While being intuitive is more natural for some than others, it’s a skill anyone is capable of. Throughout my life, I have been labeled as intuitive, and I’ve finally come to a place where I understand what that means.
Being intuitive means, you can sense and feel what is occurring around you, whether that be other people’s emotions, unspoken thoughts, or a change in the atmosphere. This gift can also arise in decision-making and knowing when to speak and what to say.
Have you ever heard someone say, “you’re very intuitive?” Did that phrase leave you wondering what being intuitive even means? Isn’t everyone intuitive, to some extent? I’ll share what I’ve learned, as well as advice on how you can become an intuitive too.
What Is an Intuitive?
In modern psychology, there are a few different meanings and descriptions of an intuitive. The Oxford dictionary describes intuitive as “using or based on what one feels to be true even without conscious reasoning; instinctive.” I find that a very fitting definition for what I’ve experienced in my life and with others.
Intuition and being intuitive stem from a connection to the body and an open inner ear to its messages. Our bodies can receive sensory inputs from the outside world, which are then sent to the mind to translate. Every day, we experience this with our five senses; sight, touch, sound, and smell. Intuition could be considered a sixth sense — an inner knowing that doesn’t have a logical source.
Intuition is not born in the mind. It is a sensation experienced by the body, specifically, the heart. The heart has an electromagnetic field that extends out and around you, and this field can feel the magnetic currents and energies of what is occurring in your space. With this energetic field of awareness, we can pick up on non-physical sensations, such as the emotions and thoughts of others. Then, the heart sends signals to the mind for interpretation.
Because intuitive messages are absorbed in the heart, they are often more of a feeling.
Within each of us is a wisdom center, which aligns with our highest self. If you’re into spirituality or are in a specific religion, this is where we find our connection to the spirit or God. We connect with who we innately are, not just our human or physical forms.
Those who are tuned into these inner messages are seen as intuitive. They may also be an empath or a person who can feel and experience the emotions of others. I see them both as the same.
The Intuitive Personality
The Myers-Briggs personality test/psychology tool has an intuitive personality type. For clarity, their definition is not exactly what I’m referring to in this article. Their description of an intuitive is based on their research of different personality types, and it describes people who make decisions based on past/future interpretations and their imaginations.
Their similar to how I view intuition in that they describe those with an intuitive personality as, “their minds tend to point inward while at the same time gently focusing somewhere beyond the horizon. Their lives are ones of questioning, wondering, and connecting the dots in the “bigger picture,” and they love the theoretical.”
Where I start to disagree with this personality assessment is the belief that some people have this while others don’t (I could be wrong in this assessment as I am no expert when it comes to the Myers-Briggs philosophy). I also disagree with it being seen as just part of someone’s personality.
While that is certainly the case for many natural intuitives, intuition is not limited to personality. It is something within each of us. It is an invaluable skill that can significantly assist us in our lives and humanity as a whole. Nonetheless, Myers-Briggs established a nice foundation for getting in touch with more intuitive people.
How to Know You’re Intuitive
If you resonate with any of the following statements, there’s a good chance you’re a natural intuitive:
- You can sense/feel the emotions of others.
- You can pick up on what others are thinking before they say anything.
- You can sense when the energy shifts in a room. For example, you can feel when the mood shifts from lighthearted to tense and closed-off.
- When making a decision, you choose which feels best to your heart and body, even if there are many “suppose to’s” happening in your mind and from others.
- For example, you get offered a job with a high salary and benefits. While the logical mind is saying you should take it because you’ll make good money and other people think you should, your inner knowing is telling you it isn’t the right choice.
- Certain places/people give you “bad vibes.”
- You can sense when someone is being dishonest.
- You have vivid and powerful dreams.
- You experience little “nudges” that hint at you to do/not to do something. You’ve noticed that a consequence happens when you don’t listen to those nudges.
- For example, I had a nudge that I should use a specific knife to cut carrots the other night. The nudge told me to use the serrated knife that was slightly duller. My logical mind told me the larger and sharper knife would be more efficient, so I decided to use that. Well, because the carrot was slightly wet from being washed, the smooth edge of the knife slipped on the surface of the carrot and cut my finger. After addressing the minor wound, I used the serrated knife, and it was able to ‘catch’ the smoothness of the carrot much better.
Within each of us is a wisdom center; that which is aligned with our highest self.
How to Become More Intuitive
When one first gets in touch with their intuition, it can be difficult to navigate what are messages from the inner knowing (intuition) and what are messages created solely from the mind (ego). Because intuitive messages are absorbed in the heart, they are often more of a feeling. They might be translated in the mind as a quiet voice. This voice is subtle and easily missed, especially if your mind is filled with jumbled thoughts.
The first thing to focus on when becoming more intuitive is your thoughts. We can become almost deaf to the thoughts we have, the stories we spin, and the judgments we place on ourselves and others. By becoming more aware of your thoughts and where they’re coming from, you’ll be able to differentiate purely egoic thoughts (the mind) and thoughts from your inner knowing (intuition).
Curiosity, openness, and compassion are key to looking at and acknowledging the thoughts you’re having. Research measuring intution by Galang Lufityanto Chris Donkin, and Joel Pearson published in Sage Journals supports the idea that emotions can bias concurrent nonemotional behavior — a process of intuition.
Here are some other activities/practices to help you become more intuitive:
- Yoga/mindful movements – This is a great way to get in touch with the body and to feel into more specific areas with intention.
- Walks in nature – Try to quiet your mind and focus on being present/observing your surroundings.
- Record your dreams – This is where intuition and messages from the subconscious arise.
- Meditation – A great way to observe your thoughts and practice moving your awareness from your mind down into your body.
- Journaling – If your mind is a chaotic jumble, it can be helpful to get it all out by writing.
- Creative Expression – In whichever form sings to your spirit.
- Self-care – If your mind, body, and spirit are nourished, the communication channel between your heart and mind is clearer and more easily accessed.
Intuitive Eating
Being intuitive can ripple out into every area of your life. From the career you choose, where you live, and how you eat. Intuitive eating is a phrase that has gained popularity over the years, and it is revolutionizing the way we view food. Intuitive eating can improve the way we view our bodies, food, and what it means to be healthy.
What is Intuitive Eating
Intuitive eating is listening to what your body needs when it comes to nourishment. It honors your hunger, cravings, and choosing to eat what feels best. You may be thinking, “well, if I did that, I would only eat junk food and sweets.” That’s actually not the case because when we truly listen to what our body craves, it turns out that it desires nourishment.
In fact, research demonstrates substantial and consistent associations between intuitive eating and both lower BMI and better psychological health, according to a literary reviews comparing the relationship between intuitive eating and health indicators by Nina Van Dyke and Eric J Drinkwater published in the National Library of Medicine.
Intuitive eating rejects the idea of diets, counting calories, and restricting yourself from certain foods (unless you have to for medical reasons/allergies/sensitivities). All of these create an unhealthy relationship with food and with our bodies. Changing the way we view food can create a harmonious relationship with what we eat and trust ourselves to eat what is best.
Intuitive Eating Principles
There are 10 principles of intuitive eating. This youtube video explains each principle in-depth and goes into more detail on what intuitive eating is. If intuitive eating interests you, I highly recommend checking out this youtube video:
Related Insights
What makes someone intuitive?
Someone is intuitive if they listen to their body’s messages, inner knowing, and spirit.
Can a person be described as intuitive?
Yes.
What does intuitive sense mean?
Intuitive sense means you can sense things that others can’t, such as emotions and energies.
What are intuitive skills?
Sense of direction, discernment, wisdom, heart alignment, awareness of thoughts, and heightened perception.
What Being Intuitive Means to Real People
Out of curiosity, I reached out to friends and family and asked if they had ever been called or labeled intuitive. All of them had been, so I asked what it meant to them? Here is a representation of the poll and what I learned from their responses.
| Meaning of Intuitive | Times Represented |
| Rely on inner feelings | 17% |
| Predict outcomes | 17% |
| Feel others’ emotions | 16% |
| Letting go of certainty | 17% |
| Recognize pattern or energy | 16% |
| Connection to inner knowing | 17% |
Here’s more that they shared about being called intuitive:
“To me it means I rely on my inner feelings more than anything else. My intuition is my unique guide that helps me stay aligned with my path.”
“That means to me being able to sense emotions or possible outcomes before they happen or being able to sense something that is happening that isn’t visible.”
“I really feel others’ emotions whether I know them or not. I really don’t enjoy it all the time because other people’s emotions crowd my mind!”
“Being intuitive often looks like a paradox between letting go of certainty and confidence in oneself. Like being removed or detached from what is happening and yet leaning in and paying close attention to what is happening at the same time.”
“I believe there are many levels to defining human intuition. One aspect is the ability to subconsciously (but can also be consciously) recognize patterns of the intangible elements like emotions, frequencies, or energies that surround us every day.”
“Being intuitive means to me an ability to sense that which is not visible, such as emotions and energies. It’s a connection to my heart, my inner knowing, and the Spirit.”
Other Resources:
- Looking Within – My Successful Experience with Reflection
- Affirmations – Guide to the Practice with a List of Ideas
- Look Within – Learn the Source of You – From My Experience
- How To Forgive Yourself – Being Your Own Best Friend
- Self Validation – Learning the Most Powerful Source of You
- Positive Mental Attitude – My Guide to Life Changing Ideas
- Essentialism – What’s Truly Necessary for Identity
- Intuition – Understanding Gut Feel Without Reason
- Collect Meaning – Living a Life of Depth and Happiness
- Id, Ego, & Superego – For Understanding and Self-Reflection
Final Thoughts
While being intuitive is a gift, it is also a skill that anyone is capable of developing. If you would like to sharpen your intuition, I recommend getting in touch with who you are, your heart space, and the natural world. Allow yourself to be open to the possibility of “more.” Lean into the infinite potential of your inner universe. You’ll be surprised and amazed at what you discover!