The Return of Intuition

Intuition is back in vogue again. Gone are the days when psychics were only included in pop culture as humorous figures solving crimes like Whoopi Goldberg in “Ghost”. Now psychics are front and centre with TV shows like “Medium” and “Rescue Mediums”. More importantly, their work is increasingly being portrayed as real, ethically challenging, and of service to those around them. By extension, intuition is beginning to be taken seriously. Or at least, judging by the number of shows on this topic that have proliferated in recent years, mainstream culture is mesmerized.

Psychics represent the extreme cultivation of intuition, and by definition not all choose to develop their instincts to this level or purpose. This does not mean that Canadians are not interested though. In a survey conducted in 2000 by noted sociologist Reginald Bibby, 68% of Canadians believed in an afterlife, 45% believed we could contact a spirit world, and 31% were convinced we can communicate with the dead. So, clearly many people believe in the existence of something beyond that which most of us see. In the same survey, 70% said that spirituality was important to them. Book sales support this growing interest in extra-sensory perception and a world beyond. Indigo.com produces 1,132 titles upon a search of “psychic” and 377 titles for “intuition” alone. According to the American Association of Publishers, sales of self-help books, lumped together with religious books, grew 14.2% from 2002 to 2005, a compound growth that is larger than the mass market paperback (-3.2%) or adult hardbound (1.7%). Even the bastion of conservative skepticism, corporate culture, is starting to see the merits of intuition. The Schulich Executive Education Program has delved into the world of empathy with their leadership course in “Developing Emotional Intelligence (EQ) In Your Workplace”, empathy being a short skip and a jump to intuition.

This is due in part to the gap left for spirituality by the major religions of North America says Bibby. Citing noted spiritual author Tom Harpur, he states there is a growing number of Canadians who are “deeply searching for a centre to their life beyond shopping malls.” Many who have seen reputable psychics express that this need had been met in their intuitive reading. As one woman said, “My session with her (the psychic) made me realize that in essence I had been walking around my own neighborhood for years, unable to remember where I lived. She not only showed me my home, but she gave me the keys to get inside. She showed me that my instincts are correct, and that I can trust them, even when at times they seem irrational. My beliefs were confirmed, and aspects to my life that were previously confusing were explained. The reading has opened a door behind which lies the greatest journey of my life!” After attending an intuition class one man explained the effect it had in his life, “From that point on, I was able to use the skills she (the teacher) taught me in real life situations and to trust my instincts. She made me understand that I could make pro-active decisions and be true to myself at the same time.” So intuition given in a reading, or cultivated in one’s self, seems to empower, to enliven, and to make us happy. Said one man, “Immediately after my (intuitive) session, I felt profoundly transformed. I remember sitting on the streetcar on the way home, beaming silently to myself when a woman spoke to me, having mistaken me for someone she knew. I smiled a full, broad smile and when I spoke I knew something was different. I felt more present, more alive than I had in a long time, perhaps even ever. A significant portion of my heartache, angst and anxiety was healed on that occasion. Since then, I keep looking for it, as if it should be there, but I find only a fraction of what had been there.”

You can find intuition classes in local colleges’ and schools’ continuing education programs, mentorship with local respected psychics, and books through major retailers and local specialty shops. The “Roots of Empathy” program to end school bullying by fostering empathy among children shows that intuition can have surprisingly profound effects when brought out into the world. Get in touch with your inner psychic, your intuition, or even your skepticism, and test out its power to not only change your life, but your world around you.