By Doreen Virtue and Robert Reeves
Practical Intuition
Our intuition is an inner voice that speaks with an essence of love. As we connect to that loving energy, we feel supported. We feel relaxed and safe, knowing that everything happening at this moment has a greater purpose.
Begin with those small calls to action, the ones that say, Today reach out your friend—because who knows what that friend is going through at this moment? Understand that those gut feelings, and that sense of urgency behind them, may very well be lifesaving for that dear loved one of yours.
If you “hold on” to that intuitive guidance, it’s like a mail carrier receiving a parcel and refusing to deliver it. If you keep it to yourself, only one person is going to benefit from it, and that’s you. However, if you choose to share that message—to have the courage and the confidence to speak what you feel—then it may change the lives of your loved ones and allow them to feel happier and freer . . . and be inspired to then trust their own gut feelings. They, in turn, will share their intuitive messages, and that ripple effect spreads.
As you listen to your inner guidance, it may tell you something simple, such as Switch lanes, while you’re driving in the car. It may become more complex, such as You need to leave that relationship, You need to change careers, or You need to move.
Your intuition can be like an internal lie detector. When you meet someone, you can immediately tell if you like him or her or if something about what he or she is saying rings untrue. You get a sense of somebody’s energy the instant that you make a connection, and your internal lie detector says, Yes, this is a wonderful person!—or, it does the opposite and tells you, Get as far away as you possibly can.
Sometimes you pick up on different energies when you’re in somebody’s home. Do you feel uplifted, or do you get a sense that the person is just trying to impress you? Is that energy stagnant with negativity? You’ll know.
So please trust the messages that you receive when you meet somebody or when you enter a new environment. Do so especially if you’re going to see practitioners or healers, because if you go into a space feeling uncertain or afraid, that’s a sign to step back.
This is something that we’ve learned to listen to when we’ve been invited to attend particular seminars. We feel that our purpose here on Earth is to help as many people as we can. We hope to spread healing messages about spirituality, natural health, God, and the angels. But we still have to trust our own intuition. Sometimes we get invited to speak at events that sound wonderful, but there’s something in our gut that says, Don’t do it.
When we trust that information, even though it might feel uncomfortable at the time, we’re then able to look back on that event at a later date and understand why we were guided to stay away. Often it’s not because the organizers or attendees were “bad” or anything like that, but rather something else came up that more urgently required our attention. We might not have been able to give 100 percent at that particular event. Perhaps we’d been so busy throughout the year that we needed some time to rest.
As you listen to your intuition, you learn that the way in which God and your angels communicate with you is special and unique because you are special and unique. Rather than feeling like you have to fit inside a box, honor your own perceptions.
Trust your intuition. Truly, it’s the heavenly voice of God and your angels coming through.
Science and Intuition
At one time, intuition was considered an old wives’ tale. Today, researchers have solid scientific foundations for the process of intuition. Dozens of studies support the value of intuition in decision making and finding creative solutions to problems. A recent study stated that medical doctors can achieve better outcomes in their patients’ care by calling upon their intuition when making decisions. The researchers concluded, “Intuitive and analytical decision processes may have complementary effects in achieving the desired outcomes of patient decision support” (de Vries et al. 2013). A related study found that farmers use intuition more than analytics.
Many studies have focused on our physical reactions to various situations, measuring blood pressure, brain waves, perspiration, and heart rate in response to stimuli, such as looking at emotionally charged photos or video clips. In some intriguing experiments, the participants’ heart and other systems were shown to react to a photo or video even before the people being studied were shown the stimulus. Most of these experiments are “double-blind,” which means that neither the participants nor the researchers know beforehand which type of image the person being studied will see. The studies show that our bodies “know” when something emotionally charged is coming our way.
Perhaps you’ve had this experience yourself when you woke up feeling excited or happy for no known reason. Or, similarly, you felt a sense of dread on a day when something unforeseen and unpleasant later occurred.
Research has demonstrated that our palms begin to sweat when we’re around something harsh or dangerous several minutes before our conscious minds can register the threat. This makes sense, as the hands have a high number of sensory neuronal connections to the nervous system. Scientists believe that if we could learn to pay attention to our palms’ subtle signals, including perspiration, it would enable us to be consciously aware of—and avoid—danger.
Similar studies find that our heart rate and blood pressure increases when people are directing negative thoughts our way, and that these functions relax and decrease when others are thinking positive thoughts about us. It turns out that “sending love” is a measurable energy!
Intuition Works with the Body’s Systems
Our ancient ancestors relied on their intuition to ensure their physical safety. Imagine the vulnerable feeling of walking outside to forage for food, where you depend on your wits to stay alive. This is the same built-in system wild animals use for survival. While we now shop in grocery stores for food and live in houses, this doesn’t mean that our ancestors’ instincts have “evolved away.”
Researchers have pinpointed the brain’s right hemisphere, which is associated with emotions and the arts, as the center of our intuition. Additionally, the autonomic nervous system, also called our “ancient brain,” appears to be hardwired to instinctively react to potential danger in a way that could be called “intuitive.” The brain’s limbic system—our feeling center—can sense danger detected by the autonomic nervous system before it’s physically apparent. In this way, our intuition (if we listen to it) keeps us safe.
In the face of stress, our nervous and endocrine systems work closely together to bring about harmony and balance. These two systems are linked by the hypothalamus, a structure in the brain’s limbic system. While the endocrine system is made up of many glands, the most important to know in regard to stress and intuition are the pituitary and adrenal glands. Let’s look at how all these systems work together.
When your nervous system recognizes a stressor, it sends a message to the hypothalamus, which then releases hormones to deliver the message to the pituitary gland. Next, the pituitary sends out hormones influencing the adrenal glands. In turn, this causes your adrenals to release a hormone to reduce the effects of the stress. This pattern continues until your body is satisfied that you have enough stress-relieving hormones available. Your body then relaxes, and the nervous system calms.
However, if stress continues for extended periods of time, the biological exchange of neuro-messages and hormones may become unbalanced. If the hypothalamus, pituitary, or adrenal glands become depleted, it creates a strain along the cascade. This causes a change in your stress response, energy levels, and hormones.
By supporting your endocrine and nervous systems nutritionally, you will help keep your intuition clear and sharp. And, conversely, listening to your intuition is a big factor in reducing your stress levels, as it will guide you to avoid stress-producing situations in the first place. Your intuition may also lead you to a stress-management program that’s custom-tailored to your interests, schedule, and budget.
Editor’s note: This article is an excerpt from Nutrition for Intuition by Doreen Virtue and Robert Reeves. It is published by Hay House (January 2016) and is available in bookstores and online at www.hayhouse.com.
Doreen Virtue holds B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees in counseling psychology and is a lifelong clairvoyant who works with the angelic realm. Doreen is the author of Healing with the Angels, How to Hear Your Angels, Messages from Your Angels, Archangels & Ascended Masters, Solomon’s Angels, and the Archangel Oracle Cards, among other works. Doreen has appeared on Oprah, CNN, The View, and other television and radio programs, and she writes regular columns for Woman’s World, New Age Retailer, and Spirit & Destiny magazines. For more information visit www.AngelTherapy.com.
Robert Reeves is a fully accredited naturopath with a special interest in mental and emotional health. Blending his herbal-medicine training with his psychic abilities, Robert gives self-help workshops, writes magazine articles, and runs a successful natural-therapies clinic in Australia. For more information visit www.robertreeves.com.au.