Up: [[Senses]] Related: [[Jungian Glossary]] Created: 2026-01-25 ### Etymology The root of intuition is the Latin verb “tuitus” which primarily means “to look at.” And that’s what intuition meant to us through to the end of the 16th century. It was using an insight to mentally look at and *consider* a situation. As of the 17th century, the definition of ‘intuition’ has included the second, lesser part of its Latin root — “To watch over or protect.” Intuition is spiritually defined as, *the spiritual perception or immediate knowledge, ascribed to angelic and spiritual beings, with whom vision and knowledge are identical.* In more everyday terms, intuition is *an inward directed gaze that has connotations of guidance and protection.* (Kathleen Wiley) _____________ ### From a Jungian Perspective Intuition is just one of Jung’s [[Psychological Types]]. He defines it as perception by means of the unconscious. It’s a bridge between the concrete world of what is and the imaginal world of what could be. It is NOT the same as feeling even though we might communicate an intuition by saying “I feel…” It is more abstract than feeling and is independent of our preferences and values. Intuitions are often conveyed in the languages of the unconscious, namely through symbols and archetypes. Jung stresses that intuitions need to be considered as possibilities, not absolutes. Because they are coming from the unconscious, it’s essential that the ego get involved in discerning how you might want to interpret and act on any intuitive impulses. _________ ### Fear of Intuition Intuitions are inner guidance, which can prove challenging for people of other psychological types because intuitions can’t be justified through local analysis (thinking type); may provide insights that don’t align with personal values (feeling type), or feeling intangible and removed from sensory experience (sensation type). ________ ### How to Develop Intuitive Responsiveness 1. Believe that there is a wisdom greater than you that you can access intuitively. 2. Develop your [[Body Awareness]]. Pay attention to and welcome physical sensations and emotions that come. When you let your senses speak, you are allowing a wider range of inputs to reach you. While an intuition can be simply a thought, Jungian analyst Kathleen Wiley argues that we won’t tend to believe it unless our senses are involved as well. 3. Be aware of and spend time in the activities that most allow you to hear your inner voice. Walking, cooking, meditating, gardening, making art? Something else? 4. Pay attention to dreams, stories, symbols that catch your attention. 5. Work with symbolic and archetypal systems such as Tarot, astrology, or alchemy. 6. When you are making plans, test out statements with the prompt “I am…” and see how your body responds. State in the positive, not negative form. For example, “I am staying here tonight” rather than “I am not going home tonight.” (Kathleen Wiley) 7. If you are using language like “I won’t,” “I don’t,” or “I must” your ego is running the show and not allowing other ways of knowing. Try some of the [[Embodiment - Ground Curriculum]] techniques to see if you can open up enough to allow intuition to guide you.