep the back side up, guess what the card is and then turn it over. Keep track of correct answers and incorrect answers. Your accuracy should improve over time.

Shake it
Whenever you’re introduced to someone and can shake their hand, clear your mind and note your impressions. Is this person trustworthy, honest or sneaky? If you see this person again, note how your impression upon touching their hand bore out, where you right on or far off?

Imagine it
When you want to get your subconscious impression of a situation, a person or a choice, go somewhere quiet, close your eyes and ask your mind to show you an image of the ocean. Is it calm, stormy, dark? Is it on a sunny coast? Or far out in the middle of the sea? Did you see islands or ships or dolphins? Then imagine what that symbolizes. If you saw a small sailboat in the middle of a rough ocean it wouldn’t be a stretch to say you (or the person you’re reading) feel alone and in some danger. This exercise will hone your ability to intuit a situation as a gestalt (a whole) while gaining a fresh perspective on it.