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In Second Sight I recount my journey to accept and embrace my intuitive abilities. Intuition isn’t just something that strikes by chance. One must develop it. To do this, there are 5 essential steps that I’d like to share with you in this excerpt from the book.
5 Steps To Develop Intuition
Step 1: Notice Your Beliefs
Your beliefs set the stage for healing. Positive attitudes stimulate growth. Negative attitudes impede it. It’s important to rid yourself of counterproductive attitudes that you may not even realize you have. No organ system stands apart from your thoughts. Your beliefs program your neurochemicals.
Step 2: Listen to Your Body
Your body is a complex and sensitive intuitive receptor. Most people in Western society are conditioned to live from the neck up, ignoring the rest of their body. This stance is counter-intuitive. Being aware of the sensuousness of your body opens intuition. Then you’ll become more attuned to early warning signs your body sends.
Step 3: Sense Your Body’s Subtle Energy
We are composed of flesh and blood, but also of subtle energy. Chinese Medical Practitioners call it “chi,” a vital substance which penetrates the body and extends many feet beyond it. From an intuitive point of view, these vibrantly colored energy fields, whose centers are called chakras have a significant effect on our health. For that reason, it is important that we learn to sense this energy within us, recognize when it is off, and learn to correct the imbalance. Feeling energy can be very sensual, an extension of love. Learning to tap into your body’s energy is healing.
Step 4: Ask for Inner Guidance
We each possess an intuitive voice that contains answers about our healing. Because our intellect is often so loud, this voice often gets drowned out. It’s essential that we learn to access the stillness within–though meditation, quite contemplation, connecting with nature, prayer-in order to gain answers about our health. Spend a few minutes each day devoted to listening to this voice. It may appear as a gut feeling, a hunch, an image, a sound, a memory, an instant knowing-as if a light bulb suddenly switched on. Learn to trust the signals your inner wisdom sends.
Step 5: Listen To Your Dreams
Intuition is the language of dreams. Every ninety minutes each night during the REM stage of sleep, we dream. Dreams provide answers about health, relationships, career choices, any new direction. The secret is to remember them. I suggest keeping a dream journal by your bed. Before you go to sleep, ask a dream a question. For instance, “Is this relationship healthy for me or should I move on?” The next morning, write down any dreams immediately before getting out of bed. Try repeating the question, every night for the next week until your answer comes. As you develop the habit of remembering dreams, you’ll be able to benefit from this form of healing. As a physician, I have a continual sense of awe for the relationship between body and spirit. As your heart opens, so does your intuition. Your intuition will teach you how to see and how to love. It will instill in you a renewed faith to face anything.
(Adapted from Second Sight: An Intuitive Psychiatrist Tells Her Story and Show You How to Tap Your Own Inner Wisdom (Three Rivers Press, 2010) by Judith Orloff MD)
Thank you so much for sharing all this important information. I printed all the informations and you have help me so much, right now I have this feeling like I had leave my life but I didn’t know myself and after reading all the informations I feel relief and ready to understand myself and accept myself how I’m and now I know what is my purpose in this world. I know now that I’m not a bad person and I should not hate my feelings, I need to understand them and don’t be afraid of them.
Thank
Thank you Judith for these insights! I especially loved the idea of being more in tune with your body and senses as I am completely guilty of spending a lot of time in my own head. I think the hardest lesson for me was learning the difference between my fear voice and my intuitive voice. Is that fear-based thought my intuition? Is fear a form of intuition? Hard to distinguish sometimes and I am prone to irrational fears.
I have known for quite some time that I’m a empath. I was told years ago by a therapist,who is also a empath. He told me I better take care of Glenda, or the people around me will . Well, I’m always the first they call with a problem and I always take it on head first. I was always teased growing up for being “The sensitive one”.. Now we are in the year 2020,and like most. This year has been hell. I never looked up the word empath until lately. Well,10 out of 10 on the scale. I’m just at a breaking point. So, now I just have to get myself centered .I just bought your book, “survival guide”.. I get a sense of strength just saying that. So, I know it was a good thing for me. I can’t wait to see what this journey has for me. . Thank you! For being the teacher and guide. I may be different from a lot people. Like I have been told . But, I finally don’t feel totally alone.. Thanks again!!
The man that I’ve been in a relationship with for years because he doesn’t understand me… He says I need to toughen up and I’m a over thinker…. But I can’t control my intuition.. Its becoming to be overwhelming for him
Can you suggest a good first book for empaths to read? Thanks.
The best book to learn about empaths and how to protect your energy is Dr. Orloff’s The Empath’s Survival Guide. Check it out at https://drjudithorloff.com/empath-survival-guide-description/.
I once met this girl who did nothing wrong to me and was nice to me and gave me attention but whenever I saw her my body began to shake, i would feel ill, and my heart rate would go up so much that I once hid from her. I don’t know if I’m empathic, emotional, or paranoid but i have been told to have a gift of intuition and I told that girl that i didn’t want to be friends with her anymore. I don’t know if this says anything, the girl never did anything bad to me, so I hope this was the right decision. I need help in sorting this out and am confused.
I STARTED SEEING A NEW PSYCHOLOGIST THAT I.M QUITE ATTUNED WITH..YESTERDAY SEE TOLD ME SHE IS QUITE SURE I’M AN EMPATH! I HAD NEVER HEARD THIS WORD BEFORE, SHE IS ALSO AN EMPATH. I LOOKED IT UP ON GOGGLE AND GOT ON DR. ORLOFFS SIGHT, WHIICH HAS SO MUCH IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR ME. I WANT TO GET HER BOOKS AS SOON AS I CAN. FOR ALL THESE YEARS OF MY LIFE I FELT I WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE PEOPLE AROUND ME. AS I HAVE GROWN OLDER THE FEELINGS ARE MUCH STRONGER. I HAVE BEEN GOING TO MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND GOT MEDS AND LABELS, BUT NO REAL HELP! FINALLY I HAVE AN ANSWER AND KNOW WHAT I AM AND WHY I HAVE SUCH STRONG FEELINGS AND SEEM TO PICK UP INFORMATION ABOUTPEOPLE, BUSNESSES,ETC. I AM VERY EXCITED TO FIND OUT ALL I VAN ABOUT WHAT I HAVE AND USE IT FOR THE BEST. THANK YOU LINDA
I’m interested in reading your books. I’m an empath, and before today i had never heard of this term. I usually feel somethings wrong with me because i am too sensitive. I’ve been coping lately by keeping a positive attitude, and prayer.a
Hi there,Iam just now realizing that I am an empath wow my mother turned into a agoraphobic alcoholic and I knew I was different holly cow this is very helpful but I need more solutions .I read and most don’t go into detail on that or how ?
Dr. Judith , I am just starting relationship with an empath.we connected through our spirits; I just wanted to ask you what can I do to make him comfortable when we begin to move in together.He and I are not overwhelmed, or nervious, we are one.He is very intuned, and open and weve discussed our relationship and how we want it to work, so hes not overloaded.If you can give me some good advice where I can provide what he needs I would appreciate it very much. thank you.
Regina, I suggest you read my book, The Empath’s Survival Guide and in particular the chapter on relationships to gain an understanding of your partner’s needs. Judith