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Spirituality

Believing in the Magic—and the Reality—of Intuition

Kathy Roman | Updated Jun 21, 2019

The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.

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Kathy Roman | Jun 21, 2019

The views expressed in our content reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.

Do you follow your intuition? We all have it, but many people fail to follow their innermost feelings.

The dictionary defines intuition as “The ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning,” and as “A thing that one knows or considers likely from instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning.”

For me, pure intuition always provides pure guidance. Because intuition is so under-utilized, its expression remains in its infancy, however I believe that we all have the power to tap into it.

Being aware of one’s emotional state has a great impact on how much intuition we let in. Thoughts that feel pure and good can lead us in the right direction, and thoughts that feel adverse often don’t align with the truth. If we believe in the seeming magic of intuition, we will eventually see its reality.

RELATED: Does Intuition Come From Your Soul?

Woman have historically better accepted and utilized their intuitive powers—but nevertheless, as we continue to evolve as a planet, the Baha’i teachings say that men will begin to claim this spiritual quality as their own, when the equality of men and women brings about a “more evenly balanced” civilization. In “Star of the West,” Abdu’l-Baha, the son of the prophet and founder of the Baha’i Faith, Baha’u’llah, wrote:

The world in the past has been ruled by force, and man has dominated over woman by reason of his more forceful and aggressive qualities both of body and mind. But the balance is already shifting; force is losing its dominance, and mental alertness, intuition, and the spiritual qualities of love and service, in which woman is strong, are gaining ascendancy. Hence the new age will be an age less masculine and more permeated with the feminine ideals … an age in which the masculine and feminine elements of civilization will be more evenly balanced.

In my quest to allow greater intuition into my life I only have to observe my daughter Julia. I realized when she was too young to talk that she was very intuitive, like so many young children. As a toddler, she used to like to brush my hair. One day, as I sat on the floor watching TV with Julia I thought, “I would really love it if Julia would go get the brush and brush my hair right now.” Immediately Julia got up, went to the bedroom, got a brush and then proceeded to brush my hair. From that day on I have delighted in the many manifestations of her intuition. This spiritual knowing of hers was not limited to people, but to all living creatures.

Being in tune with our inner guidance can seem truly magical by materialistic standards, but when it happens repeatedly it becomes hard to deny. Still, many times, if I had not seen it with my own eyes I would find it hard to believe.

Case in point, a few days ago, my daughter Julia came home from her job as a teacher. As she talked about her day, I saw her open her lunch bag and pull out a frozen cold pack. On it was a fly, just sitting there. I watched as she took the cold pack outside, and the insect flew off of it and away. As I tried to understand what I had just seen, my daughter proceeded to tell me what had happened to her earlier that day.

“I was in a conference room today, Mom, and I noticed this fly in the room. He was trapped because all the windows were closed as well as the door and there was no way he was ever going to get free. I felt bad and he flew over and sat right in front of me. I sent him loving thoughts, wished the little creature well and then went about my day and forgot about him. Somehow he found his way into my lunch pack and survived the rest of the day and the drive home until now when I opened my pack and found him inside!”

RELATED: Be Kind to all the Human Race—and the Animals, Too

We both looked at each other in amazement. Was it really possible that my daughter’s loving thoughts engaged with this tiny insect enough so that he was drawn intuitively to find safety in her care? Or was it my daughter’s intuitive intention that transported the little fly to shelter? In any case, my daughter’s intention and prayer for the fly was realized and the tiny creature was saved. Many people would think it silly to care about a simple fly, but my daughter, being raised a Baha’i, has always been taught to hold the utmost love and respect for all living creatures. In the Baha’i writings we are told that all life is sacred:

Briefly, it is not only their fellow human beings that the beloved of God must treat with mercy and compassion, rather must they show forth the utmost loving-kindness to every living creature.

Unless ye must,
Bruise not the serpent in the dust,
How much less wound a man.
And if ye can,
No ant should ye alarm,
Much less a brother harm.

Since I was a teenager I have been fascinated with the subject of intuition, which always seemed magic and otherworldly. One day I had a conversation with a dear friend on the topic. My lovely elderly friend named Ramona Brown had the privilege of spending many occasions conversing with Abdu’l-Baha on a variety of subjects. On one such occasion the subject of intuition came up and he told her, as recounted in “Memories of Abdu’l-Baha”:

You have intuition. You must follow it always, because when you follow it, it increases and becomes more clear. Only a few have this gift. It is like the tinkling of bells, a sixth sense, like the voice of God speaking. The more one follows intuition, the more it increases.

So how do we develop this wondrous spiritual quality of intuition? Perhaps it requires learning to balance our intellect with what our heart says, and listening carefully to that still, small voice of the soul we all have within us.

Intuition comes when we listen to the promptings of the unseen, loving guides all around us. Trusting when something feels right, and following our emotional guidance as a sure path, can help us achieve our spiritual goals. I would even venture to say that the more we get in touch with the pure guidance of our inner being through heartfelt prayer, consistent meditation and sincere reflection, the more we will be able to hear that magic “tinkling of the bells.”

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Comments

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  • Jennifer Chapman
    Aug 4, 2019
    -
    Kathy, when I was on pilgrimage in 2011, the House of Justice member who spoke to the pilgrims said, "This five year plan is the time the House of Justice wants the Baha'is to begin to develop their intuitive intelligence." I have always been an intuitive, and have worked on this since. There neds to be a book!
    • Aug 5, 2019
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      This is incredibly exciting news, Jennifer! Thank you so much for sharing that.
  • April Egger
    Jul 1, 2019
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    Yes I love this article and the gentmd reminder of feeling into these hunches I was so stuck on trusting how will i know if this is my intuition well you won't you will not have proof at least but you will know if it feels right and light of not check back anyways thank you for breaking it down and reminding us of the beautiful simplicity of what is intuition,So Much Love to You!!!
  • Jun 26, 2019
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    Mindfulness, awareness, insight, observation--stem from intuition. I used to think it was just a sense of right and wrong, but it is much more as your article points out. "To know" -- immediately and correctly is indeed a rare gift, but one we can develop as all the sages describe. Thanks for the reminder.
    • Jun 26, 2019
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      Thank you so much for your comments, Rodney. They always make me reflect and touch my heart.
  • Camilla Chance
    Jun 24, 2019
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    Forgive me, I don't know how to express it otherwise - I have interactions like your daughter's with the fly almost every day. If we are children of the half-light, sometimes, it seems to me, a huge ray of the rising sun gives us a glimpse of how heaven on earth will be. Love from Camilla Chance
  • Robert Green
    Jun 22, 2019
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    reflections on life "in" the spirit... beautifully expressed :) thank you
  • Mark David Vinzens
    Jun 22, 2019
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    Intuition is the language of our Higher Self, our Soul, the Holy Spirit. We are called to be in the flow of divine guidance every moment of our lives. May you all be guided by the intuition and everlasting intelligence within you.
    • Jun 22, 2019
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      Thank you for this beautiful reflection, Mark.
  • Andrew Scott
    Jun 21, 2019
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    Dear Kathy, you have written about "A word hath, likewise, been written down and recorded by the Pen of the Most High in the Crimson Book which is capable of fully disclosing that force which is hid in men, nay of redoubling its potency". Vanquishing the fear of death is the gateway to pure joy and innate knowledge, because through it we rediscover who we are. Thank you Kathy, for these precious notes.
  • Charles Boyle
    Jun 21, 2019
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    I love the idea of being "spiritually situationally aware", a bit of a mouthful, capturing the idea that, just as a pilot needs to be aware of his horizon, or a diver know which way is towards the surface, we need to be alert to what is happening around us and the virtues or lack of that are occurring moment by moment so we are not swept up in it all and can properly apply ourselves. That ability is the essence of intuition.
    • Jun 21, 2019
      -
      I agree. Thank you for your thoughtful comments, Charles.
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