Intuition is a word that can be confusing and it has many different meanings depending on the person.

The general idea behind intuition is knowing what something or somebody wants without having to ask them. 

Usually it feels like you’re getting the answer from an intelligent source.

In this case, the definition of intuition means ‘of, relating to, involving, proceeding from intelligence’.

But there are many other definitions of intuition and we’ll talk about some down below!

Ultimately you have to figure out what your intuition means for you.

And only you can answer this question yourself:  How can you tap into the power of intuition so you can make more wise decisions, such as reducing food cravings?

This article will define intuition, give examples of intuition, and provide tips for using your intuition in everyday life!

What Does Intuition Mean?

The Oxford dictionary defines intuition as “the ability to understand someone or something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning”.

The Oxford dictionary also offers another definition, based on middle English, that  intuition is an “instinctual knowing”.  In other words, it’s a feeling that something is right or going to happen before we have all the information about it.

Intuition is also known as having knowledge without trying to reason out how one knows what he/she does know.

This type of knowledge cannot be explained logically by facts or learned through life experiences alone. Our brains just seem to already have knowledge of certain things!

In other words, intuition can be a feeling or an idea that makes sense in some way but you cannot explain it with words.

Intuition Is Something Without Measure & Tough To Define Precisely

I remember for most of my life I scoffed at the idea of intuition, something without precise measure.

I believed that if you couldn’t see it or touch it, then it didn’t exist.

But when I started to notice ways my intuition would show up in my life, I realized how important this thing was for me!

I first started becoming more intuitive when I started practicing meditation and yoga regularly. I started noticing how my expectations for the day would turn out to be true.

If I felt anxious during meditation early in the day, then it seemed like something anxious happened to me later in the day and vice versa!

Let’s briefly list some very tangible benefits of intuition, even if  intuition is something without a precise definition!

Benefits of Intuition

Here are a few benefits of intuition:

• Intuition can help you make better decisions
• Intuition is a natural way to feel in tune with the world around you
• Using your intuition will often lead to more happiness and fulfillment
• Using your intuition helps you stay grounded.

I believe that using your intuition to stay grounded is one of the most important benefits.

For example, we often get swept up in what seems like an exciting opportunity, such as going to Las Vegas or great deals for Black Friday. But we may not be thinking about whether this is something we really want deep down inside! 

In other words, we may not be paying attention to our intuition!

It’s so easy for us humans to ignore these subtle feelings because they’re hard to measure on paper or even define precisely.

Let’s try to better understand intuition by providing some examples.  🙂

What Are Examples Of Intuition?

Intuition manifests itself in many ways.

Some people might have a gut feeling when it comes to their personal lives or the future.

For example, they may go out on a date and get an intuitive sense that this person is not right for them, so they end things early. 

Intuition can also show up in dreams, which are very important messages from your subconscious mind.

The main point is that everyone experiences it differently.

For some people, for some people intuition takes the form of strong emotions, while others experience more subtle hints such as noticing someone’s body language change before you ask what happened…

Regardless of how we feel about our intuitions at first glance, there are many benefits to trusting oneself and acting on these feelings!

In fact, just like intuition means different things, there are also different words for intuition too!

What Is Another Word For Intuition?

If you feel confused about the definition of ‘intuition’ then try  some of these words, which mean pretty much the same thing!

• instinct
• sixth sense
• feeling in your gut
• hunch

Each of these words has a slightly different meaning, but they all describe this inner wisdom that we can’t always put into words!

If you want to see my synonyms for Intuition, check out more words here: https://www.thesaurus.com/browse/intuition

It’s interesting to think about how many emotions and feelings are connected with our intuition.

We don’t usually feel anxious or upset when intuitively trusting ourselves.

But, when we second guess what we want, without any reason, then it isn’t surprising if those anxious emotions start coming up too!

This is why intuition can be scary for some people!

Why Intuition Can Appear Scary

In my line of work I help people who struggle with food.

Intuitive Eating is a big concept these days in the health field. Often I get contacted by people who know they need to lose weight, but know about the dangerous long-term effects of dieting.

They hear about Intuitive Eating, which sounds promising. But then when they try on their own to listen to their ‘Intuition’, all they hear is a voice which tells them to eat more, more, more!

It’s easy to confuse intuition with urges, cravings, or even crazy voices!

But remember, for people like me, intuition is actually a word I use each day and now makes sense to me! 

You can learn how to use your intuitive ability to start making more creative, wiser decisions based off of BOTH external facts and your internal wisdom.

How To Tell Intuition Apart From Urges, Cravings, or Crazy Voices

It’s strange how sometimes a sudden feeling can be considered ‘intuition’. But other times a sudden feeling to yell or scream is something that’s frowned upon by society. And rightfully so!

So how do you really define intuition? How do you know when intuition is good, or bad?

The difference between intuition and urges, cravings, or even crazy voices:    

• Intuitive ideas come with joy – they make us feel good about ourselves.
• Following your intuitions leads you to greater openness, creativity and self-care.
• It’s important to listen to your intuition, for it can eventually lead you in a positive direction.

Urges, cravings and crazy voices are the opposite: they come with stress.

• Urges give rise to guilt – we tell ourselves these things ‘aren’t who I am’.
• Cravings tell us to do things that are socially irresponsible.
• Crazy voices trigger fear – sometimes even of going insane.

How To Tap Into The Power Of Intuition

Here some steps you can start taking to tune into your intuitions!

• Never fear weird thoughts or impulses – they’re your intuition telling you something important. Besides, repressing these thoughts will backfire. So it’s better to  consciously explore these weird thoughts rather than immediately acting on them!
• Take a minute to reflect on what’s happening in your life, and see if any of these feelings make sense for you.
• Think back to those moments when it was revealed that somebody had been lying – we’ve all had at least one! What’s strange is how you knew this person was lying ahead of time, right? This feeling should always be listened to. If the idea doesn’t sit right then don’t go with it.
• If there is an opportunity coming up where you feel like everything will work out just fine but deep down inside you know it won’t, listen to that voice (the one warning against), because chances are this time things WILL not turn out well. Don’t drive through that red light!

For me, listening to my intuition often means ‘waiting until a deeper understanding emerges’.

For example when I wake up in the morning my first conscious thoughts are my “to do” list.

But if I stay in bed for a few more minutes and ask my mind to help me understand better, soon I’ll get a gut feeling that something is more important than the others.

It’s really important to stay still even if some random thoughts pop into your head. Like when I’m starting to listen deeply I’ll often hear a random thought pop up and say ‘Oh! Don’t forget about XYZ!’

But this thought oftentimes is annoying and superficial. I just let this thought pass and continue trying to think about what’s important for me to do for this upcoming day.

This is my intuition at work!

It can be as simple as staying still for a few minutes and reasoning with yourself, ‘What is important?’

Just stay still and continue to listen. Even if some random thoughts pop up, stay still and wait for an intuitive feeling to come. They always do if you are patient!

Definition Of Intuition: Final Thoughts

Intuition is a difficult thing to measure, use for benefit, or to define precisely with logical reasoning.

It’s possible that it exists on some other plane of reality and not in our physical world, but we can’t be sure.

What we do know is that intuition provides us with insights into the future (or knowledge about other people, aka ‘vibes’) when there are no clear clues about what will happen next.

When you feel an intense urge to buy something without any logical explanation, your brain might just have tapped into its intuitive powers. But more likely this is just the voice of capitalism and consumerism speaking to you too!

The key is to be patient and use some time listening to discern what your intuition is really telling you, apart from the random noise that’s so prevalent these days.

This is what’s most important takeaway here.

There are so many different definitions of intuitions, but slowing down and listening to your inner voice, impulse, feelings, knowledge, etc … this is the key to define intuition no matter your definition! This slowing down is also one of the best practical strategies to stop food cravings as well!

How do you define intuition? Let me know in the comments below!