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Talking Intuition with D.G. Kaye

I just finished a book where one detective asks another about a suspect. “What does your gut tell you?”

A few days later, I’m watched a show where a woman is upset when she hears her friend’s boyfriend stole some jewelry. “I knew something was off with him all along.”

They are both referring to intuition and it’s very real; even if people don’t always recognize it.

I recently read a thought-provoking post on this topic written by D.G. Kaye. She is the author of seven books and is also a popular blogger. Her biography and links are at the end of the post. I encourage you to check them out.

I knew that I wanted to explore this topic further with her and reached out. She graciously agreed.

Hi Debby! Thanks for sharing your wisdom here today.

Hi Melanie. Thanks so much for inviting me over to talk about intuition. I hope I can help.

How do you define intuition?

Intuition is an inner knowing. It’s like a nudge from within, like not knowing how you know something, but you do. Inner guidance from within, a pang, a gut feeling. It’s the ability to know something without proof. It can be referred to as a gut feeling, instinct or a sixth sense. Intuition is connected to our soul, which is connected to a higher intelligence. Our egos come from the brain, where intuition comes through our heart center. Hence, the old saying – follow your heart, not your head.

Do you think that there are intuitive and non-intuitive people?

I’d classify intuition as a sixth sense. We all have the ability to recognize our intuition, but we all haven’t learned to develop it. Meditation can help if you ground yourself and clear and quiet your mind to get in tune with your inner calm. Be more aware of people and circumstances around you, a higher sense of awareness will open up within when we clear and calm the ‘white noise’ within.

Can you explain a bit about the “brain-gut” connection as it relates to intuition?

I’m glad you mentioned the ‘brain-gut’ relationship. In my article you read a few months ago for my bi-monthly Spiritual Awareness series at Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord Blog Magazine, there is a gut reaction dubbed, the little brain (in the stomach) that sends signal to the big brain, the enteric nervous system (ENS) communicates with our brains. I shared the link about this discussion in a Johns Hopkins article by Dr. Jay Pasricha, neuro-gastroenterologist.

Did you know that the gut and the brain have a direct relation to stress and worry? It’s not a myth that emotions we experience are linked to the stomach – hence, that butterfly feeling we get in our stomachs when we feel scared, worried, or excited. These are good indicators of the ‘gut instincts’ we receive when something is off or in contrast, when something feels great. When things are feeling off it’s a warning sign to investigate our feelings to help us decide whether they are temporary moments or warning signals.

As I was reading your information on intuition, it clarified something for me. There are two categories of intuition. There is the application of it in the everyday, in making decisions. There is also the feeling of immediate apprehension, a warning like the prickly feeling at the back of your neck which is often labeled a “sixth sense.” 

Do you have a personal example of either (or both) type of intuition when “listening to your gut” was extremely helpful?

My alert system seems to be finely tuned. Let me just preface this and say that when I get the warning feeling, I may not always know where the trouble is, but often I do, and even when I don’t, I’ll still feel there’s trouble somewhere. Like the time I was putting on my makeup getting ready for work when I was in my early twenties, when suddenly, a sadness came over me and tears welled up in my eyes and a feeling came over me that something happened to my father. I couldn’t shake the feeling. Within minutes, my sister called me to let me know my father had a heart attack and she was one her way to pick me up on the way down to the hospital. Some things just stick.

 In other more everyday living, when something bad is coming, a cold chill runs through my body, to the extent that my teeth start chattering, despite warm surroundings. I don’t necessarily know what it portends, but it’s never steered me wrong, so I get feeling quite uncomfortable when that happens.

And when having to make a decision about something, I’ll get a little caution pang in my stomach if I’m choosing wrong. To me those warnings feel like a little tug on my intestines. Alternatively, sweaty palms, heart racing and/or a ‘butterfly’ fluttering within are also common gut reaction signs.

Do you have any thoughts regarding the term “female intuition?”

Both males and females undoubtedly can have fine tuned intuitions. However, typically women often have the innate ability to focus on tuning into self, because we are the nurturers and are well acquainted with tuning into the needs of our offspring. Women are said to possess a more intrinsic intuition and more in tune with their emotions. Experts say this is because women are stronger at reading body language and facial expressions.

A thought comes to mind here Debby. Almost 30 years ago, I was heading to a very large women’s formal lunch to kick-off the school year. My son was in kindergarten which meant he was home by lunch time.

I hired a sitter from a service because it was hard to find one as most sitters were in school. She arrived, we discussed necessary details and I left. I made it around the corner, turned into a drugstore parking lot and headed back home. My sixth sense was screaming not to leave him with her. Of course, she was very surprised. I paid her the full amount for the day and she left. I don’t regret that for a second. I “read” something about her I did not like.

Is Déjà vu connected to intuition?

Déjà vu comes from the French phrase – already seen.

Déjà vu is a triggered moment that reminds us of something we’ve already seen, done, or been, whereas intuition is an inner alert system that usually indicates something we feel should be done in the now or future. Déjà vu is a feeling of familiarity. It is said that those who’ve experienced déjà vu are intuitive. Experts have also said that déjà vu could mean a feeling of already lived the moment – possibly from another life. That explains when we meet someone we’ve never met, yet feel we’ve met before. Most likely because we knew them in a past life.

Your post on intuition is part of a broader Spirituality series. What draws you to this topic?

I have been fascinated by spirit, afterlife, psychic phenomena, and white witchcraft since as far back as I can remember. I began reading psychology, self-help, witchcraft, and spiritual books ever since my curiosities in those realms flourished in my late teens. My mother, one of her sisters, and my maternal grandmother all had strongly developed psychic intuitions. I had always felt I had a sense of inner knowing, but nobody in my family talked about it much, and definitely, never helped me develop mine. But it was when I was sixteen years old that I had my own first encounter with spirit that fueled my curiosity about there being more than just this physical world we live in.

I read a quote online which states “intuition is a wise part of you operating on your behalf.” It sounds so reassuring that we have this internal guidance system and yet, many of us don’t trust it or diminish it. You have said this is because our ego is getting in the way. What do you mean?

Ego is our fears, doubts, overriding our inner boss that directs us to do something, something like the devil in our ear telling us to do or say something that is done with impulse instead of stopping and questioning our soul for an intuitive response. Ego is self-talk. We tell ourselves something and we act on whatever we talked ourselves into. Whereas intuition is our inner guidance from a higher power where we know what we know, we don’t have to talk ourselves into making an ego decision.

The voices in our heads are ego, whereas intuition is our instinctual voice, more like an emotional intelligence. Intuition is our instinctual voice of reason, ego is the one that causes us to second-guess our decisions, which usually causes over analyzing and ultimately, creates the confusion in us when we are making decisions.

I just want to pause here because your comment about going to that place “where we know what we know” ties into a thought I had as I was thinking about the decision-making component of intuition. First, Steve Jobs shared how he often leaned on his intuition to get to that place of new ideas. Clearly, it served him well!

I also found a quote from famed scientist Jonas Salk who said “intuition will tell the thinking mind where to look next.” And that’s interesting because scientists live in a world of “proof”, but it took intuitive thinking to get there! I just thought that was an interesting dichotomy.

So, intuitive thinking is an incredible asset. Can you share any tips for strengthening someone’s intuition?

We all have our ‘first instinct’ intuition, we just may not realize it. In order to get more in tune with our intuition, we have to learn to resist our own ego giving us sometimes conflicting information. How to do this is by calming the mind, remaining in a calm natural state without allowing inner battles and confliction to participate. Meditating can help teach us how to calm our minds, and in turn, helps us to unclutter our thoughts and process easier.

You can journal about incidents or odd thoughts that come to mind so you can come back to it another time when you may be searching for answers. Listen to your first instincts then be aware of thoughts that follow and see if you can eventually learn to distinguish between what your heart is telling you, rather than what your head instructs. Tune out the white noise of life when having to make decisions.

These are all great suggestions. Do you have any closing thoughts?

Intuition is something we all have within, we have only to discover it and hone it so it can help us make the best decisions. It’s about becoming more aware by silencing the noise within and developing the path to understanding from the heart and gut reactions and paying attention to them.

Thank you again Debby for helping me here today. I encourage readers to learn more about her below and follow her links:

About D.G. Kaye

D.G. Kaye is a Canadian author living in Toronto. She is a nonfiction writer of memoirs about her life experiences, matters of the heart, and women’s issues. Her positive outlook keeps her on track, allowing her to take on life’s challenges with a dose of humor and a mission to overcome adversity.

D.G. began writing when pen and paper became the tools to express her pent-up emotions during her turbulent childhood. She began journaling about her life at a young age and continued writing about the people and events that left imprints and lessons. She writes books to share her stories and inspiration.

D.G. is a big advocate for kindness and for empowering women. Her favorite saying is “For every kindness, there should be kindness in return. Wouldn’t that just make the world right?”

When she’s not writing, D.G. loves to read (self-help books and stories of triumph), cook (concocting new recipes, never to come out the same way twice), shop (only if it’s a great sale), play poker (when she gets the chance), and, most of all, travel.

©DGKaye2023

Visit her website at www.dgkayewriter.com and join her mailing list to keep up with her latest blogs and news about her books and events.

Contact D.G. at: d.g.kaye.writer@gmail.com

Follow D.G. on her social sites:

www.dgkayewriter.com

www.twitter.com/@pokercubster

www.facebook.com/dgkaye

www.linkedin.com/in/dgkaye7

Visit D.G.’s author page and books: www.amazon.com/author/dgkaye7.

Podcast links: Grief the Real Talk

https://www.youtube.com/DebbyDGKayeGies

47 comments

  1. Wow Melanie. Thank you so much for this wonderful discussion here with you, and for featuring me here today. And I loved the quotes you pulled. Salk said it in a nutshell; you picked the best summation about how they work together. And it seems your intuition is tuned. That story about trusting your gut and turning back home, letting the babysitter go. Sometimes we just get a strong feeling, almost like a signal from above alerting us not to do something. That’s intuition. 🙂 ❤

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    • I truly enjoy writing/having these conversations and you were so generous with your thoughts and suggestions on this topic. THANK YOU! 🙂 It worked out extremely well. Yes, I’m fascinated by intuition and feel like it has served me well in life. You are amazing at picking things up like when you knew something was wrong with your dad. I do hope he ended being okay afterwards. Sending major hugs your way for doing this. ♥

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  2. This was a very interesting and informative interview. Thank you, Melanie, for your questions. Debbie’s answers were an eye-opener. I had no idea that everytime I felt something in my gut, it was my intuition prodding me. I know it when I feel it in my heart. I had a similar experience in 1997 with my dad, as Debbie. Only, I saw him falling from a building in my dream. The next morning I got a call that my dad had collapsed and been hospitalized. This post brought the memory back.

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  3. Funny that the topic of intuition comes up. I reviewed an old chapter from my work in progress yesterday where two characters debated whether people suspect what would happen because of intuition or prior knowledge. I’m open to the possibility that some people have more intuitive natures than others.

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    • Hi Pete. 🙂 When I first started working on this, it wasn’t long before I heard or read references to intuition on an almost daily basis. It is so clearly a topic that people are drawn to. That’s very cool that you have it in your WIP and just reviewed it. I hope you’re able to keep it as it remains such a relevant topic. Glad your work is going well!

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    • Hi Pete. I’m glad my article could shed some light on your intuition for you. Some people have more ‘developed’ intuitions. I hope this article helped you understand better how it all works. 🙂

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  4. Such an interesting article. I firmly believe in intuition. My mother in law was extremely intuitive. She would call me and ask how my daughter was feeling one to two days before she became sick. My daughter has definitely inherited this empathic sense. She has honed it to a certain degree and uses it in her profession as a therapist. I appreciate it that Ms Kaye feels we all have this “power” within and only need to develop it in our own way. I am on a constant quest to improve my meditation skills but find it difficult. After reading this post I’m not giving up!

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    • Hi Pam. It surely sounds like your MIL was quite intuitive. I’m glad my post has helped you realize that you can develop your intuition and that it has inspired you not to give up. Meditation was always difficult for me because it’s hard for me to quiet my mind. But when you get more practice with it, meditating can be beneficial for quieting the mind and getting more in tune with yourself. 🙂

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    • Hi Pam. That’s so interesting that the intuitive gene passed onto to your daughter from your mother-in-law. (It sounds like she had an extraordinary ability – wow!) I think it’s wonderful that your daughter uses this gift as a therapist. I’m so glad that Debby has also inspired you to feel confident that you CAN quiet the “white noise” she references and find your way to a meditative place. You have several ideas to try out! As you know, Tai Chi gives me inspiration. Thank you so much for sharing your story! ♥

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  6. I’m just returning from vacation and love seeing two of my favorite people here.
    Yes, indeed, I believe intuition is a sixth sense, one that can be cultivated. However, I think I’ve had it as a child; I detected it in my mother too. And I remember when this type of emotional intelligence appeared in literature: In James Dickey’s Deliverance, one character describing the other as “off,” not to be trusted.

    Thanks, Melanie, for showcasing Debby’s extensive knowledge of intuition. The Q & A felt like a pleasant tutorial between friends. 😀

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    • Welcome home Marian! I hope you had a wonderful time away. Yes, we’ve been busy the last 2 weeks haha. 🙂 I love your addition here about the first literary reference to the topic, that is super interesting, plus the fact that you’ve experienced it too. From the responses I’m receiving, I feel like there’s a pattern developing. People do recognize their sixth sense and use it (or used it) in some way. That’s affirming. And yes, after I read Debby’s previous post, I really wanted to have a “conversation” with her about it. I’m very grateful that she agreed.

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    • Thanks for reading and commenting Olga! I am definitely drawn to everything Debby. 🙂 I enjoy her travels, her “venting” and her Spirituality series on Sally’s site. Intuition is a wonderful inner voice.

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  10. Everything I read in this interview rings true.
    From deja vu to gut feelings, and beyond intuition has helped me through life.
    Great post! Thank you Melanie & Debby!

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  11. Loved this Interview with Debby… And totally 100% agree with Debby on her inner Knowing and intuition… Debby and I took to each other straight away when we met in blog land some years ago now… Our Intuition told us we were kindred spirits as as we got chatting we soon found out why.. 🙂
    Loved the Questions you asked Melanie and happy to connect via Debby’s blog…

    It really is time now we all of us paid heed of our sixth senses and followed our hearts and gut instincts… I really enjoyed reading.. Thank you ❤ 🙂

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    • Hi Sue. Thanks for hopping over here and leaving your kind words. As you are the wise one, you know well it’s essential to start paying attention to our inner whispers. Yes, we have been kindred spirits since we met years ago on your blog Sue. I believe I started following you when someone awarded me the Drumbeat award created by you and I came over to visit – and never left. ❤ xox

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    • Good morning Sue! Yes, there is something about Debby that I am drawn to as well, although it sounds like you’ve been friends for years. Thank you for your supportive words about the post and I am very happy to “meet” you. 🙂 Intuition is “a wise part of our souls” and we need to use it!

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      • Lovely meeting you too Melanie… and yes Debby and I found we had something in common a few years ago when we met in blog land… and have been Happy Blogging friends ever since…
        Using our Intuition is exactly as you say.. and a part of us which has been suppressed.. I hope soon more people’s intuitive ways will begin to surface again in the near future… 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

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