Intuition is not a feeling or an emotion in itself, but it can be connected to or accompanied by feelings or emotions. Intuition is a form of inner knowing or insight that arises without conscious reasoning. It is a deep-seated sense of understanding or guidance that can help us make decisions or navigate situations.
While intuition itself is not a feeling, it can be experienced through feelings or sensations. For example, you may have a sense of certainty or feeling of knowledge that cannot be explained with reason; You just know you should take a new route to work today, and later discover your normal route had a major accident that you could have been a part of the accident. In this example, your sense of knowing is a feeling, but the knowing itself is the intuition.
It’s important to distinguish between the feeling or sensation associated with intuition and the actual intuitive knowing itself. The feeling or sensation is a subjective experience and varies from person to person, while intuition is the underlying sense of knowing or insight that goes beyond rational thinking. You may have felt like you knew you needed to go another way, while your neighbor who uses the same route as you, felt like it would be more time effective to go to the store, which is in the opposite direction, before heading to work. You both had a feeling but the intuition is the actual knowing.
Imagine you’re considering a job offer. On paper, the job seems perfect—good salary, reputable company, and exciting projects. However, as you contemplate accepting the offer, you feel a sense of unease or anxiety. You can’t quite explain why, but there’s a nagging feeling that something isn’t right. You think you should be excited, bursting with emotion for this opportunity, but you’re not. You feel torn between your what you think you should be feeling, and the actual feeling you are having.
In this scenario, the unease or anxiety you’re experiencing is an emotional response that is connected to your intuition. Your intuition may be picking up on subtle cues or signals that you’re not consciously aware of, leading to an emotional response as a way of communicating its message to you. It is also important to note however, that we tend to feel uneasy when things are new, or unfamiliar to us. Make sure you know you shouldn’t take the job (or anything example as described). Don’t keep yourself in a cycle of familiarity. Your intuition will always have the feeling of knowing, despite the other feelings or emotions surrounding it.
The Signs of Intuition
Recognizing the signs of intuition can help you become more aware of its presence in your life. Here are some common signs that may indicate the presence of intuition:
- Gut feeling or intuition: You experience a strong, instinctive feeling or inner knowing about a situation or decision without being able to explain it logically.
- Sudden clarity or insight: You have moments of sudden understanding or a flash of insight that provides a deeper understanding or solution to a problem.
- Physical sensations: You may experience physical sensations such as tingling, goosebumps, or a feeling of warmth or expansion in your body when something resonates strongly with your intuition.
- Heightened awareness: You feel a heightened sense of awareness or alertness, as if your senses are tuned in to subtle cues or information that goes beyond what is immediately apparent.
- Persistent thoughts or ideas: Certain thoughts or ideas keep recurring in your mind, even when you try to dismiss them. These thoughts may hold valuable intuitive guidance.
- Dreams and symbols: You receive messages or guidance through dreams or symbolic images that hold personal meaning and relevance to your current situation.
- Synchronicities: You notice meaningful coincidences or serendipitous events that seem to align with your inner guidance or the choices you’re considering.
- Feeling a sense of alignment: When you’re in tune with your intuition, you may experience a sense of inner alignment, peace, or resonance with a particular choice or direction.
- Nervousness or unease: You may feel a sense of discomfort or unease about a situation or decision, which could be an indication that it goes against your intuitive guidance.
- Past experiences: Reflecting on past experiences, you realize that your intuitive hunches or decisions were accurate and led to positive outcomes.
Is it Intuition or Anxiety?
Intuition is often marked by giving you a sense of clarity, calmness, and inner knowing. It feels more like a quiet nudge or a still, small voice that is guiding you. Anxiety is marked by restlessness, worry, or a sense of unease. If you find yourself questioning if it is anxiety or intuition, just look at the source of your feelings. If you feel scared, on edge, or any negative feelings, you are having anxiety about the circumstance or situation. If you are feeling guided, nurtured, and at ease, then you are experiencing intuition. Pay attention to the underlying energy that you experience and how it resonates within you.
Another helpful factor to consider is the context, Intuition is usually specific to a particular situation or decision, consistently arising when contemplating that specific choice. Anxiety is often generalized and not tied to a specific problem or question you are having. By observing the nature of the feeling and considering the context, you can gradually develop a better understanding of whether you are sensing your intuition or experiencing anxiety.
If you want to develop your intuition, it involves honing your ability to tap into that inner knowing, and trusting it. This can be done through practices like meditation, mindfulness, and paying attention to and trusting your gut instincts. By cultivating self-awareness and practicing listening to your intuitive nudges, you can enhance and develop your intuition over time. Remember, it may take some time to implement using your intuition in your life, and to differentiate your intuition from having anxiety, but once you do master it, your life will be much more fulfilled as you set yourself up for living more true to your authentic self.