Do you have a fear that your intuition might abandon you one day?
This is an excellent question that has no doubt, crossed the minds’ of many.
There are times when I have to demonstrate before a group of people when even I hear myself praying, ‘Intuition don’t fail me now!’
Here’s the question that prompted this article as I received it from a PbI reader:
“I read some books about stock trading and there was a very famous person who was one of the richest people in the world in the 1930s.
He was known to trade stocks based on his intuition. He believed in his intuition to place orders in the market and he made more winning trades than losing trades. He was definitely an intuitive stock trader and, it was the intuition that made him the wealth.
However, as I went on reading about his intuitive life, one result scared me so much that I am frustrated about intuition at this moment.
Near the end of his life, his intuition abandoned him and he could not receive any messages from his inner voice. He lost connection to his intuition and after that he only lost and lost and lost in the stock market, and finally he despaired and committed suicide.
I would like to know whether intuition will abandon us ?”
Honestly, I do not believe our intuition will ever “abandon” us.
At the most basic level, our intuition is built-in to our physical body as a mechanism of our survival. We need our intuition in order to sense dangers that may be lurking in our environment, that we do not have a conscious awareness of.
One of example of this is when we “feel” that we are being followed by someone when we’re walking on the street. We somehow “sense” the presence of danger and pick up the pace of our walking, or cross to the other side of the street to avoid it.
How did we “know” we might be in danger?
Our body’s intuitive faculties communicated this information to us for our safety. We felt an “uneasiness,” and then perhaps the hairs on the back of our neck stood up. Then we turned around and saw an unsavory character walking behind us and decided to cross the street.
Another example is when we “feel” that someone is staring at us. This is one of the most common experiences of intuition. I doubt there is anyone who has never experienced this. How did you know? Again, it was through the body’s intuitive radar that you got the message to turn around, and when you did, your eyes locked onto the person who had been looking at you so intently.
In the scenario above, the successful stock trader relied on his intuition to make market decisions. What I believe happened to him when his “intuition abandoned him” was that after becoming successful at intuitive stock trading his ego became attached to the experience of “winning” and “wealth.”
Ego is the voice of fear
Any time your ego is involved in something you’re trying to accomplish, you are operating from a level of fear. Your ego is the voice in your head that compares you to others and makes you feel envious. The ego also fears not having enough of certain things in your life such as love and security. It also drives you to compete with others for the sake of “getting your share” since the the ego believes in scarcity and has an “us versus them” mindset.
When the trader’s intuition supposedly “abandoned” him, what was really happening was that his ego voice took over and he was no longer able to hear the voice of his intuition. Remember, the voice of the ego is loud and strong while the voice of your intuition is usually a soft whisper. If you’re ego is screaming at you all the time you’ll never hear your intuition.
The messages from your ego are always based on “lack” and “fear.” The trader’s ego became very attached to the fame and fortune and then he “feared” losing. When fear rules, the ego is in control. It was his fear that drowned out his intuition. His intuition didn’t abandon him.
To maintain a strong connection to your intuition remain calm.
The more that this trader lost, the more he started to panic. His mind was no longer calm and clear – he was probably an emotional wreck. The more upset he became the more he blocked his intuition from coming through. This is why I advocate meditation. By meditating daily you reinforce a state of calm.
Jitters are normal
When I demonstrate in front of groups I experience jitters for the first few moments. That’s normal. I know deep down inside my intuition hasn’t abandoned me. But, if I allowed myself to get all worked up and “worried” incessantly prior to demonstrating I might find it difficult to “hear” my intuition over the fearful voice of my ego.
You will make mistakes
One thing that probably really hurt the trader was that he had a lot of money riding on his intuitive decisions. Instead of accepting and allowing for mistakes – he panicked and it all snowballed from there. He was too emotionally invested in his intuitive stock trading. This is why you’ll see intuitives getting readings from other intuitives when they find it hard to hear their intuition. If you’re too emotionally wrapped up in the decisions you have to make and there’s a lot riding on the outcome you won’t be in a “neutral” emotional state.
Intuition comes through best when we are in “neutral.
It’s a plain fact that we cannot be as objective about ourselves as we can be about others; and intuitive insight is no different. The trader’s biggest mistake was that he didn’t stop, but kept on trading and thinking he was hearing his intuition when he was really hearing the ego disguised as his intuition. When we are not in a “neutral” emotional state – we should not be making decisions, either logic or intuitive based ones.
You should never fear that your intuition will abandon you because – it won’t.
Stay calm when making decisions and if necessary seek the advice of a qualified intuitive when you can’t separate your emotions from the decision you’re facing.
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Angela, this article is absolutely BRILLIANT! You have just nailed that very fine line between “being in the zone” as athletes and coaches often call it, and being just the tiniest bit off. It is that nanosecond when you switch from right brain based intuition and “knowing” what to do, to left brained logic and “thinking” about what you “should” do.
As many top athletes know, your best performance comes from being in the zone. In that split second when you make that shift to thinking, ego, and separation, something in performance is lost. And sometimes that means everything.
There is a world of difference in these two states of being and I totally agree with everything you have said here. Your example is so perfect.
Columbia Jones recently posted..Procrastination Killer! – Complete Small Easy Steps Immediately
Hi Columbia,
I totally agree. This is exactly the difference between our thinking mind and the intuitive process!!
If we only focus on this aspect we will be better off in our lives in every way!
Hi Angela,
This is indeed something I have given much thought about. I have always feared that I would not be able to interpret my divinations accurately one day. But this is just it, this fear clouds my judgment and hence affects my clarity of mind. As Yoda wisely said, “fear is the path to the dark side…”
Like you I agree that our intuition will not abandon us, but there are many things that can affect our ability to intuite properly. Fear and doubts are usually the common culprits. Or it could be you are down with a bad flu or have a headache that messes up your intuition as well. Even Spider-Man had problems with his spider-sense when he was ill or doubtful of himself.
Mistakes is also important. Apart from emotional investment that can cloud our intuition, I think complacency also affects our judgment. Just because we are good with our intuitions does not mean that we should allow ourselves to be complacent and think we can do no wrong. It is this very complacency that lays the ground for our biggest blunders. And then we might ask ourselves if our intuition has left us when in truth, it was because of complacency.
I just love the wisdom that you share here. It does indeed reflect your years of experience with intuition which allows for such depth and understanding.
Thank you for sharing this lovely article!
Irving the Vizier
The Vizier recently posted..How Problems Nurture Us
Hi Irving,
Thank you for well thought out reply.
I agree that complacency can be very sneaky and cause us to make mistakes if we’re not careful.
I think we should constantly be learning and practicing.
I still go to weekly development classes even though I’ve been doing this for so long.
I want to practice and get better. There’s always room for improvement!
Angela,
For me, intuition is aligned with truth. Because I don’t think knowing or realizing the truth will ever fail me, I also think intuition won’t fail me either. When I stay centered, my next step usually becomes clear.
Thanks for this,
Alex
Alex,
You summed it up perfectly: Intuition is aligned with truth.
When we receive an intuitive flash it’s coming to us from the wellspring of pure truth and wisdom of our source.
As long as we remain calm we’ll always hear our intuition easily.
Loved this story. Before I saw your conclusion about what happened to the man in the story…my intuition was telling me his ego took over. Many times I have found that when we rely on one sense or thing too much…for our own personal needs, we can really become unbalanced. Sometimes we just have to listen and feel what it is in our “highest interest” to do.
I love when you say remain calm. Even through the storm, when you remain calm, your intuition is really the strongest. It leads the way…
Kenya recently posted..Making Love To The Cosmos
Hi Kenya,
Yes, our ego can be a real trickster when it wants its way!
Staying calm is not always easy, but we do make our best decisions when we’re calm.
I’m currently reading “How We Decide,” by science writer Jonah Lehrer. He has some interesting things to say about how the brain operates using cues from dopamine to indicate an intuition that something is “good” or “bad.” He points out that in gambling or playing the stock market, for example, this process of short-circuiting our “rational” evaluation of possible outcomes can be quite risky for some people in some circumstances. Making the next bet or trade, rather than cashing out with modest gains, or leaving one’s stocks alone for long periods, becomes addictive. Lehrer makes a case for expecting intuition to be helpful in some situations, and suspecting its reliability in others.
Hi Sue,
I’m not familiar with this book.
Thanks so much for bringing it to my attention.
I’d like to read it though.
Thank you.
Angela,
Hi, this is a very interesting idea. I agree that our intuition is a built in part of our physical and spiritual body. Though, it seems that we could lose touch with out intuition very easily, or have confusion about which voice our intuition really is. If a voice is connected with fear, worry, and unpleasantness I believe this is not my intuition. Intuition gives a direct message or answer and it is our choice whether we follow and trust this guidance. From you experience Angela, does fear appear after our intuitive voice has spoken? Maybe our of our interpretation?
Joe Wilner recently posted..6 Keys to Creating a Happier Life
Hi Joe,
Yes! To answer your question. The rational mind, or ego, will inject fear after you receive an intuitively inspired idea.
The ego always fears lack and scarcity, so if your intuition is do something a bit out of the norm, or risky you might have your ego chime in afterward to try to deter you from rocking the boat. When that happens what I suggest is to meditate and then ask yourself: How would I feel if I do XXX? If you feel excited and inspired and motivated to do this – than do it! If you feel nervous or anxious, or that you’re doing it because you ‘should’ or because it makes logical sense – than don’t do it. I hope that explains it a little more.
Great article! The best readings I do for people are for those who are total strangers because my ego has no investment in being “correct” and “really good”.
Also great reminder of why it is a great idea to go to another intuitive when one’s own ego is too invested in an outcome.
Thanks for the beautiful reminders!
Kara
Kara recently posted..Empaths R Us – Dr Judith Orloff
Hi Kara,
Thank you. I agree. I love to read for people I don’t know, or know very little about. It always proves to be the best reading.
I have several friends that I call when I need to check in on my own intuitive hunches.
Thanks so much for visiting!
Hi Angela, yes, I like that way of putting it — our intuition (or what I think of as “what we really want”) is always there, but at the same time we always have a choice not to listen to it. And we often don’t listen, I think, because the conditioning we’ve received telling us that we’re supposed to have a logical justification for everything that we do is strong — which is crazy-making, of course, because in the end there is no way to logically justify the things we want.
Chris,
I love what you just said: We think we’re supposed to have a “logical” justification for everything we do.
That’s it exactly. Intuition is not logic.
Thank you so much for visiting and commenting.
One difficult thing about intuition is that it’s easy for a couple “intuitive wins” (like the rich guy in the stock market), to make the ego start scheming about how it could use the power to further its goals (like self aggrandizement, for example). When that happens you immediately lose the connection to your genuine self as your overexcited ego chatters away.
I guess the trick is to really FEEL the knowledge that you are a vessel, and whatever you are capable of doing for the highest good is for you to be grateful for, not to expect gratitude for.
Pete Michaud recently posted..Breakthrough Session June Tour
Hi Pete,
Nice to meet you.
I like the way you think!
I agree we should recognize that we’re vessels, or channels for this knowledge, and we should be grateful for what we get and not get too greedy!
Hi Angela,
Good points here about ego and fear and losing the ability to trust our intuition.
That is also a good reason to maintain our body throughout our life. Maybe as we get older it is more difficult to use our intuition if our body is not in good health.
Justin | Mazzastick recently posted..How To Stand Your Ground When Everything Goes Wrong
Hi Justin,
Thank you.
I would agree that if we’re in constant pain, or have a debilitating ailment we may find ourselves too distracted to hear the voice of our intuition. But, everyone is different and will approach aging differently too. Some may age and focus solely on their deterioration and others will age and decide to focus on what’s right in their lives instead of what’s going wrong. I think the latter will probably still hear their intuition!
Hi Angela,
That which we Love will not abandon us…….I Love my Intuition.
be good to yourself
David
Great quote David. Thanks.
Hi Angela,
You would probably like the novella “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar,” by Roald Dahl. It’s about a man who learns to see through playing cards as a yogic skill, by meditating. He originally does this to cheat at cards, but the meditation improves him so much that he no longer wants the money for himself, and travels the world founding orphanages from his gambling proceeds. It’s a beautiful little story, and demonstrates how intuitive skills are best used in service and giving, rather than for personal gain. I read it as a kid, and never forgot it for some reason.
Anna Barlowe recently posted..Estate of Panic
Hi Anna,
Wow, that is a great story. I’ve never heard of it. I’ll have to see if my library has it. I’d like to read it.
I think intuitive skills are best used in service and giving too.
With this guy from the 1930s I think his problem was that he turned it into a sport. He no longer needed the money once he became rich, but like most stock traders – he kept trading to get more and more. Had he stopped when he was “rich enough” and then invested his profits in “real” business, his life might have turned out better. The stock market can be as addictive as gambling and I think he became addicted to “winning.”
Angela,
I really appreciate how you define the dangers of ego so beautifully. It is good to know that intuition works best when we are in neutral and thus it sometimes helps to seek the advice of another intuitive.
Sandra / Always Well Within recently posted..22 Reasons to Slow Down the Pace
Hi Sandra,
I’m so glad you enjoyed the article. If I am too “keen” on a particular outcome I cannot read objectively for myself.
I need to speak to someone else and get their intuitive impression because mine is “tainted.”
Great conversation, Angela. I am reminded of the musician or artist who has tremendous periods of genius and suddenly “loses it.” They somehow become so blocked that it never comes back – the Counterfeit Self somehow assumes complete control. I myself have moments of moments of writers block that cause an anxiety that I may have lost it for good. You are right, knowing that the intuition is always there allows us to relax and open back up to infinite intelligence.
rob white recently posted..Is God a Mule
A great discussion! My take on this is that when it feels like intuition has abandoned us, what has really happened is that we’ve abandoned intuition. What we call intuition is the nonphysical part of us that is infinite, endless. It can never leave us. But when, as you say, we turn to fear or struggle, we close off the connection between us and the intuitive part of us. Then it becomes a self-perpetuating cycle. You’re so right that meditation helps keep that conduit open, but it alone isn’t enough (at least not for me). Getting in a habit of doing what feels good without focusing on results keeps that flow open.
Ande Waggener recently posted..An Important Message For Goal-Setters
Hi Ande,
I agree with you. I think our intuition can never leave – but we can leave it!
I think you’re right doing what feels good is hugely important. Obviously the poor fellow that killed himself no longer enjoyed the market, but he kept playing the market. That was his downfall. He should have walked away and found something do to that made him feel great instead of miserable.
Angela, you give a great response to the question your reader asked. I can see how the voice of the ego could take over in such a way that we may not hear the whisper of intuition.
I’ve also experienced not being able to hear my intuition when my emotions are too wrapped up in the subject matter – it makes sense that intuition needs us to be neutral in order order to hear.
Many of us strive to increase and strengthen our intuition and along the way we encounter times when we can’t find it. It is important for us to know that it doesn’t abandon us, it may just be that we’re disconnected and need to find neutral again.
Such a great, great post!
Aileen | Kaizen Vision recently posted..Achieve Your Goals and Dreams the Kaizen Way
Hi Aileen,
Yes absolutely, our intuition is always there we’re just in such a “tizzy” we can’t hear it! When were calm and detached from the outcome we’re in neutral. That’s why intuitives can read for others, but not for themselves.
Interesting topic, Angela. I certainly agree that intuition isn’t something that will every disappear but rather the ego may overtake it. Intuition is such a funny thing. You can be expecting it to scream the answer at you and instead it is whispering. I wonder why that is. Anyway, thanks for the informative article!
Hi Anne,
Great to see you.
I guess our intuition speaks softly because it isn’t trying to control us or the outcome. The ego is loud because it fears we many lose something by making the wrong decision so it tries to control us. It’s sort of the like the person who gives you advice but doesn’t try to sway you, over the person who wants to manipulate and control you; one is quiet and detached and the other is loud and forceful.
How do you know when your ego is getting in the way?
You know when you don’t feel 100 percent certain about the decision and 100 percent excited about it. Think of the last time you had an intuitive flash, or when you met the love of your life and you just “knew.” How did you know? In the case of the flash you were “inspired” to take action, in the case of meeting someone – you felt it in deep in your gut. Use these reactions to measure against what you think may be your ego. Your ego will have a certain “rationality” to it, in other words, it makes sense to do it. Intuition is not always logical, in fact, most times it goes against convention.
Hi Angela,
I think you make a really good point here. I know the major blocks I have in accessing my intuition are lack and fear. The link you make to fear and the ego, and how that impacts on our ability to access our intuition make real sense to me.
Dave Rowley recently posted..The Tea House Writing Sessions
Hi Dave,
I’m so glad you found the post worthwhile! It’s nice to see you again.
Angela,
My first thought was, “No we abandon our Intuition.” I like what Alex says and agree it’s aligned with our truth. In fact it is our truth. Right?
I think that guy second guessed himself out of fear of losing his money and he lost his life as well. May we all learn from that!
Tess The Bold Life recently posted..How to Get Beyond Bad Luck- No Luck- and Hard Luck to Find Mr Right
Hi Tess,
Yes – that’s right! Intuition is Truth. It is actually pure knowledge not tainted by opinion or emotion.
And we definitely abandon it – not the other way around.
For sure, this guy became so attached to winning in the stock market that his fears sabotaged his ability to hear his intuition clearly.
The lesson for me is to always remember to remain detached and accept whatever happens, rather the become attached and the try to manipulate or control the outcome of things.
Angela:
Interesting question and discussion. I think what you pointed out is important. As long as you keep your ego out of the way, you can’t really be disconnected from your intuition. I think actually we get better and better at tuning in with it as we listen and follow it more and more. Really great post.
Sibyl recently posted..If You Want Things to Happen- It’s Time To Dream
Hi Sibyl,
Yes, we do get better and better at hearing it the more we listen and follow it.
It’s like any skill – what is that they say? After 10,000 of practicing something you become an expert.
Boy, you know the right questions to ask Angela! I don’t ever think our intuition leaves us or is inaccessable, merely that we move away from it and get swamped by over thinking, logic, and human earthly things. To get it back trust is a must. Employ that gut instinct once more in low level situations like social invites or at work to sense whether you like them or not or what feelings are prevelant. It’s like learning to ride a bike, you never really ever forget!
John Sherry recently posted..Stopping The Fight With Life
Yes~!!!! John, thanks for being such a “voice of reason” here.
That’s it. Our intuition never leaves us – we “leave” it when we’re so emotional about the issue we need to hear our intuition about.
And definitely, start small with tasks that you can be in “neutral” over and gain your trust in your intuition back.
Thank you so much for sharing all this with us!
Loved this Angela. Now, that I’ve reconnected with my intuition, I agree that I will not lose it. It’s always been there, like so many things since childhood, they “they’s” teach us to abandon it in favor of other things like “science.”
Just recently I realized that science has been hijacked to mean something non-intuitive that only “experts trained in science classrooms” can use.
More handing over our intuitive power. We are all scientists of our own lives and I follow my gut. Wrote on piece on health and following your gut for this week. Your post here has solidified what I thought.
Thanks, G.
Giulietta Nardone recently posted..Question Everything Concerning Your Health
Hi Giulietta,
I’m so glad you enjoyed this post.
I too believe we are the scientists of our own lives – we need to follow our gut more.
We’ve swung way out of balance to the making every decision based on logic and rational thinking. We need to also include intuition to be in balance in our lives.
I agree that our intuition never abandons us — it may just be difficult to hear when there are other voices in our head. Often times it’s ego, as you suggest. Other times, it’s friends, family, society, media, etc., either current or from our developmental years.
I find it useful to try to identify the source of those voices, to help distinguish them from that inner voice.
Do you have any tips for filtering out those external voices that have gotten inside your head?
Scott @ PSI Seminars recently posted..Live Like You Were Dying
Hi Scott,
It’s a pleasure meeting you.
Intuition is very difficult to hear when there are other voices in our heads such as critical voices and fearful voices.
It sounds like it would be very helpful to identify the source of those voices, indeed!
Thank you so much for visiting and commenting. I truly appreciate it.
It will never abandon us because its a God’s gift to us.
Lynne