Develop your intuition

The physician and outstanding diagnostician Sergei Botkin attached great importance to intuition in his work. The creator of the theory of relativity, Albert Einstein, called it “the only really valuable thing”, for him it was “a feeling at the fingertips.” The well-known researcher of intuition, the American psychologist David Myers, compares it with an invisible willful wind: “here is a suitable image of the mystery of intuition, its insights and inspiration”¹.

For some of us, it is an inner voice that tells us what to do and how to act; for some, it is a sudden flash of understanding, insight, or a bodily reaction of greater or lesser intensity. And although its origins are not fully understood, modern neuroscience recognizes that intuition can be an indispensable ally to make our lives easier. This is not a magical “sixth sense”, a gift of the elect. Intuition is a unique feature of our intelligence that each of us can develop.

Roots of intuition

In Latin, this word means “gazing at”. In Russian, in meaning, the word “flair” is closest to it, indicating rather a scent than a sight. It is interesting to recall in this connection that the so-called olfactory brain is the most ancient part of the brain.².

“Intuition is an archaic and holistic way of perceiving the world,” says analytical psychologist Tatyana Rebeko. “That is what underlies our view of reality. The ability to analyze in the process of evolution appeared much later. Comprehension takes time and effort, and we get an intuitive answer immediately in finished form. And this ability of the brain is explainable from the point of view of the development of evolution: in a situation of danger, our ancient ancestor had to make a choice instantly – to run or attack, and if to run, then where. Starting to think, he would die, he would be eaten.

Intuition is the ability to instantly find answers and solutions outside of predictable logic. For example, getting lost in an unfamiliar city, we can either ask for directions, or trust our instincts – the totality of our sensations and impressions, which form a premonition of the right direction.

“A significant part of intuition is information that the brain receives from the senses and which has not yet reached our consciousness,” explains neurologist Regine Zekri-Yurstel. “That’s why many of my colleagues call it the ‘adaptive unconscious’. Our brain forces us to make decisions without analyzing the impressions that led us to them. Intuition works best in people with developed sensory abilities. The richness of sensations, the ability to openly and deeply perceive the world around us are important here.

She makes life easier

Whether we choose a job, an apartment, a partner, or a babysitter, we often have to make an important decision with only incomplete or conflicting information at our disposal. When all the pros and cons are weighed, and the choice is still difficult, then we begin to listen to our inner voice. “Everyone has intuition,” continues Regine Zekri-Yurstel. “Everyone can turn to it to assess a situation or a person, get a warning about a danger, or find a new solution. The main value of intuition is that it helps us to be happy. It brings together all the data about our environment, about our present, so that we can use it to improve our future.”

Intuition can become a precious compass, a vector of independence, an opportunity to shape our daily lives to better suit our needs, desires, and skills. Focusing on our feelings, we can figure out for ourselves what is really good for us and what is bad. You just have to be brave and trust her. Three obstacles hinder us: a lack of faith in ourselves, excessive rationalism, and a negative attitude. When we identify and eliminate them, we can more easily accept our intuitive insights, we can trust them.

Unleash creativity

Creativity is impossible to imagine without intuition, Tatyana Rebeko is sure: “Any creative decision is always fed by it, and not only in art. Even in the most rigorous science, when we have several hypotheses, we intuitively feel which ones are worth working on, while others we just as intuitively reject as unpromising. The voice of intuition does not say: “it’s right”, it says “like it – don’t like it”, “want it – don’t want it”, for some reason we “want” to work on some idea, we prefer it without going into reasons, sometimes without knowing them at all. And only then we recheck our conclusions. And here it is important to maintain a balance between intuitive knowledge coming from the unconscious and awareness.

“Conscious testing is necessary,” warns Tatiana Rebeko, “to separate intuition from the effects of prejudice, strong feelings, and cravings that can sometimes push us to rash acts.” Having mastered equally the two styles of thinking, rational and intuitive, we will be able to use them as we choose, depending on the circumstances.

Set up your sixth sense

1. Awaken your “inner advisor”

This exercise is useful to perform once a day (morning or evening), for at least one week.

Try to relax. Get comfortable. Exhale for a long time, then start inhaling and exhaling calmly and deeply, relaxing your muscles. As you relax, imagine that you are moving your consciousness into your belly. With each breath, dive deeper into yourself until you feel complete peace.

Ask yourself a question: “What do I need to be more aware of now?” While this question is in you, accept without judgment any answers: images, words, sensations, emotions… Now your task is to listen to your inner adviser. If after two or three days he still does not speak, try asking other questions: “In which direction should I move now?”, “What should I do now?”.

Write down the first thing you think even if these thoughts seem strange or far from your question. Save these notes. Over time, a word, a face, or a feeling may take on a meaning that you did not notice before, because then you used the categories of cause-and-effect, and not analogue thinking.

2. Parse received messages

Sometimes what we take for intuitive insight may turn out to be our projection or manifestation of desires or fears, and here it is important to avoid confusion. Psychologists Hal Stone and Sidra Winkelman (Hal Stone, Sidra Winkelman) argue that our personality consists of many “sub-personalities” that arise at different points in our lives, and each has its own voice.³.

Make a list of your subpersonalities (Child, Judge, Psychotherapist, Clown, Coward, Daredevil…). When you have to make a decision or make a choice, write down the question and let the main subpersonalities speak. Write down their answers in different colors, but don’t try to decide which one is better right away.

Postpone the decision and return to the first exercise. What for? To consciously feel the difference between the voice of your inner advisor (it may be the voice of one of our dominant subpersonalities) and the voices of those social roles that you unconsciously assume.

3. Follow only your intuition for one day

Listening to your intuition, capturing what it tells us is one thing, but starting to act in accordance with it is quite another. It is not easy to go from one to the other: we ourselves erect many obstacles in this way. To get rid of fears without putting yourself in danger, it is best to move forward gradually, step by step. For example, you can spend one day to start, completely guided by your intuition.

Choose the day of the week when you have less work and no responsible meetings to avoid internal conflict and not impose the consequences of your decisions on others. Start the chosen day with the first exercise – this will help you become more attentive, more receptive. And then let the day run its course.

go ahead, trying to listen only to the instructions of your inner voice (avoid logical thinking and habitual actions). Pay attention to your feelings (both pleasant and unpleasant). Keeping notes will help you perceive everything that happens to you more accurately and build your self-confidence.

Try Do these “intuition days” regularly so you can learn intuitive way of making decisions.

4. Listen to your inner voice

In order for our inner voice to sound, we must listen to it regularly. Otherwise, it will weaken and eventually subside. In order to stay in touch with him, it is important to regularly, once or twice a week, set aside free time for self-observation and conscious meditation.

In a quiet environment, sitting or lying down, exhale and then inhale deeply. After that, focus on the thoughts that come to your mind and the sensations in your body (relaxation, depression, tension, pain…).

Ask yourself a question: are you happy with life now? What can improve it? Continue to breathe calmly and deeply without making any effort to find the answer. Let him come to you. If it doesn’t come, return to this exercise later in the day.

It is important to keep a state of openness in which your intuition can manifest. During the exercises, do not think, do not analyze, keep in touch only with your feelings, impressions and emotions – and then your inner voice will definitely sound!

¹ D. Myers “Intuition” (Peter, 2009).

² E. Goldberg “The Controlling Brain” (Sense, 2003).

³ H. Stone, S. Winkelman “Accepting your own “I”. Voice Dialogue Guide” (Eksmo, Domino, 2003).