Awaken Your Inner Voice: A Guide to Intuition, Dreams, Meditation, Past Lives, and Your Soul’s Creative Purpose
by Nancy C. Chrisbaum and Ellen L. Selover

Chapter 2
Intuitive Awareness

“Some call [intuition] the voice of the soul; some call it the voice of God; some call it the sixth sense. It is our inner spiritual sense.”

~ Ralph Waldo Trine, In Tune with the Infinite or Fullness of Peace, Power, and Plenty

Information is all around us. By merely turning on the radio, tuning in to a television channel, or clicking onto the Internet or the latest electronic device, we can have instant access to an incomprehensible amount of data. The mechanism to sending and receiving this information is the intricate network of transmitters and receivers around the globe. We would be astounded if we could see all the sound waves, laser beams, impulses, and signals that cross back and forth beyond our levels of perception.

Our bodies are also powerful transmitters and receivers. We transmit through our voice and inflection, choices of words, facial expressions, actions, and body language. Likewise, our physical senses—hearing, sight, taste, smell, and touch—are powerful receptors, able to retrieve immense amounts of information every second. They send signals through the nervous system to the brain, which then processes and responds to that information with messages and impulses.

A simple way to become aware of these processes is to think about the information we receive upon stepping outdoors. Our senses instantly perceive and relay to the brain signals regarding the change in temperature, the moisture content in the air, the intensity of the sun, the flight of a bird, or the whine of a nearby lawnmower. We might smell the pungent odor of grease and oil or the unmistakable aroma of a backyard barbecue. All of these elements provide us with instant information about this new environment.

On the mental level, we transmit information through every thought we think and each emotion we express. These go out from us in the form of energy which can be perceived by others. Though we may often be unaware of the source of the signal, we still may pick up on the finer vibrations of thought and emotion, just as we do the physical sensations. We transmit and receive this information in a similar pattern, even though the energies are difficult to measure.

Mirka Knaster, author of Discovering the Body’s Wisdom, suggests that the body’s internal network of sensory receptors provides us with proprioception (awareness of the precise position of our body) and kinesthesia (the awareness of direction of movement) which, combined, function as a sixth sense, allowing us to know where we are in space and time. According to Knaster, it is these proprioceptors which pick up energy emanating from other people and other creatures around us.

On another energetic level—the spiritual—we become aware of influences and information through intuition. When we lay the groundwork for a spiritual connection to one another and to the Creative Forces, we sharpen these higher senses of receptivity. Intuition is our greatest link to our higher selves (our spiritual selves) and thus to the Creator. We are reminded and urged in the following quote to strengthen our connection to the Creator on a regular basis by listening to the higher voice within ourselves in meditation.

“… Seek not from without, but to those consciousnesses, those voices, those feelings, those vibrations as may arise from within. For know, as has been indicated, there He, the Giver of all good and perfect gifts, makes to grow those seeds which ye have sown.”
(Edgar Cayce Reading 1991-1)

The regular practice of meditation allows us to tune into our higher senses and clear our sensory systems of the static of other influences. We become cognizant of the impulses that arise from the inner voice with which we truly resonate. Everything we do to become more spiritually balanced improves our ability to understand, interpret, and follow through on the guidance we receive.

One way to understand how this process works is to imagine a playground full of excited children, with a parent sitting on a sideline. That parent is so well attuned, so familiar with his or her own child’s voice that he or she can, at any given moment, instantly pick out that voice from all the others on the playground. So it is with intuition. As we become more spiritually attuned, we can better pinpoint the “sound” of our own inner voice, or of the Creator, and learn to recognize it.

Forms of Guidance:
How People Actually Experience Intuition

The intuitive impressions we receive come to us in a variety of ways. As you read the following descriptions and examples, we hope that you catch a glimpse of the intriguing and often unanticipated ways that intuitive impressions can be experienced. Perhaps you will recognize your own talents below and realize that you are psychic after all!

Clairvoyance—clear seeing or clear vision—is experienced when an individual discerns objects, people, or situations, not with the physical eyes, but with an internal sense sometimes referred to as the “third eye.” Such “visions” concern something beyond one’s physical view, e.g., in the next room, down the street, or a thousand miles away.

Over many years, Edgar Cayce’s sons, Hugh Lynn and Edgar Evans, shared in lectures and private conversations that their father’s remarkable gift manifested in several unusual ways. For example, while giving a psychic reading at his home in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Cayce could describe what the person was wearing at the time of a reading or comment on the scenery around the person’s home, even if the individual was hundreds of miles away. Another example of his clairvoyance became apparent while playing card games. He could literally see the faces of the cards that his opponents were holding. Because of this, he refused to play card games due to his unfair advantage.

Clairaudience—clear hearing—is the ability to receive thoughts or information about a person or situation through an auditory sense instead of a visual one. This information is actually inaudible to the normal hearing range. It can be experienced as delicate sounds such as music, bells, or singing. It might also manifest as a knocking, siren, or other attention-getting sound. Most often, it comes as a voice that is literally heard either directly in the brain or through the auditory sense, as if it comes from beside or behind the person.

This voice can have many aspects, at times sounding like the person’s own, and at others taking on a change of tone, volume, or pitch and sounding like someone else. It can take on an authoritarian tone or that of warning, gentle prodding, or encouragement. It can also be very objective and matter-of-fact. Some intuitives/psychics call it the voice of their guardian angels.

Ellen’s mother, Lila, had experienced clairaudience for much of her life.

In sharing her experience of learning to work with this type of intuition, she explained, “I learned as a child that if I wanted to just try to discover something, I could look at some plant or a tree, and kind of go within. And I found that when I asked a specific question and listened—there’s a very deep listening involved—I could get answers that way, and many of them were the kind that would be comforting.”

Through Lila’s focused development of this faculty, she was eventually able to receive information for others. On one occasion, this information came in response to a friend’s need. Roslyn and Sol were expecting their third child. When she received the call that Ros had given birth to a little girl, Lila was overjoyed. With their two boys, the family was now complete.

Lila went shopping for a greeting card to send to Ros and Sol. As she reached for a card, a shocking impression came: “Ros and Sol are very worried about their baby, but she will be all right.”

Deeply concerned, Lila purchased the card and went home, thinking, “If anything was wrong, Ros would have told me!”

Though she doubted the accuracy of the message, Lila did pass it along in a note to Ros, who later called her. In a voice filled with heartbreak, Ros explained that her daughter had been born with a severe cleft palate. She and Sol were devastated, and Lila’s note had been their first ray of hope. The intuitive message proved to be correct over time. After many operations, the child’s condition was corrected, and she grew up to be a beautiful woman.

Clairsentience—clear sensing—is probably the most frequent way intuition manifests in our lives—through hunches, gut feelings, or a sense of inner knowing without consciously understanding how one knows. This “sensing” is often accompanied by a physical sensation—for some people in the solar plexus, for others in the heart area. Some feel a prickling of their skin. The physical sensation can vary with each person.

This information comes to us in a variety of ways. At times, it comes as a thought that walks across the mind in a natural, subtle manner. When intuition comes to us in this way, it is so much like the regular musings of our mind that we can easily miss it, dismiss it, or mistake it for our own ruminations.

This “knowing” can also come to us in the form of advice on one’s personal life. Lecturer and author of Edgar Cayce on Angels, Archangels and the Unseen Forces, Rob Grant recounted in an interview with us the intuition he received regarding his move to Virginia Beach to work at the A.R.E.:

“I had gotten out of the U.S. Navy and had gone back home to Indiana. I had been in broadcasting—the newspaper business and TV—and so my dad thought that was what I would pursue. I was signed up for college … then I got the copy of A.R.E.’s Venture Inward magazine that talked about computerizing the [Edgar Cayce] readings. Ever since I was sixteen, I had been interested in the readings.

“When I saw that article, I didn’t just think, ‘Oh, I’d like to do that.’

“Instead, I knew without a doubt, ‘I am going to Virginia Beach to do this.’ It seemed startling, because it wasn’t a thought, but a knowing. In retrospect, I see it was the clear voice of the Divine speaking through my intuition.

“At the same time, I thought I was a little crazy, because it dawned on me, ‘I’m not going to college?!’

“The most difficult part was trying to convey to my friends and loved ones why I had made this choice, when outwardly it just didn’t make any sense. I was going to move to Virginia Beach, and I knew I would be part of this project. And so it was simultaneously an unsettling but euphoric feeling. There was no mistake that it wasn’t just a thought, and it wasn’t just wishful thinking.

“My father said, ‘So, you’re going to Virginia Beach to pursue a job you don’t have yet, right?’

“The hardest thing about it was my family and friends thinking I was a little crazy.

“But I drove to Virginia Beach and all the while felt a sense of trepidation, but it never stopped me. As a result of that move, I was able to do this amazing work with the readings, which led to my work as a writer and speaker. So the people who once questioned my judgment now say, ‘my son, the author’ or ‘my friend, the author.’ As I look back, I see now why that came through so clearly.

“It was the result of my asking, ‘What am I supposed to do?’ It was really like a prayer.”

In following his intuition to move to Virginia Beach, Grant made a decision which proved to be life-changing. Had he followed his plan to attend college, it might have been a good, sensible decision. However, his choice to follow the wisdom of his inner promptings resulted in a life path he might never have imagined otherwise.

Yet another way this inner voice or knowing manifests is through what Edgar Cayce described as the “high sensitive feelings” (Edgar Cayce Reading 421-5). We might experience concern for a friend, a feeling of dread that our child is in need, nervousness in the presence of unknown danger, or even profound joy at the awareness of God’s love. This type of intuition or inner knowing can also be experienced as a vague sense of discomfort that is hard to define and even harder to dispel. Marilyn, a woman we met at one of our speaking events, shared such an experience:

“Once at summer camp when I was young, I was in my cabin with my bunkmates at rest period. We were playing cards and carrying on until my counselor asked us to quiet down and to go rest in our respective bunks. I had the top bunk opposite my counselor, who was also in an upper bunk. After a few minutes of reading, I started to feel very unsettled, like something was going to happen, but I didn’t know what. I prayed silently and asked what, if anything, I should do. Immediately after the prayer, the thought came into my mind that I should get down out of my bunk. When I did so, I felt foolish just standing in the middle of the floor, so I began to pick up the cards that we had strewn about the cabin. The feeling of anxiety left immediately and was forgotten. Everyone else was asleep by then, so I tiptoed quietly so as not to disturb them. There were a few cards on the empty bunk below my counselor’s bed. Just as I bent over to gather them, she stirred and rolled over the edge of her bed, landing squarely on my back. She had been sound asleep, but awoke suddenly upon impact, and was completely disoriented. I was shocked and embarrassed, and had to crawl out from under her. Although she suffered a broken collar bone, we realized that if someone or something had not been there to break her fall, she might have hit her head on the hard suitcase that was lying on the floor by her bunk and might have suffered an even greater injury.”

Although Marilyn did not understand the source of her uneasiness, her desire to be of assistance and her attunement through prayer put her in the right place at the right time. The desire to be of service can be a clarifying force, guiding your actions even if you do not know why.

Intuition through the Other Senses

We can also experience intuition through our senses of taste and smell, known as clairsavorance and clairscent, respectively, though these are not as common as the others. In Edgar Cayce Reading 5163-1, a woman asked Cayce what was the meaning of a particular scent that she smelled in the house periodically. His response was that it was the intuition that she needed to cultivate—not an omen, but an influence that would be ever present. Some people have reported the experience of smelling a particular scent, such as lilacs or warm chocolate chip cookies that they associated with a special person at the moment when that person passed away. It is also reported that people frequently smell the scent of roses whenever apparitions of Mother Mary occur.

The Perception of Vibration or Energy

Intuition can also manifest as the discernment of energy or vibration, which can take many forms.

Telepathy is thought transference from the subconscious of one individual to that of another. This takes place nonverbally and is commonly referred to as “mind reading.”

The following story was conveyed to us by Lee, a mother who encountered an unmistakable case of telepathic communication with her two-year-old daughter, Erin, many years ago.

“I was in the process of organizing my day’s activities to make room for an evening out with my husband,” she told us. “I decided that I should give Erin a bath right away rather than later at night when we returned. I no sooner thought those words than my two year old looked up at me with pleading eyes and said quite adamantly, ‘But, Mommy, I don’t want to take a bath right now.’ After the initial shock at her response to my nonverbal idea, I suddenly realized just how true the statement ‘thoughts are things’ really is!”

Aura Perception is the ability to see or feel the energy field surrounding all living beings. In Edgar Cayce Reading 319-2, Cayce described the aura as, “… the emanation that arises from the very vibratory influences of an individual entity, mentally, spiritually—especially of the spiritual forces.” The aura’s colors and vibration can indicate the condition and health of one’s physical body, the mental/emotional state of one’s mind, and the clarity of one’s spiritual understanding.

The ability to see auras is one that may come naturally, as with many young children, or can be developed over time. Our young friend Erin, who could so easily pick up on her mother’s thoughts, also displayed the ability to perceive auras several years later when she was in kindergarten. She came home from school one day and began telling her mother about the “shadows” she saw around people. After a trip to the eye doctor, who said that Erin had perfect vision, Lee pursued the concept of “shadows” more fully in a conversation with her child.

Erin explained how she would usually see “pink shadows” around some of her friends at school.

She said, “Your shadow is blue most of the time, Mommy. And Daddy’s is kind of yellow-gold, except when he’s mad, ’cause then it turns red! But, when I get scared at night I come into your bedroom, because you and Dad glow in the dark like night lights.”

Erin’s ability to see auras did not seem unusual to her. She assumed that everyone saw colors around each other. Erin’s mother observed that seeing the colors was less significant than the fact that her daughter’s sensitivity to people’s energy patterns and vibrations enhanced her capacity to be compassionate, diplomatic, and cognizant of others’ needs.

Donna Eden, contemporary healer and co-author of Energy Medicine, visually perceives the aura as well as many different energy systems in and around the body. She believes that we are all actually born with the ability to see auras, but, because it is not generally understood or encouraged, that ability diminishes over time. In Energy Medicine, Eden and her co-author, David Feinstein, explain that the aura has several functions. It is an energy buffer that surrounds and protects a person, acting as a filter. And it both sends and receives information, acting as an aerial.

As a filter, the aura acts as an energetic force field, surrounding the body and protecting it from the environment, our first line of defense against illness, electromagnetic fields, and other toxic energies. As an antenna, the aura picks up information from all around us. Like the sensitive filaments of a newly formed spider’s web, the aura pulls in information from other people and from their subtle energies.

Sensing the aura is actually two-fold: One, being aware of the energy field itself and the significance of the colors and feelings associated with it, and two, being sensitive to and interpreting the information it receives and draws into the body. Perhaps aura perception is one way we experience clairsentience—that knowing without consciously understanding how.

The importance of sensing our individual energy fields for both physical and spiritual health is emphasized in the shamanic healing traditions of Peru, in which the aura is referred to as the Luminous Energy Field (LEF). Shamans can sense or see imprints that linger in the LEF when an individual experiences trauma or disease, whether in this lifetime or previous ones. The shaman helps to restore balance to the energy field by releasing and/or shifting the stagnant energy out of the person’s auric field. Well-known author, shaman, and medical anthropologist Alberto Villoldo tells his students that our LEF, and specifically the light within the eighth chakra located above one’s head, is that part of us that is always connected with God. In other words, our LEF is at one with all of Creation.

Perception of other realms. Yet another way this intuition of vibration manifests is the ability to visually perceive life forms from other dimensions. These forms might include loved ones who have passed on, spirit guides, angels, nature spirits, and others. In Edgar Cayce Reading 2073-2, the recipient was told, “… the entity oft becomes aware of a vision within the environs or surroundings that is not of an earthly making, but is of the celestial spheres; and also of the beauty in color, and the figures that are indicated in those colors, as also music that blends with same … Cultivate these, for they—as the activities in the imaginative realms (should some choose to call them such)—become close akin to the real soul self …”

Psychometry is the ability to discern information from the energy vibration of an object. By holding an object in one’s hand, it is possible to pick up intuitive information about the object and/or the person to whom it belongs. Impressions can be received through visual images, words, thoughts, or physical sensations about the object (or through a combination of these). Insights can also come from the vibrations in a particular location or setting.

Nancy shared a spontaneous experience she had with psychometry:

“A week or so before Christmas, I had been meditating and praying more frequently and fervently than usual, trying to keep myself balanced so as not to succumb to the frantic atmosphere of the holiday season. One day, as I took the mail from my mailbox, I noticed a bright red envelope with a postmark from Australia. My friend Lucinda lived there, and I had not heard from her in two years.

“At the precise moment that I picked it up, I had a tremendous flash of insight, and I spoke out loud the words, ‘Lucinda is going to have a baby!’

“There was no reason for me to think that on a conscious level, but I hurriedly opened the envelope to see what was inside. It was a Christmas card from Lucinda and her note at the bottom was quite startling: ‘By the way, we’re expecting a baby in February.’”

Nancy felt that she was experiencing a heightened attunement as a result of her meditations, which allowed her to tap into the vibration of Lucinda’s exciting news even before she opened the card.

Intuition through Time

Sometimes the intuition we receive relates to a time other than the present.

Precognition is the ability to know about something before it actually occurs. This insight into the future can happen in the conscious state as well as in the dream state and can be experienced through any of the “clear senses” mentioned earlier. The following example is one in which clairsentience plays a part in a precognitive experience.

This story was shared by Lynn, a former co-worker who was learning how to recognize her own intuitive insights. She shared the story of having the following thought “walk” through her mind while she was driving down the street.

She thought, “What would happen if a person stepped off the sidewalk into traffic?”

It came out of nowhere, totally out of context of any other strains of thought, and seemed particularly odd because it was phrased in the form of a question. That was the part that caught her attention. If it hadn’t been a question, she might not have even noticed it.

Within two weeks, that very event occurred. While Lynn was driving down that same street, an elderly man, who was obviously disoriented, stepped out from between two cars and right into the path of her vehicle. With the recognition that “this was it,” she was able to control her car and bring it quickly to a stop. In doing so, she avoided hitting the pedestrian and alerted the drivers behind her to the danger.

Retrocognition is the ability to know details about something that has taken place in the past without having been told or having read about it. As with precognition, it is possible to experience these insights through any of the “clear senses” mentioned earlier.

Memories of past life experiences are instances of retrocognition. The following example, shared by a martial arts student, Danielle, demonstrates qualities of both clairvoyance and clairsentience. In this situation, Danielle describes a spontaneous past life recall while talking with her friend Ben:

“Once while talking with several friends about the possible past-life connections among us, Ben mentioned that he felt sure that he had been a samurai warrior in Japan in a recent incarnation. To be quite honest, I had no idea what it meant to be a samurai warrior. But all of a sudden, a curtain fell in front of my eyes, showing an immense vista in front of me, like the first few seconds of a dramatic feature film. It was a lush green valley with stark mountains in the distance—a scene I have never seen before or since. I had the feeling of movement, of the wind hitting my face, and of traveling a long distance at great speed. I couldn’t tell if we were on foot or horseback, but my friend Ben was definitely one of my traveling companions in what I could only assume was Japan. In that brief moment, I understood why such an easy camaraderie existed between us.”

Recognizing Intuitive Insights

How do we know when we are receiving intuitive information? How do we discern that particular type of information from the thousands of impulses we receive every day? As with the different types of information experienced by individuals, confirmations of intuition come to us in a variety of ways. Many people, especially those whose intuitive strength is through clairsentience, experience physical sensations that are harbingers of truth. If the impressions are of a warning nature, the physical indicators might include restlessness, physical pain, or discomfort in the stomach. Positive insights might trigger “goose bumps,” a spinning sensation at the top of the head, spontaneous tears, warmth in the hands or at the base of the spine, or a sense of opening in the heart area.

Other people experience the existence of intuitive information through the emotions, such as a feeling of uneasiness, concern, or confusion. When the information is of a positive nature, joy, euphoria, or profound peace may prevail. Another indicator of intuitive information is a sense of great clarity, whether the insight comes as a thought, impression, voice, or vision.

Intuitive Development: Purpose and Intent

Hugh Lynn Cayce, elder son of Edgar Cayce, worked a great deal with the material in the readings, particularly that which covered the inner workings of psychic abilities. After many years of interacting with Search for God study group members and experimenting with various ways of developing his own intuition, Hugh Lynn concluded that there are three valuable outcomes of developing intuitive attunement, which he often shared in his lectures:

1. Improved communications—When we learn to use our intuition in positive ways, a greater understanding of the motivations, thoughts, and feelings of others may result. This allows us to become more tolerant, accepting, and loving toward them.

2. Unleashed creativity—Intuitive insights motivate us to grow closer to the creative source, thereby igniting our own creative spark and expression, which is the essence of our true self.

3. Healing of others and ourselves—As we listen to our inner voice, to the highest within ourselves, and feel motivated to help humanity, we open ourselves to the One Force and allow its healing energy to operate through us.

 

Diversions on the Intuitive Path

Fear

If we all have access to intuition, information that would help us live happier, more creative, and fulfilled lives, what is it that keeps us from tuning into, recognizing, and benefiting from it? Without a doubt, the greatest impediment to effectively working with and understanding our own intuitive strengths is fear. It can take many forms—fear of what others might think, fear of looking foolish, fear of making a mistake, fear of the unknown, fear of consequences, fear of losing control. The list goes on. The following quote illustrates how problematic fear can be.

“Fear is that element in the character and in the experience of individuals which brings about more of trouble than any other influence in the experience of an entity. For, when ye are sure of the right path and follow it, ye do not fear.”
(Edgar Cayce Reading 2560-1)

Our fears can lead us into a state of denial where we do not even recognize the promptings of our intuition when it tries to gain our attention. When we let these fears take hold, we are closing ourselves off from the greatest source of insight, help, and comfort that we have available to us.

If we let the voices of others speak louder, whether they are our closest friends and relatives of today or the authoritarian voices and childhood tauntings of years past, we give them greater power than our own insights. Edgar Cayce Reading 5124-1 describes what takes place when we allow this to happen:

“Here we have the experience of an entity through the years, because of what others say, constantly submerging that which has ever been the real interest of the entity: Intuition, things psychic, mysteries and such activities. Had the body, through these years not allowed what others said to influence the body to keep this intuition out of the life, much greater would have been the development of the body.”

Fear is perhaps the greatest impediment to recognizing and developing your own intuitive voice. Fortunately, there are avenues for working through those fears to obtain greater clarity and understanding. Our friend Janice, who utilizes several such tools in her spiritual development, shared an experience in which her fears nearly overrode her intuition regarding the purchase of a used car. Because she was aware that she was letting fear take precedence, she found a way to work through it and take action instead of remaining immobilized. She told us:

“I needed to replace my ten-year-old, unreliable car. I searched the local dealerships and newspapers while researching information on the makes and models of the vehicles I was seeing.

“One evening, I test-drove a compact sedan, and as I tooled around the neighborhood, I felt an opening in my heart. I was really excited about the car, as it seemed a good fit. Then fears crept in, and I became obsessed with ‘what ifs’—What if my intuition is wrong and there’s something better and less expensive out there for me? What if I’m not able to sell my old car? What if… what if…? I was literally driving myself crazy.

“Finally, I asked in prayer what I should do, and shortly after, I remembered an exercise from Lucia Capacchione’s book, The Power of Your Other Hand. This exercise gives voice to the unexpressed emotions and impressions that influence our self-image, self-esteem, and behavior. I began by writing, with my dominant hand, questions regarding how I felt about the car and the situation in general. With my non-dominant hand, I wrote the responses, a process that helps to disengage normal rational thought and allows suppressed or forgotten thoughts and emotions to come to the surface.

“After a few questions, the voice that came through in my writing was that of my inner child, to whom I had paid little attention over the years. What I learned was that she was afraid that if I purchased this car, I would pay even less attention to her need for expression, that is, my need to play, be lighthearted, and to laugh. The car that I was considering was very different from the SUV that she wanted, but I couldn’t afford. So, my inner child felt ignored and fought back by creating confusion.

“Because of the writing exercise, I was able to mentally tune into my inner child and made a commitment to take care of my need for excitement and play. Then I went out and purchased the car, which has served me very well.”

Low Self-Esteem

If allowing fears to take hold can be so detrimental to our development, why do we let it happen? Why does fear take precedence over our inner knowledge? One reason is low self-esteem. We forget that we possess a divine inheritance with direct access to all the help and guidance we need. We doubt our own ability to be in touch with our inner voice, or that it even exists, allowing negative thoughts and feelings to disguise our true nature. When we focus on thoughts such as: “I’m not good enough,” “I don’t know how,” “I’m not as smart as…,” we feed our fears rather than the divine spark within, hindering our inner perception.

Our environment tends to support the suppression of our true inner voice. Western culture’s emphasis on acquiring knowledge and collecting information in a purely linear, rational way is a major factor in dismissive attitudes towards non-linear thinking. In traditional institutions, it is common to consider the expression of intuitive, innate knowledge as being less valid. Nonlinear thinking is generally not appreciated, and after years of this non-supportive response, most sensitive people learn to squelch the expression of their true feelings. Perhaps the key to integrating the inner voice with acquired knowledge is in finding ways to couch intuitive insights in more conventionally acceptable terms, allowing for an appropriate expression in any given circumstance. Support for incorporating the inspiration of our own inner voice into daily life comes from a highly respected source, renowned physicist Albert Einstein.

In his book Einstein on Cosmic Religion and Other Opinions & Aphorisms, he mentions his own experience with intuition, relating how he sometimes knows things to be true, even when he has no empirical proof. In fact, he gives great credence to the expression of the imaginative forces, considering it to be the key factor in human development.

Loss of Attunement or Unclear Intent

The Cayce Readings are very clear that in order to tune into our inner voice through our intuitive capabilities, we must allow spiritual growth to become our primary focal point. Maintaining regular spiritual practices is absolutely essential to establishing and nourishing that attunement.

In addition to focused spiritual attunement, we need to be clear about our intent and clarifying our ideals. If we allow self-glorification, control over others, or a desire to simply make life easier to become our guiding motivation, we lose our connection to our true ideal. Most often, this creates a muddying effect on our inner voice, causing insights to become inaccurate or unreliable. In order to remain true to our intuitive senses, unconditional love and service to others should be our guiding lights.

Pitfalls on the Intuitive Path

Judging Others

In the process of recognizing and developing our intuitive gifts, we will most likely begin to pick up information about those around us, our family, friends, co-workers, or even someone we pass on the street. It can be a great temptation to judge their thoughts, emotions, or actions based on our insights. It is vital to seek ways that we can be of service rather than compounding another’s burden by being judgmental, and it’s important to remind ourselves that there is always more to a story than we might realize.

Misinterpreting Signals

As we begin to put our intuitive insights into practice, it is likely that we will experience times when we just don’t get it right. The following example is one in which the misinterpretation of an intuitive insight, compounded by judgment of another person, created a very uncomfortable and difficult situation. It was told to us by Ria, who shared this story after attending one of our lectures. She explained:

“Several years ago, I attended a conference and roomed with a woman I didn’t know very well and of whom I felt a bit distrustful. On the final evening, as I was drifting off to sleep, I had the impression that I should move my small pack, which contained my wallet, to a more secure spot. The feeling was very strong, but I was exhausted, so I left it where it was and went to sleep.

“The next morning, I pulled my hairbrush out of the pack and went into the bathroom, completely forgetting that my belongings were unattended. When I remembered that the pack was now open in full view on the bed, I panicked and raced back to the room. I scooped up everything that had fallen out, but could not locate my wallet. I looked everywhere.

“Certain that my intuition had been a warning about this person, I asked if she knew the whereabouts of my wallet. When she said, ‘No,’ I insisted that she open her suitcase for me. I then went through her belongings. Although this response was not my normal mode of dealing with a crisis, I was filled with conviction, certain that I knew what was going on, and standing up for myself.

“My roommate was understandably confused and appalled by my actions. However, she tried to not take my behavior personally. After we both searched through each other’s suitcases and other belongings, I finally found my wallet trapped in a fold of the blanket on my bed. I felt absolutely awful and incredibly ashamed.

“My first mistake had been in ignoring my intuition in the first place. If I had put my wallet in a more secure location, it would not have fallen out of my pack, and I would not have had to worry about it. My second mistake was the assumption that my intuition was about my roommate’s behavior and not my own. If I had followed through on my initial intuition, the entire incident could have been avoided.”

When we allow ourselves to learn from our inner voice, to move with it, and to grow with it, we truly progress—even, or perhaps especially, when we stumble and make mistakes.

In Edgar Cayce Reading 317-7, one person asked Cayce, “How can I avoid getting incorrect answers?”

Cayce’s response reflects the great compassion of the Universal Forces.

He said, “No one way while remaining in the flesh! For, there is ever the trial, the test, the gradual growth. And there are faults, but use those faults as stepping-stones—and be guided by the greater influence that is thy ideal.”

More than a simple “try, try again” approach, this answer reflects a compassionate understanding of the complexities of life on earth and of the struggle through which every soul must find its way.

Steps to Intuitive Development

The following suggestions emphasize practices that will strengthen our connection with the Divine within and help us to better discern the information we receive:

• Engage in spiritual practices—Intuition develops naturally as a result of our spiritual development. Meditating, praying, setting ideals, and working with other like-minded individuals are all important tools for spiritual growth.
• Ask questions during meditation and listen for the answers—If an answer isn’t forthcoming, consider that there may be other underlying questions that need to be answered first.
• Pay attention to the impressions you receive as you fall asleep or first awaken—Insights will come as a result of asking questions during meditation, through inner reflection, or as you are falling asleep. Write these down, and find a positive way to act on them.
• Trust your inner self as much as your analytical self—This can take practice, as it is easy to brush aside our intuitive promptings. Give yourself permission to freely express the intuitive self and listen to your inner voice more frequently.
• Have an insatiable curiosity—Discover those things you are drawn to and follow them.
• Practice inspirational/soul writing after a period of meditation or attunement—While in the meditative state, write down your thoughts, feelings, and impressions.
• Spend time in nature—We can learn about our own natural balance and harmony by connecting with those primordial aspects of God’s creation.
• Exercise regularly and maintain a healthy diet—If the physical body is not in equilibrium, our intuitive development is inhibited.
• Listen to uplifting music and read inspiring literature—This positive engagement of our mental and emotional selves nourishes us spiritually.
• Develop your creative imagination—Spend time expressing talents and activities for which you have a passion.

Conclusion

Intuitive awareness is more than just an indicator of how adept we are at accessing psychic perceptions. It is an indication of how attuned we are to our inner voice. When we develop and rely on our abilities, discern inner truths, and apply that awareness on the physical level, we open the doorway to manifesting our true highest selves. In the following quote, Cayce emphasizes how beneficial developing one’s intuition can be.

“The more and more each is impelled by that which is intuitive, or the relying upon the soul force within, the greater, the farther, the deeper, the broader, the more constructive may be the result…”
(Edgar Cayce Reading 792-2)

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