Cultivating Intuition
Spiritual Discernment, Part 5
When you get that feeling or you hear that inner voice guiding you, this is your intuition. It’s not magic; it’s informed by your past experiences, the data you have collected through life, and an unconscious understanding of what is the most aligned way forward for you. It’s connected to a collective intelligence we can all access.
Amisha Ghadiali
Intuition: Access Your Inner Wisdom, Trust Your Instincts, Find Your Path
We’ve all experienced what Amisha Ghadiali describes in the opening quote – our intuitive sense. Some of us, however, have not yet learned to trust and apply it to our life’s most important decisions. Intuition is often described as a deep inner sense of knowing, without the need for logical reasoning.
Intuition, alongside affirmations of its credibility, has long served as my internal GPS. I have learned to rely on it at times when spiritual discernment is critical. Intuition serves as a tool for me to recognize that which is spiritually sound versus that which is misleading. At times, “gut feelings” are interpreted as divine nudges from a higher power, the God of my understanding.
How We Use Intuition
Intuition can be a powerful tool for spiritual discernment, especially when it comes to accepting or rejecting what is conveyed as truth by others or recognizing the insights that may arise within oneself during contemplation, meditation, or prayer. It can be helpful as you make important decisions regarding your spiritual growth or your beliefs by allowing you to tap into your inner wisdom for guidance.
Intuition can be useful in moments of inner conflict or uncertainty. In The Gift of Fear, author Gavin de Becker stresses the importance of listening to your intuition and applying spiritual discernment during those times of ambiguity or danger which we all will inevitably encounter. As you struggle with a decision with no clear-cut answer or solution, you may find yourself without necessary facts. Your inner sense, your spirit, may be able to guide you toward a wise response or set of actions.
This may especially be true during or after you’ve engaged in certain spiritual practices. As you quiet your mind, intuition often becomes more pronounced. You may receive insights or guidance that feels inspired or transcendent. This is especially true of those who have engaged in spiritual practice consistently over an extended period of time.
Spiritual practices like meditation or prayer can enhance your intuitive abilities and create the space for clarity to emerge. Matthieu Ricard outlines, in The Art of Meditation, just how deeply meditation opens the channels for intuitive wisdom. It holds the potential to help you detect spiritual truths not immediately apparent through rational thinking.
In The Divine Matrix, Gregg Braden explores the connection between intuition and the divine, suggesting that our intuitive responses are often guided by a higher source and are helpful in our spiritual discernment. You may find that there are moments when, after spending time in prayer or another contemplative practice, intuitive feelings arise that offer subtle, gentle nudges toward the right action or response. This can happen when you're seeking divine guidance or asking for clarity on a difficult issue.
If you wish to determine whether a particular spiritual path, practice, teacher or relationship aligns with your perceived life purpose or chosen form of spirituality, intuition can provide a sense of whether something feels authentic and true to your being. In The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle encourages the use of inner guidance to remain in alignment with your true self, suggesting that intuition can help steer us away from desires which are simply ego-based and toward a more authentic, spiritual existence.
Sometimes, certain experiences or synchronicities may leave you questioning their significance (or whether there is any). Intuition can help you sense whether the experience is meaningful or whether it’s simply a coincidence. In The Seat of the Soul, Gary Zukav discusses how intuition serves as a connector to a deeper level of consciousness, which can then help you make sense of the experiences in your life that appear spiritually significant.
Intuition is particularly useful in relationships, both with yourself and others. It can help you discern the spiritual lessons within conflicts, relationships, or interactions, assisting you to determine whether to set boundaries, offer forgiveness, or seek reconciliation. In The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz explains how intuitive knowledge can help free us from our own self-made distortions regarding the people in our lives. The freedom offered by intuition allows us to make clear-minded decisions for our relationships based on personal integrity.
Testing the Waters
Knowing when to rely on intuition versus logical reasoning or external guidance is key when making important decisions. Usually a combination of these is in order. The “affirmations of credibility” I referenced earlier in this post are simply the various means I use to test my intuitive hunches.
Through these types of measures, any of us can better assess how reliable our intuitive sense appears to be in any given situation. Several methods are outlined below. This list is not meant to be exhaustive.
Many religious and spiritual traditions encourage prayer, meditation, and mindfulness as ways to cultivate and sharpen intuition and spiritual discernment. A few examples include:
St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Discernment of Spirits teaches that inner peace (consolation) or unrest (desolation) may serve as divine indicators of God’s will.
o In Hinduism, the concept of buddhi (higher intellect) is seen as an intuitive faculty that discerns truth.
o Buddhism offers the practice of vipassana (insight meditation) to develop inner clarity and discernment.
o Sufis from the Islamic mystical tradition emphasize kashf (unveiling), an intuitive perception of divine truths.
o Many indigenous spiritual traditions rely on intuitive knowing through dreams, visions, and connections within nature.
For those affiliated with a religious tradition, intuitive hunches can be compared with what specific scriptures or teachings convey. For example, in Christianity, the Bible often serves as a guiding text; in Buddhism, the Dhammapada provides wisdom.
Pattern-checking is also useful. Keep a journal to track decisions and outcomes based on intuitive “hits”. Then look for consistency among these in terms of accuracy.
Source: Thinking Fast and Slow (D. Kahneman, 2011)
Intuition generally has a neutral feel, offering a sense of “knowing” rather than alarm or anxiety. Accuracy is more likely when strong emotions or biases can be held at bay.
Source: Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking (M. Gladwell, 2005)
Along those lines, wise discernment more often aligns with a felt sense of love, compassion, peace, and truth rather than fear or ego-driven motives. If these qualities are present, the more likely it is to be genuine.
Seek counsel from a mentor, spiritual advisor, or trusted spiritual community. Many faith traditions emphasize the importance of communal wisdom when it comes to discernment (e.g., the Quaker discernment process)
Observe external signs and synchronicities that might suggest accuracy in your intuition. Notice if related opportunities arise effortlessly or if obstacles surface instead. Recurring signs or patterns may suggest affirmations of spiritual guidance (e.g., New Testament Matthew 7:16, Carl Jung’s concept of synchronicity).
Compare your intuitive sense about something with your logical reasoning. Seek feedback from others or verify your hunch via research.
Source: How We Know What Isn’t So: The Fallibility of Human Reason in Everyday Life (T. Gilovich, 1991)
Your intuition is apt to be more reliable in areas where you have depth of experience. Expertise often results in accurate intuition about related events through repeated exposure and pattern recognition.
Source: Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise (K. A. & R. Pool, 2016)
Final Thoughts
Intuition plays a significant role in many spiritual traditions. It often serves as a bridge to deeper understandings and faith. Through the transcendence of rational thought, intuitive insights may surface along the way that inform one’s spiritual path. These types of insights have certainly informed my own over the years.
When we tap into intuition, it can feel quite powerful. Keep in mind that it serves as an adjunct to prudent spiritual discernment. We can bring our full awareness to it, while at the same time maintaining a bit of skepticism until we confirm its validity (as much as we are able). Intuition should not replace reason, guidance from others, or the wisdom found in one’s faith tradition; it should complement them.
As intuition extends itself to you, listen with intent and appreciation to its whisperings. Hold in mind the importance of affirmation to ensure you’ve truly understood. Respect and befriend it -- and use it skillfully. In return, intuition will prove itself a comforting and faithful companion (albeit a bit mysterious) as you continue your navigation of the uncharted path ahead.