One of the things I love most about attending programs at the Monroe Institute is that it allows me practice and skill development in harnessing my intuition. Intuition is defined by Psychology Today as “a form of knowledge that appears in consciousness without obvious deliberation.” For many in the business world, it is known as “gut instinct.” In metaphysics, it’s considered a form of psychic phenomena. Some believe it comes from connecting to our guides or our higher selves. Others believe that we are tapping into a collective consciousness that links us to all that is. Regardless of what you believe, we can all agree that we get little instincts from time to time that tell us whether or not to do something. We may suddenly feel strongly about something without tangible reason, compelling us to follow that feeling. At Monroe, through programs such as Developing Intuition, we can learn to work with these gut instincts to have a greater understanding of our total selves, discover why we receive these insights, and learn how to fluidly move through life with them.

I believe that these little instincts are intuitive bits of information offered by the higher self that is connected with expanded awareness. I think we are all connected via a global consciousness that every one of us can access for information when we need it. However you believe you gain guidance or insights, we can likely agree that intuition is a form of receiving information from a source we are not consciously focusing on. Whatever that source is, if we are getting occasional bits of information peaking through, there is surely more out there that we can access. So, how do we go about doing this?

Through meditation exercises, we can learn to shift into states of consciousness that may make us more aware of or receptive to information that typically may not be available. This could involve connecting with guidance in meditation to gain more insight into something or analyzing a gut instinct while meditating. If you’d like to learn to harness your intuition, I offer this exercise that may help you develop your intuition more, even if you don’t quite know how you are receiving information. I call this exercise “shifting through the spectrum.”

To shift through the spectrum and develop intuitive skills, first decide on a hunch or piece of information that has come through that you’d like to focus on. Let’s say for instance that something is telling you to make a deal at work, despite facts suggesting otherwise. Maybe it doesn’t seem like the best deal for you, but something inside is compelling you to take it. This is a good example for this exercise, as you likely have time to analyze this feeling and decide whether or not you are going to take the deal.

At Monroe, through programs such as Developing Intuition, we can learn to work with these gut instincts to have a greater understanding of our total selves, discover why we receive these insights, and learn how to fluidly move through life with them.

Begin your meditation with Focus 10 in the Timer section of the Expand app. As you get comfortable in Focus 10, begin thinking about this gut instinct you received and ask for more details. Why are you feeling so compelled to take the deal? Is there a tangible reason for it? Is there a deeper meaning for it? Try to pull forth any insights as to where that initial gut feeling came from and see if you can gather more information from that source. Don’t try to push too hard; rather, get comfortable, think about what you would like to know (i.e. more information on that deal), and then allow yourself to sit in a relaxed state, ready to receive anything that comes in. You may visually see, audibly hear, or simply just “know” something. There are many ways in which you could receive this information. Trust yourself when you get answers, and try to keep your judgment out of the process. After a few minutes in Focus 10, shift to Focus 12 and ask the same questions from there. Then, do the same in Focus 15, and finally, end the exercise doing the same in Focus 21 (or 27 if you are familiar with that focus level).

By asking to receive insights on the same topic in each focus level, you can learn quite a bit about yourself! See which focus levels make it easier for you to receive information. By practicing the process in different focus levels, you are actively developing your intuition and giving it a bit of a workout. The more you get comfortable doing it, the easier it becomes to access guidance from all of these expanded states.

If this exercise resonates with you, I encourage you to take the Developing Intuition program at Monroe to learn more about how you can connect with expanded states to gain insights and information.