Have you ever instinctively known not to get involved with someone because of the way they make you feel? It’s not that they look unusual, or say anything particularly out of the ordinary, but nevertheless, there is a deep feeling of apprehension that can arise from being in someone’s presence. It is the same feeling that warns us not to walk down an alley at a certain moment even though we may have done so the evening before with no hesitation. I would describe this experience as an intuitive hunch or gut instinct. Apparently, cops get them all the time, and even rely on them quite heavily in certain situations. But how do we know it’s our intuitive instinct talking rather than some other force inside us? 

          Take an example. Say you meet an attractive person in a café and he or she wants to meet up with you later. How do you decide what to do? From my experience, there are three distinct ways to make decisions such as these. 

          The first involves emotion. When considering whether to accept or decline, we can be moved by a desire for gratification, from a place of want and the need for stimulation. Or perhaps a feeling of loneliness has worked its way in, a sensation of lack in which we perceive we must fill a certain type of whole.

          The problem with living on the basis of emotion is not that it's "wrong" or immature, but that ultimately it is impossible for all of our desires to be satisfied when and where we want them to be. It is also true that the feeling of lack at the foundation of most emotional decisions is unpleasant and tends to spread itself into other aspects of life, when each one of us is fully capable of producing positive feelings on our own by simply coming back into the moment.

          On the other hand, if our decision to go out is motivated by a belief about what is "right" and what is "wrong", about what we “should” or “should not” do, then logic is clearly in charge. In circumstances such as these we operate from a set of assumptions and beliefs about what we think is true or in our best interest at the time. This is problematic as well, however, because there will always be more factors to consider than we will have the time or ability to handle, while the premises we take for granted in deciding such issues with our intellectual facilties are seldom beyond question in the first place.

          When we set these elements aside, however, and allow our intuitive voice to be heard, there is a silent sense of conviction that arises. It is very fast and very clear. There is no debate, no fear, no loneliness, no need, just an internal knowledge of our own personal truth. This can inspire a feeling of excitement on some level, but the original source of an intuitive decision comes from a place of stillness and clarity rather than thought and desire. When the other voices are loud it can be difficult to pick out the truth, but it always expresses itself at least once if we have a ear to listen.

          What is the point of listening to our personal truth? This, I believe, is a question that one must answer based on one’s own experience, not the opinions of others. From my own experience I will say that I seldom feel quite so alive as I do when I'm living in line with the intuitive pulse of my life. Serendipitous things occur that I never could have planned for or thought up. I might stumble upon a great job by talking to someone I had a feeling I needed to talk to, or make a whole host of new friends. I’ve also noticed that I don't feel a sense of regret when I act on my intuitive knowledge. However things turn out, if I know I was coming from the right place when I made the decision, a sense of confidence and self-respect emerges, rather than the usual self-doubt and criticism.

          It can take a lick of courage to live in line with our intuition, and a touch of discipline as well. But at the end of the day I would certainly say that nothing could be more worth it!

- Stuart Campbell leads a Philosophy Night every Thursday at Weatherstone Cafe (21st and H) and a Philosophical Movie Night every Tuesday except the second Tuesday of the month at Firehouse 5 (9th between T and U). Both are open to the public.