Intuition Can be Developed like a Muscle

Simple ways you can grow this powerful ability

I’ve always credited my years of theatre training for developing my intuition.

However, recently I have discovered that anyone can become more intuitive by putting a few routines into regular practice.

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Intuition is self-perpetuating. The more you use it, the stronger it gets!

“Intuition is a process that gives us the ability to know something directly without analytic reasoning, bridging the gap between the conscious and non-conscious parts of our mind, and also between instinct and reason.”– Francis P Cholle.

Animals rely on their instincts (a primitive form of intuition) to do almost everything. We never lost intuitive ability–it just took a backseat to our developed analytical minds.

We all have “gut feelings” during our daily routine. By tuning in to what these subtle feelings are trying to tell us, we can tap into the part of us that Steve Jobs once called “more powerful than intellect.”

Intuition often gets mislabeled as “psychic powers” or some special ability only gifted to rare individuals. This is not true. Intuition is inherent in everyone!

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Visualization is Key

To awaken your intuition you must be open to allowing that whisper of a feeling to spark your visual mind.

Think about times when you are alone late at night or early in the morning. Images often appear in your mind’s eye. Conversations with people you know, streets you have walked, the actions of a stranger you encountered are seen again with more clarity.

This slideshow of images that pass through your restful semi-conscious mind can reveal answers to questions you didn’t even think to ask. You can emerge from this dreamlike state with a new attitude or understanding of someone or a situation–just by giving visualization the attention it deserves.

Having the patience to allow a mental image to take its full expressive form is the practice that has led to the creation of some of the greatest works of art of all time.

The more the artist develops the ability to imagine, the more they come to the conclusion that there is something in this process that somehow resembles logical thinking.– Michael Chekhov

Intuition isn’t just for artists, the US Navy has been studying how soldiers can improve their “sixth sense,” or intuitive ability, during combat and other missions.

Photo by Karl Fredrickson

Implicit Memory is Connected

Our unconscious memories store libraries full of valuable information.

Intuition needs memory to thrive. The more observant and present you are, the better memories you’ll make and the more primed your intuition will be to work for you later. Using memory improvement techniques, such as the mind palace can help you to improve your long-term memory.

Implicit memory–the type of memory linked most frequently to intuition–uses past experiences to remember things without thinking about them.

You use implicit memory every time you drive a car, ride a bike, or go somewhere without the aid of GPS.

Questlove, the musician and creativity author, recently played a game with Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show where he correctly identified the title of Prince songs after only hearing the song’s opening second. It was his implicit memory that enabled him to do this.

Music itself can be a gateway into a more intuitive frame of mind. Certain frequencies of music using binaural beats can alter your brain waves to be more “theta” the brain wave identified with peak performance.

Photo by Filip Mroz

It Depends on What You Practice

Implicit memory is also called “know-how.” Questlove can identify Prince songs so easily–not just because he first heard them at an early age, but because of his “know how” when it comes to playing and writing music.

The more skilled you become in a craft–the more of it you begin to do habitually without thinking. This allows you to act more intuitively while performing the craft because less conscious focus is required to perform the actions. Essentially, it allows you to devote more brainpower to a higher sensitivity level, beyond the rudimentary parts of the task. This allows for the creation of things that others will experience beyond just what is visibly observable.

When it comes to increasing intuition–it tends to be increased in one specific area with focused practice over time. Don’t be discouraged by the fact that there is no magic switch to making you more intuitive at everything all the time. While intuition tends to peak in the areas we are most knowledgeable about–there will be some beneficial spill over into other areas of your life.

After I work with actors rehearsing a play–I find that for the next few hours my ability to read people’s moods, micro-expressions and body language at the bank or grocery store is likewise increased.

John Bargh, Ph.D. the leading researcher on the unconscious mind and author of the fascinating book Before You Know it, The Unconscious Reasons We Do What We Do, says “The abstract way we think is grounded in the concrete, bodily world much more than we thought.”

Everything we see, everywhere we go, every person we meet can influence and inform our decisions in ways we are never fully conscious of. That’s why it is so important to expose yourself to an array of diverse atmospheres and experiences.

Photo by Emily Morter

Trust is Important

We don’t always know why our intuition is guiding us to feel a certain way about a person, place, or activity, but understanding is not required. Once you recognize the pull of intuition in a situation–trust it enough to see where it leads. Allow that still, small inner voice to direct you. Avoid the compulsion to ignore your intuition while waiting for further proof–a confirmation that may never appear.

Confidence goes a long way in creating a more actively intuitive mind. By identifying yourself as an intuitive person and believing it–intuition will begin to play a more present role in your life. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Scientific research is only beginning to understand all that the intuitive mind can do. Maybe some of your experiences will lead to the next great human breakthrough.

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