What Is Intuition (And What It’s Not)
Written by Derek Wolf for Learn to Be Intuitive at L2Bintuitive.com
You’ve probably heard the word “intuition” tossed around so much it’s started to lose meaning.
Some people call it a sixth sense.
Some make it sound like magic.
Others dismiss it entirely, as if it’s something only a few special people have.
That’s not how I see it.
And that’s not what we’re doing here.
Intuition is not a superpower.
It’s not a psychic gift.
It’s not something only “healers” or “empaths” or mystics get to use.
It’s a skill.
It’s a practice.
And it’s available to you right now.
At its core, intuition is your ability to recognize what’s true before your mind starts explaining it away.
It’s the quiet knowing beneath the noise.
It’s the part of you that senses when something is off even when you can’t prove it.
It’s what speaks up before you have words for it.
It’s what pulls you back when your gut says no, or pushes you forward when your heart knows yes.
Why Intuition Matters
Intuition is the foundation of self-trust. Without it, you’re left depending on other people’s opinions, external validation, or endless analysis to make decisions. With it, you carry an inner compass that cuts through confusion and keeps you aligned with what’s real for you.
Think about the last time you had a gut feeling that turned out to be right. Maybe you sensed that a conversation was hiding more than the words being spoken. Maybe you hesitated before saying yes to something that later proved wrong for you. Or maybe you took a leap that didn’t make sense on paper but turned out to be the exact step you needed.
These moments are not accidents. They are proof that your intuition is alive and working. The question is: will you trust it?
The Problem: Why We Ignore It
Most of us have been trained away from our natural intuitive sense.
We’ve been raised to value logic over feeling, productivity over presence, and obedience over self-trust. We’re told to “be reasonable,” “follow the rules,” and “prove it” before taking action. The message is clear: logic is safe, intuition is not.
So we learn to doubt ourselves. We second-guess our bodies. We stay quiet even when something inside is screaming to speak. Over time, this conditioning buries our natural intuitive signals under layers of noise, fear, and habit.
That’s what makes learning to be intuitive feel hard at first. Not because it’s far away, but because it’s hidden under years of ignoring ourselves.
What Intuition Is Not
Let’s clear up some common misunderstandings. If you want to practice intuition, you need to know what doesn’t count.
Anxiety feels tight, racing, urgent. Intuition feels calm, steady, clear. Even when it warns you, it does so with grounded certainty, not frantic panic.
Intuition is not fear.
Fear makes you contract and retreat. Intuition may say “wait,” but it does so with clarity, not dread. Fear freezes you. Intuition guides you.
Intuition is not control.
Trying to manipulate outcomes is the opposite of intuition. Control comes from mistrust. Intuition comes from presence and trust in the next right step.
Intuition is not obsession.
If your mind is looping, analyzing, or replaying the same question over and over, that’s not intuition. That’s survival mode trying to protect you. Intuition doesn’t need to repeat itself endlessly. Once is enough.
What Intuition Is
So what is intuition really? Here are some markers.
It’s Calm
Intuition doesn’t scream. It whispers. It waits. It doesn’t need to convince you with drama.
It’s Grounded
When intuition speaks, you feel steady. Even if the message is challenging, it feels clear and direct, not chaotic.
It’s Timeless
Intuition often comes before logic, but it also lingers. If it’s real, the feeling stays consistent instead of changing with your mood.
It’s Simple
Most intuitive signals are uncomplicated: yes, no, wait, go. It’s your mind that adds the noise and questions.
The Science of Intuition
Modern research is beginning to catch up with what wisdom traditions have always known. Studies show that the body often registers correct decisions before the brain does. The “second brain” in your gut, linked through the vagus nerve, plays a major role in intuitive sensing. Neuroscientists have found that intuitive decision-making can be surprisingly accurate because it draws on unconscious pattern recognition and embodied memory.
Psychologists like Gerd Gigerenzer have argued that “gut feelings” often outperform deliberate analysis in complex situations because they cut through overload and focus on what matters most. In short: intuition is not mystical. It’s a blend of biology, psychology, and awareness working together.
Everyday Examples of Intuition
Example 1: Crossing the Street
You pause at the corner, sensing a car is approaching fast, even before you see it. Your body knew before your eyes caught up.
Example 2: Meeting Someone New
Within seconds, you feel drawn to someone or uneasy around them. This isn’t about judging. It’s your body reading subtle cues in tone, posture, and energy.
Example 3: Making a Decision
On paper, the job looks perfect. But every time you think about accepting, your chest feels heavy. That heaviness is your intuition saying no. You don’t need logic to validate it. You need to honor it.
How to Strengthen Intuition
Like any skill, intuition grows with practice. Here are steps you can take right now:
1. Create Quiet
Intuition needs space to be heard. Even five minutes a day of stillness helps you notice what was buried under noise.
2. Notice Body Signals
Pay attention to subtle shifts: a flutter in your stomach, a lightness in your chest, a sense of warmth or tension. These signals are the language of intuition.
3. Reflect and Record
Keep a small journal of intuitive nudges. Note what you felt and what happened when you followed it. Over time, you’ll see proof of its accuracy.
4. Start Small
Practice on low-stakes choices: what to eat, which route to drive, who to call. Build trust in small decisions so you can rely on it for bigger ones.
5. Distinguish Fear from Intuition
Fear feels frantic. Intuition feels calm, even when it says no. Practice noticing the difference.
The Benefits of Practicing Intuition
– Less Overthinking: You spend less time paralyzed by options.
– More Confidence: Each time you trust yourself and see the outcome, your confidence grows.
– Better Decisions: Choices align with your authentic self, not external pressure.
– Deeper Self-Trust: You begin to rely on your inner voice, not just outside approval.
– Stronger Relationships: Intuition helps you sense what others mean, not just what they say.
Weekly Challenge
This week, commit to noticing at least three intuitive signals.
– A gut feeling about a decision
– A body reaction when someone speaks
– A quiet yes or no that surfaces without explanation
Write them down. Reflect afterward: What happened when you honored it? What happened when you didn’t? This reflection is how self-trust grows.
What am I saying...
You don’t have to earn your intuition. You don’t have to be special, gifted, or chosen. You simply need to stop abandoning what’s already speaking inside you.
Intuition is not loud. It’s not anxious. It’s not controlling. It’s steady, calm, and available. The more you practice receiving instead of doubting, the more natural it becomes.
You don’t need to be more intuitive. You just need to listen again. You’re already on your way.
Derek
Derek Wolf © 2025 Derek Wolf. All rights reserved.
Originally published on L2Bintuitive.com.
Written by Derek Wolf for Learn to Be Intuitive at L2Bintuitive.com
You’ve probably heard the word “intuition” tossed around so much it’s started to lose meaning.
Some people call it a sixth sense.
Some make it sound like magic.
Others dismiss it entirely, as if it’s something only a few special people have.
That’s not how I see it.
And that’s not what we’re doing here.
Intuition is not a superpower.
It’s not a psychic gift.
It’s not something only “healers” or “empaths” or mystics get to use.
It’s a skill.
It’s a practice.
And it’s available to you right now.
At its core, intuition is your ability to recognize what’s true before your mind starts explaining it away.
It’s the quiet knowing beneath the noise.
It’s the part of you that senses when something is off even when you can’t prove it.
It’s what speaks up before you have words for it.
It’s what pulls you back when your gut says no, or pushes you forward when your heart knows yes.
Why Intuition Matters
Intuition is the foundation of self-trust. Without it, you’re left depending on other people’s opinions, external validation, or endless analysis to make decisions. With it, you carry an inner compass that cuts through confusion and keeps you aligned with what’s real for you.
Think about the last time you had a gut feeling that turned out to be right. Maybe you sensed that a conversation was hiding more than the words being spoken. Maybe you hesitated before saying yes to something that later proved wrong for you. Or maybe you took a leap that didn’t make sense on paper but turned out to be the exact step you needed.
These moments are not accidents. They are proof that your intuition is alive and working. The question is: will you trust it?
The Problem: Why We Ignore It
Most of us have been trained away from our natural intuitive sense.
We’ve been raised to value logic over feeling, productivity over presence, and obedience over self-trust. We’re told to “be reasonable,” “follow the rules,” and “prove it” before taking action. The message is clear: logic is safe, intuition is not.
So we learn to doubt ourselves. We second-guess our bodies. We stay quiet even when something inside is screaming to speak. Over time, this conditioning buries our natural intuitive signals under layers of noise, fear, and habit.
That’s what makes learning to be intuitive feel hard at first. Not because it’s far away, but because it’s hidden under years of ignoring ourselves.
What Intuition Is Not
Let’s clear up some common misunderstandings. If you want to practice intuition, you need to know what doesn’t count.
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Intuition is not anxiety.Anxiety feels tight, racing, urgent. Intuition feels calm, steady, clear. Even when it warns you, it does so with grounded certainty, not frantic panic.
Intuition is not fear.
Fear makes you contract and retreat. Intuition may say “wait,” but it does so with clarity, not dread. Fear freezes you. Intuition guides you.
Intuition is not control.
Trying to manipulate outcomes is the opposite of intuition. Control comes from mistrust. Intuition comes from presence and trust in the next right step.
Intuition is not obsession.
If your mind is looping, analyzing, or replaying the same question over and over, that’s not intuition. That’s survival mode trying to protect you. Intuition doesn’t need to repeat itself endlessly. Once is enough.
What Intuition Is
So what is intuition really? Here are some markers.
It’s Calm
Intuition doesn’t scream. It whispers. It waits. It doesn’t need to convince you with drama.
It’s Grounded
When intuition speaks, you feel steady. Even if the message is challenging, it feels clear and direct, not chaotic.
It’s Timeless
Intuition often comes before logic, but it also lingers. If it’s real, the feeling stays consistent instead of changing with your mood.
It’s Simple
Most intuitive signals are uncomplicated: yes, no, wait, go. It’s your mind that adds the noise and questions.
The Science of Intuition
Modern research is beginning to catch up with what wisdom traditions have always known. Studies show that the body often registers correct decisions before the brain does. The “second brain” in your gut, linked through the vagus nerve, plays a major role in intuitive sensing. Neuroscientists have found that intuitive decision-making can be surprisingly accurate because it draws on unconscious pattern recognition and embodied memory.
Psychologists like Gerd Gigerenzer have argued that “gut feelings” often outperform deliberate analysis in complex situations because they cut through overload and focus on what matters most. In short: intuition is not mystical. It’s a blend of biology, psychology, and awareness working together.
Everyday Examples of Intuition
Example 1: Crossing the Street
You pause at the corner, sensing a car is approaching fast, even before you see it. Your body knew before your eyes caught up.
Example 2: Meeting Someone New
Within seconds, you feel drawn to someone or uneasy around them. This isn’t about judging. It’s your body reading subtle cues in tone, posture, and energy.
Example 3: Making a Decision
On paper, the job looks perfect. But every time you think about accepting, your chest feels heavy. That heaviness is your intuition saying no. You don’t need logic to validate it. You need to honor it.
How to Strengthen Intuition
Like any skill, intuition grows with practice. Here are steps you can take right now:
1. Create Quiet
Intuition needs space to be heard. Even five minutes a day of stillness helps you notice what was buried under noise.
2. Notice Body Signals
Pay attention to subtle shifts: a flutter in your stomach, a lightness in your chest, a sense of warmth or tension. These signals are the language of intuition.
3. Reflect and Record
Keep a small journal of intuitive nudges. Note what you felt and what happened when you followed it. Over time, you’ll see proof of its accuracy.
4. Start Small
Practice on low-stakes choices: what to eat, which route to drive, who to call. Build trust in small decisions so you can rely on it for bigger ones.
5. Distinguish Fear from Intuition
Fear feels frantic. Intuition feels calm, even when it says no. Practice noticing the difference.
The Benefits of Practicing Intuition
– Less Overthinking: You spend less time paralyzed by options.
– More Confidence: Each time you trust yourself and see the outcome, your confidence grows.
– Better Decisions: Choices align with your authentic self, not external pressure.
– Deeper Self-Trust: You begin to rely on your inner voice, not just outside approval.
– Stronger Relationships: Intuition helps you sense what others mean, not just what they say.
Weekly Challenge
This week, commit to noticing at least three intuitive signals.
– A gut feeling about a decision
– A body reaction when someone speaks
– A quiet yes or no that surfaces without explanation
Write them down. Reflect afterward: What happened when you honored it? What happened when you didn’t? This reflection is how self-trust grows.
What am I saying...
You don’t have to earn your intuition. You don’t have to be special, gifted, or chosen. You simply need to stop abandoning what’s already speaking inside you.
Intuition is not loud. It’s not anxious. It’s not controlling. It’s steady, calm, and available. The more you practice receiving instead of doubting, the more natural it becomes.
You don’t need to be more intuitive. You just need to listen again. You’re already on your way.
Derek
Derek Wolf © 2025 Derek Wolf. All rights reserved.
Originally published on L2Bintuitive.com.