Understanding Our Intuitive Abilities

Have you ever met someone and felt an unshakable sense that something about them seemed off? Or maybe you've experienced a persistent feeling urging you to go—or not go—somewhere, as if anticipating something might happen. Perhaps you've sensed the presence of someone else in the room, or caught a fleeting movement out of the corner of your eye. I'd wager that nearly every one of us has encountered at least one moment like this in our lifetime.

As I began to explore my connection to spirit, I dedicated myself to learning and understanding as much as I could about this field. I wanted to grasp the mechanics behind my experiences, enabling me to fully comprehend and process them. As I worked to define my abilities, I discovered a variety of terms and methods to classify the different ways messages can be received.

The College of Psychic Studies identifies several intuitive abilities, known as the "Clairs," which represent different ways of perceiving psychic information. Here’s a breakdown of the primary ones:

• Clairvoyance ("clear seeing") – Receiving psychic insights through mental images or visions.

• Clairaudience ("clear hearing") – Hearing sounds, voices, or messages from beyond the physical world.

• Clairsentience ("clear feeling") – Sensing emotions, energy, or vibrations from people, places, or objects.

• Claircognizance ("clear knowing") – Experiencing sudden, undeniable knowledge or insights without logical reasoning.

• Clairalience ("clear smelling") – Detecting scents with no physical source, often connected to spiritual or energetic presences.

• 
  

There are also other types, but these tend not to be as common. Here’s a breakdown:

·        Clairgustance ("clear tasting") – The ability to perceive flavors or substances without physically consuming them. Those with this ability may experience distinct tastes linked to a person, place, or object.

·        Clairtangency ("clear touching") – Also known as psychometry, this ability allows a person to receive impressions by holding or touching an object. These impressions may include emotions, images, or insights about the object's owner or history.

·        Clairkinesthesia ("clear sensing") – The perception of physical sensations or movements in the body without an external cause. Those with this ability may feel subtle energy shifts, vibrations, or physical sensations tied to a particular event or presence.

While some individuals may naturally lean toward a dominant "clair," all these abilities can be cultivated with practice.

Whenever I share my experiences, I find that many people recognize moments of their own intuition—whether through dreams that unfold in real life, gut feelings that prove eerily accurate, or an instinctive understanding of people and situations that guides them toward the right decisions. Others describe physical sensations, like chills or tingling, or encounters with unexplained environmental shifts, such as flickering lights. The truth is, intuition is within all of us. Some simply refine their ability to listen more closely and trust more deeply.

When friends come to me for guidance, I urge them to look within. My method is straightforward: rather than overanalyzing, I ask direct questions and encourage an instant yes or no response—no hesitation, no weighing of pros and cons. The conscious mind has a habit of overcomplicating things, layering uncertainty and doubt. The phrase “don’t second guess” perfectly captures this natural tendency.

The key is to trust that first instinct—the gut feeling that emerges effortlessly. It exists for a reason. The soul already knows what it wants and needs; it's simply a matter of clearing away the mental noise so we can hear it.

It’s in those moments of quiet certainty that we find what we’ve been looking for all along.

When my abilities truly began to surface, I discovered that meditation was my most valuable tool. Naturally, I’m not someone who easily falls into meditation—I have an active, often overly analytical mind that resists stillness. Learning to quiet my thoughts and allow images and messages to flow freely without trying to control them took practice.

Interestingly, my intuitive experiences often emerged in moments of deep relaxation—during massages, while practicing yoga, or in other states where my mind was at ease. Recognizing this pattern, I made meditation a regular part of my routine, giving my brain the space to lower its volume and simply listen.

Beyond the mental clarity it provides, meditation became a way for my body to release tension, even if only for a few short minutes. It wasn’t just about finding stillness—it was about creating a space where intuition could rise naturally.

I challenge you to push yourself to recognize moments when your intuition has surfaced. Take note—how did it guide you? In what form did it appear? Was it a gut feeling, a vivid dream, a sudden knowing, or an unexplained sensation? The more you pay attention, the stronger it becomes.

https://www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/enlighten/clairalience-to-clairvoyance-your-psychic-gifts/