How To Develop Intuition? 9 Benefits Of Intuitive Thinking
What is intuition? Is intuitive knowledge really useful? Discover the reality behind a more intuitive person and how to develop intuition to benefit from it.
The intuition is innate to the human being. It has always helped us overcome dangers. Our body somehow warns us. Sometimes we experience or know some information that we are not fully aware of, but it is there. Even knowing that we may be wrong, because we do not know for sure what is happening, it turns out that intuition can be useful when making decisions. According to scientists and psychologists, intuitive knowledge has been, throughout our history, a shortcut mechanism to resolve situations in which either there is no time to think (we sense that the beast is out there, for example), or For any reason we have little clear information about what is happening.
The word “intuition” comes from the Latin word “intuition, intuitionis“, and this in turn comes from the Latin verb “intueri” which means to have one’s gaze fixed on something, to fixate. That is, the definition of intuition It refers to the information or knowledge that comes to us without the need for conscious processing, as if to acquire it it was enough simply to look at or contemplate the source of this information.
In this way, the meaning of intuition It also implies that this is the foundation of many decision making, which turned out to be unconscious decisions, and of what Freud called the Unconscious. Even much of what we think of as fully conscious decision-making actually involves a large portion of unconscious processes that we are not aware of.
“…intuition is the human ability to reach correct conclusions from scarce information in a short time (…) it is a subsymbolic process that is not always at a conscious level. It can work in both known and new situations; for That is so fascinating, useful and necessary to us.”
Elizabeth Corrales Navarro. Intuition as a cognitive process Communication Magazine. Volume 19, year 31, No. 2, August-December, 2010 (pp. 32-42).
What is intuitive thinking for?
The intuition It is necessary, since it is impossible to manage all the information we receive consciously. If we had to make a thoughtful logical weighing of each and every one of the things that, to quote something, enter our eyes every minute, we would literally remain paralyzed, we would not do anything else.
However, of course you have to take the necessary caution when deciding. We must not forget that on many occasions it has served to save lives, for example when we lived in the middle of the forests. There was no time, we had to decide: hide, run, fight…? It may happen that the lack of a deeper processing of what is happening leads us into error. But someone with some logic already knows that.
The intuition, is increasingly receiving reflection from different authors, not only from the field of Psychology, but from all sciences and areas of knowledge. A slight approximation to the history of scientific discoveries is enough to see how much of “chance“e”intuition“There have been in many of them. That is why it is increasingly considered an important part of cognitive processing, that is, of our way of functioning when we think.
Characteristics of an intuitive person
As we see, intuition is a skill that can give us some advantages in our daily lives. So much so that on many occasions the answer is sought intuition in love, in professional life and in other areas where we require an intuitive point to make a good decision. In this way, psychologists determine that an intuitive person is defined by the following characteristics.
1. They enjoy solitude
In order to develop intuition, solitude is more than necessary. On many occasions, time alone helps us have more creative thinking as well as more introspection and self-knowledge. These elements seem to be fundamental to obtain a more intuitive thinking to life. In fact, intuitive people tend to be more introverted than extroverted.
2. They create
As we have said, creativity is one of the most distinctive characteristics of intuitiveness In this way, they tend to be people who tend to have a very creative side. The more creative they become, the more intuition they develop.
Mindfulness is the ability to be in the here and now. Being in the present, people are completely capable of connecting more with themselves and their surroundings. That is, the majority of intuitive knowledge It comes from having more awareness of what surrounds us and being in the present.
4. They are observers
A intuitive person He is able to notice the small details that are around him. This happens because by being in the present people can see more opportunities and be more aware of what is really happening in their environment.
5. They listen to their bodies
Intuition and intuitive knowledge It is also closely related to understanding and knowing how to be aware of our body. In many cases an intuitive person can have pain in their body when things are not going well. So much so that research suggests that our emotions and intuition are deeply rooted in the so-called ‘second brain’, that is, the stomach.
6. They connect deeply with others
Although mind reading may seem like a thing of fantasy, the reality is that there are some intuition skills that can get close to it. The so-called empathic precision is a psychological term that refers to the ability to be able to almost perfectly visualize what is on the minds of others through their words, the analysis of their emotions and their body language.
7. They pay attention to their dreams
Dreams are a very unknown part of our unconscious. In this way, through them we can discover some completely unknown parts of ourselves. Those people who have more intuition and a more intuitive thinking They usually pay a lot of attention to their dreams since that makes them know themselves more deeply.
8. They know how to disconnect
Constant hustle, multitasking, excess stress and exhaustion destroy our most intuitive part. In this way, most of us can know the true nature of others from intuitive way, but we are not always awake enough to these messages to be able to recognize them. Therefore, a more intuitive person is able to disconnect from everything around them.
9. They know how to manage negative emotions
Negative emotions can cloud our intuition So much so that the negative thoughts that invade our mind are a barrier that limits our intuitiveness. People who have an intuitive point are usually able to develop this part of them. In most cases, intuition develops when we leave aside these types of emotions that cloud our mind.
In order to be a intuitive person It is vital to know how to exercise a certain control over the mind and negativity. On many occasions, taking care of our interior with a psychologist can be the key not only to developing our intuitive point but to living a fuller and happier life.
How to develop intuition?
There are some methods that allow us to have a more intuitive thinking So much so that on many occasions we can learn to be more intuitive through a calmer and more introspective life. According to psychology, we can follow these tips to develop intuition.
Learn to listen
Sometimes we are not aware of what we really want since we do not listen to ourselves. To learn how to develop a intuitive knowledge It is vital to try to stop and listen to our inner voice. Exercises such as meditation or mindfulness can be very helpful to be more introspective and see this hidden side in ourselves.
Confront negative thoughts
As we have already mentioned, to have more intuition we must face our negative thoughts. To do this you will have to rationalize each of the negative ideas that come to your brain. Every time you have a thought like this you should use logic and ask yourself what the point is in thinking about it.
Pay attention to your surroundings
Being in the present is another skill that you must acquire if you want to access a more intuitive knowledge To do this, you must put aside those thoughts that take you back to the past and focus on the here and now.
Find time to be alone
Solitude and emotional and mental tranquility are the bases for finding a intuitive point Relaxing and having time for yourself will encourage greater introspection into your mind and body and will allow you to see what we sometimes overlook.
Write down your dreams
Analyzing dreams can also help us see our most intuitive part Thanks to them we can understand certain aspects of ourselves that we keep hidden in our daily lives.
Although we can learn to develop intuition It is vital to understand that this should not be followed blindly. Daniel Kahneman, psychologist, expresses that the best way to use intuition is by combining it with our most emotional part. The recipe for knowing ourselves better and using our full potential lies precisely in our mental balance.
