Your Intuitive Self - Audio Tidbits Podcast

Audio Tidbits Podcast

Intuition is an elusive phenomenon. We know it exists but find it difficult to describe or explain. We experience insight, recognition, or understanding; we know what to do or not do; we can predict outcomes and avoid dangers. But how do we know? Where did the knowledge come from? Why do we now know what we didn’t know just moments ago?

That is the “Now I see,” dimension of intuition but there is more. The new insight or understanding does not appear to derive from careful analysis, thoughtful contemplation, or logical deduction. Those processes are important and thoroughly embraced but intuition is of a different order of things. We know, suddenly it seems, what we didn’t know and aren’t sure how or why. We just know.

It is tempting to attribute the product of intuition to latent psychic ability, to an untapped sixth sense, or to offer other metaphysical etiologies. Doing so makes intuition at least mysterious and perhaps close to magical. When moved into that arena, intuition becomes an ability or “power” that defies analysis. The goal is more to enhance or increase than to understand. …
Alternatively, intuition may be understood as merely a sub-process within the broader context of thinking and understanding that leads to awareness and insight. Its distinction is neither mysterious nor magical. Rather, it is an absence of cognizance, existing outside of the Range or scope of what is known or perceived. We know but are not in touch with the process that resulted in knowing.

From this perspective, the activities and processes that lead to intuitive insight and understanding are the same as those that lead to any other knowledge and comprehension. The difference is whether we are aware of those activities and processes as they happen or can only infer their presence retrospectively. If we are aware of them in real time, we are thinking, judging, analyzing, and forming ideas and conclusions. If we are only aware of the outcome, the insight, the “sudden” knowledge, we are using our intuition.

Just as some people have more capacity for conscious, intentional thought and analysis, some people have more intuitive capacity. They process more information and analyze more complexly at a level below awareness. The point is that intuitive capacity varies from person to person and for each person under different circumstances. That notwithstanding, intuition is only a dimension of one’s cognitive capacity. Being highly intuitive is, of course, desirable just as having a high capacity for logical analysis or a high capacity for inductive reasoning are desirable. Functioning at a high level within any dimension is desirable. The point to keep in mind is that one’s composite capacity determines success and achievement and not any specific sub-component.

That brings us to this point. All of us have some intuitive capacity and we all make decisions and choices based on intuitive insight and understanding. Further, for most of us, our intuitive capacity is far more developed and potentially useful than we know. To the extent to which we are able to manage and exploit that intuitive capacity, we will be more effective, will make better decisions, will experience more accurate insight, will make the right choices more often, and will be more successful.

Whatever your level of intuitive capacity, use all you have, whenever you can, to whatever extent your experience tells you works for you. It’s good stuff, no better and no worse than other areas of intellectual acuity.