Carl Jung said, “Intuition does not denote something contrary to reason, but something outside of the province of reason.”

Welcome to The Soul Podcast. I’m Stacey Wheeler. 

Today I’m going to look at intuition. This episode is for you is you want to understand how intuition emerges and how to help it grow. 

This will be a two-part episode. This episode will explain all the things that can happen when you go through intuitive growth; the ways it can change us – and explain why this happens. The next episode will explore ways to nurture and encourage intuitive growth.  

One of the changes that happens when we go through a spiritual awakening -or spiritual expansion- is we notice our perceptions evolve. The way we see our world changes. Our reality evolves. This happens in many different ways, which I’ll touch on here. As a result of this personal evolution, our intuitive capabilities expand. 

Okay, I have something to share, which might be useful to you if you have a reaction to the word intuition. Most of my life I scoffed at anyone saying they were intuitive. To be clear, there were times I saw evidence of intuition. I even experienced another person exhibit what could be regarded as psychic skills a few times… which to me seems to be a very deep level of intuitive skill. These were things unexplainable by me when I was young. But I still felt like intuition was just something some women claimed to have, as thought it was some type of special woman power. So, I developed a bias towards the idea of intuition and considered it a bit woo-woo. 

When I was 11, I spent months in the hospital with a life-threatening illness. My mother wasn’t always able to be there because the hospital was hundreds of miles from our home. To save money she sometimes stayed with my aunt, who lived 70 miles from the hospital. I had been through weeks of needles, procedures and isolation. I’d managed to stay strong of mind -optimistic and hopeful through all the discomfort of the experience. But one night all the pain and discomfort of the hospital experience came to a head, and I broke down. That night I sat in my bed and cried. In fact, I fell asleep crying. When the nurse checked on me a few hours later she told me my mother had called just after I fell asleep. She had a feeling I needed her. From 70 miles away… without needing to be told, she instinctively knew I was suffering, 

Though I was biased against the idea of intuition, this and several other experiences -which proved the psychic connection my mother had with me- left me with no doubt she had the ability to sense my emotions at a distance. There were many other instances of this with her and I as well as her and my brothers. My mother often sensed our need for her… like a radio signal. 

Over the years, as I grew… I mentally put this ability of hers in a box. I decided it was an anomaly; something unique to the two of us. But of course, it wasn’t. I didn’t let this change the way I saw intuition. And that bias didn’t change until my intuition began to expand after my spiritual awakening. My intuitive expansion made me accept that intuition was real. And it made me understand intuition can be cultivated and strengthened. 

If you also scoff at the word intuition, consider for a moment any examples of someone acting intuitively in your past. Most of us can think of a few examples of things we’ve experienced. Some people are more in touch with this capability than the rest of us. It’s easy to deny what we don’t understand. It’s not so easy when we experience it ourselves. As your intuition starts to emerge, you will see what I mean. So, if you’re skeptical that’s okay. I get it. Keep an open mind as you go on this ride with me. By the end, you may find that intuition is more at play in your life than you realize.  

Intuition can develop at any time. You don’t have to go through a spiritual awakening. It can be developed. We’ll look at a few ways to do this before we’re done. When intuition expands, your perspective will start to shift. 

Expanding intuition brings about subtle, yet noticeable changes in how we perceive and interact with the world. I noticed this evolving in my journey about seven years ago. But that was my experience. I wanted to understand how an expanding intuition shows up in other people’s spiritual experience. So, I did a deep dive on the topic. And it turns out there’s plenty of writing on this topic. Here’s what I found. 

There are a handful of ways an expanding intuition shows up.

One is Gut Feelings.

You may begin to experience stronger or more frequent gut feelings or hunches. These sensations can be both physical (like a knot in your stomach, chills, or any sort of body reaction). Or it might show up as an inner knowing. When you are aware of and follow these knowings, they guide you to make decisions or avoid certain situations without needing logical explanations. And these abilities increase as you start to trust your newly emerging skills. 

Now let’s talk about Synchronicities.

Jung described synchronicities as meaningful coincidences. As intuition expands, you may notice more of these moments where external events align with internal thoughts, feelings, or questions. During my spiritual emergence I experienced my first recognized synchronicities. Once, when noticing and following synchronicities I was led to a book which was pivotal in my personal expansion… after having three people suggest it in a short time. Other times, I’d have an idea or concept present itself, only to be underlined by a conversation with another person, or people… which directed me in a particular direction of thought. These moments can feel like the universe is "speaking" to you or nudging you in a specific direction. The past 10 years of my life has been guided in this way.  Less swimming up stream, more letting the current guide me. More trusting my intuitive skills. Less fighting against them.

You’ll also find clearer decision-making emerges. 

Most of our lives we’re guided by an inner voice, though we may not actively notice it. Maybe right now you’re thinking “I don’t have an inner voice.” THAT’S  the voice I’m talking about, the one that’s saying you don’t have one. That is the ego voice. It is ever-present. When we’re aware of it, we can learn to ignore it, and help our better voices emerge. Our intuitive voice is quiet. And we must train ourselves to listen for it -to be aware of it.  When we expand in our abilities, our intuitive voice becomes more noticeable. 

As you expand, don’t be surprised to find yourself feeling more certain about decisions, even when you don’t have all the facts. Intuitive expansion can make you more confident in trusting your instincts, which leads to quicker, more decisive action.

Another common experience in spiritual growth is heightened awareness.

About 800 years ago, Rumi wrote, “The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.” 

As we lean into our spiritual work we find we gain much from learning to be silent and listen to our inner voices. When we start to develop this skill, powers we didn’t know were there emerge. 

You may notice a shift in how you perceive situations or people. This could mean picking up on subtle emotional cues from others, sensing energy in a room, or feeling an awareness of what is unsaid or unseen. Don’t be surprised if this guides you to more genuine people and away from less genuine people. Through my journey, heightened awareness has led me to seek conversations of substance in social settings. It has led me to find negative conversations and conversations of low substance unfulfilling. This is a result of heightened awareness. Instinctual abilities we’ve suppressed since birth emerge and strengthen as we use them. Like a muscle group, the more we work it, the stronger it becomes. Our ability to read people grows over time and use of the skill. And this too comes from expanded intuition.

Related to this, you will start to notice discomfort in inauthentic situations.

When your intuition sharpens, you may feel uncomfortable in situations that don’t align with your true self or values. This is part of what I mentioned about avoiding conversations which feel unfulfilling. As you expand, you’ll find it harder to ignore this sense of misalignment in relationships, work situations, and personal decisions. You will gravitate towards people, groups and workplaces which are more in alignment with you. 

As you expand you will also notice creative insights.

Intuition often connects with creativity. You might experience flashes of inspiration or ideas that seem to come out of nowhere. These insights can feel like creative problem-solving that bypasses analytical thought. One way to look at this is this… when our perspective changes -even slightly- we are seeing the world in a slightly different way. This slight change opens us to new perspectives of thought. These new perspectives allow us to do things differently than we have before. Sometimes this results in artistic and creative results. My spiritual journey and intuitive expansion resulted in me launching this podcast. This show is an example of how creative insights can inspire action. 

As your intuitive journey continues, you may notice a sense of inner calm. 

Over time the things that once may have spun you out, left you stressed, or made you anxious no longer have the same impact. As you become more connected with your spiritual core, the struggle of the external self is reduced. You see your journey as more internal than external. It’s the journey of the Soul less than the journey of the body. This inner knowing becomes a grounding force. You start to trust your path without the need for external validation. The Vietnamese Zen master, Thich Nhat Hanh explained this inner calm like this,

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.”

When we get internally peaceful the external world also becomes more calm.

And don’t be surprised if you become more introverted.

As intuition grows, former extroverts can find they are becoming introverts. Extroverts generally seek external validation. Spiritual growth and increased intuition lead us to find comfort and validation inside ourselves more and more. As this happens, we need less validation from external sources. We are learning to love and trust ourselves.

You will also find your sense of empathy is enhanced. 

An expanding intuition can increase your ability to understand others’ emotions and motivations without them having to say anything. This heightened empathy can make you more sensitive to the emotional states of those around you. We become more forgiving, and we are less likely to take other’s actions personally. 

And then there is greater presence and mindfulness. 

Intuition thrives in the present moment. You may find yourself more naturally drawn to mindfulness practices or simply feeling more present in everyday activities. You may also find yourself trying to enhance your experience of being in the moment. This expanded awareness often leads to a clearer, more intuitive understanding of your surroundings. There is an old saying attributed to Lao Tzu,

"If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present." 

After my spiritual awakening I realized the greatest joys, I experienced were in the present moment. It seems that should be obvious, since the present moment is the only time we occupy. But it wasn’t obvious to me. I’d gotten in the habit -like so many others – of thinking about the past or worrying about the future. In thinking of the past, I found regret. In focusing on the future, I felt anxiety. In being present -here in the moment- I discovered more and more joy came to me. Joy lives in the moment, no where else. 

And this new knowing grew from expanded intuition. 

In the opening quote I shared that Carl Jung said, “Intuition does not denote something contrary to reason, but something outside of the province of reason.”

Though we cannot prove the existence of this thing we call “intuition,” we can’t measure it or quantify it or look at it under a microscope… we can see the effects of it in our lives as we experience a personal expansion. When you feel it, it becomes undeniable. When we recognize what Jung called ‘psychic phenomenon” without reacting negatively to the word “psychic,” we start to see a bigger picture of our own potentials.

Jung spoke about psychic abilities and experiences in the context of the human psyche’s capacity for perception beyond the ordinary. His interest in intuition and mystical experiences led him to explore areas of psychology which the mainstream avoided. He believed these experiences were part of a broader understanding of the psyche and the inner working of each of us.

When Jung used the term psychic phenomena, he was talking about these things we cannot scientifically measure of prove, yet which are none the less evident. Intuition is on the list of these Jung used the term psychic phenomena.  We don’t have to be able to prove it for it to be valuable to us. We must only be open to it and know how to guide its expansion. 

When you’re starting to feel the stirrings of an expanding intuition, some may ignore or even disregard their emerging intuition. This is especially true if you’ve never felt in touch with your intuition in the past. With practice you can slowly train yourself to be open to your intuitive side. 

The South Indian sage Ramana Maharshi said,

“Your own Self-Realization is the greatest service you can render the world.”

Do you recognize ways you are feeling your intuition in the list I shared?  Maybe it’s as simple as an increased love of the outdoors. When we embrace our intuitive reflexes, we can expand in countless ways. 

In the next episode I’ll help guide one aspect of your self-realization… intuitive skills.