Intuition by Mary Beth Tracy

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What do we mean when we say “I had a gut feeling about that?” How is it that we can look at or talk to a loved one and get a “sense” of how they are feeling or “know” what they are thinking about? Perhaps it is a guess or maybe it is intuition.

We use our five senses in specific ways. We taste with our taste buds, see with our eyes, have tactile sensation with our body, smell with our noses, and hear with our ears. Intuition can also be perceived with any or all of these 5 senses. Webster defines intuition by stating, “It is the power or faculty of attaining direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought and
inference.” We have learned to identify and assign meaning to specific tastes, scents, scenes, etc. with consensus. If we are in a bakery and we smell fresh bread, it is rational; the fresh bread is being made there. What is it if we smell fresh bread while we are sitting at home watching TV with nothing baking in the oven? Could it be an intuition about something or someone as the smell of fresh bread connects us to the person or event that we have the intuition about?

Another possibility is that the smell of fresh bread could be using the intuitive process to have a premonition about yourself or someone else. A premonition is defined by Webster as, “An anticipation of an event without conscious reason.” Two examples of how premonition and intuition can be useful are:

• Exploring all aspects of making a decision to change or enhance your career
• Experiencing the fullness of our relationships

The intuitive process is thought to be developed by people in varying degrees. Still using the five senses as the framework of the process imagine that there is a possibility of more information than you rationally sense. The root of the word suggests just that. Intuit can be read and understood as being “in to it!” If you are “in to it,” there is more opportunity to see, hear, feel, smell or taste more than its rational meaning. This is not saying that it is important and necessary to know everything about everything we sense all day. With awareness and understanding of our own intuitive process we can attain important information, experience the world more fully, and direct our energies towards what we want in our lives. There are many ways to channel intuition. Some use Tarot cards, I Ching, Pendulums or Runes to name a few. These methods provide an external filter to channel the information. They all have history and symbolism originating in myth, philosophy, culture and ancient teachings. Whether you choose one of these methods or not, the messages and insights will prove to enhance your understanding of yourself and others.

An important question in the process of understanding what intuition is and how we all use it is; is irrational and unconscious awareness real to you? Is only what we directly see, hear, touch, smell or taste perceived as real? Even if there is “proof” of a premonition or intuition; is time spent disproving it or making a case for how it was just a coincidence? Blending the rational with the irrational, allows us to experience the world at its fullest expression. For instance, by honing your intuitive skills you can give yourself the opportunity to see all aspects of any situation in your life.

In the process of learning about intuition and developing your own skills the relationship with self is enhanced. It provides the venue for a deeper understanding and communication with self which naturally improves our relationships with the world and the people in it. Listen carefully to yourself and others as they speak and notice how often you hear about a “gut feeling” or “a sense of” or “I knew that was going to be you on the phone, I was just thinking of you”. These are all examples of the intuitive process alive and well and living in all of us. Think of what it would be like if we could be conscious of it, learning more about it, and honing our skills. Perhaps, it could be the start of directing your energy and all the capabilities of your senses to new heights of awareness and action in your life.