In order to fulfill your spiritual purpose in this life, you’ve got to walk the path less traveled.
And to walk the path less traveled, you have to embrace your inner wolf.
It is your inner lone wolf that will guard, guide, and protect you with courage, integrity, and intelligence.
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But here’s the thing: in order to embrace your inner wolf, you’ve got to listen to your gut instinct.
The problem is that our gut instincts are often polluted by fears, prejudice, and mental clutter.
In this article, I want to share with you the seven gut instincts you should never ignore. You’ll also learn how to differentiate the voice of fear from the voice of primal wisdom.
Table of contents
What is the Gut Instinct?
Your gut instinct is the physical reaction you have to the world around and inside of you.
When you experience an overwhelming “gut feeling,” your body is carrying out a primal response to subconscious information. The ultimate purpose of your gut instinct is to protect you. As your gut instinct is the most ancient and primal “sixth sense” you have, it is the one you can rely upon the most.
One example of your gut instinct in action would be deciding to spontaneously avoid walking down a road at night because something “feels off.” That feeling is your gut instinct warning you that danger is afoot. You may then glimpse an intimidating gang of men down the street as you hurry by – your gut instinct has just saved you from potentially being robbed, beaten up, raped, or worse.
How Does Gut Instinct Work? (and Why You’re an Animal)
Put simply, your body is like the television screen on which your subconscious (the radio waves) transmits its information. When you can learn to read your body, you can learn to accurately tune in to your gut instinct.
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We human beings like to believe ourselves to be separate from animals. Yes, we might be more sophisticated. But at our core, we are still animals – human animals. Our primal impulses and evolutionary origins don’t just disappear because we sit and read the newspaper each morning or wipe our asses with lavender-scented toilet paper.
As noted by anthropologist Clifford Geertz:
… man is an animal suspended in webs of significance he himself has spun.
Rather than get hoity-toity about the fact that we’re only really advanced animals, why not embrace it? By honoring the wisdom of the subconscious mind and its impact on the body to produce ‘gut instinct’ we can save ourselves from a lot of suffering. (This has been proven by the way.)
What’s the Difference Between Gut Instinct and Intuition?
Gut instinct and intuition are often used synonymously. And, yes, they are interconnected. But they aren’t quite the same.
So what’s the difference?
Put simply, gut instinct is your primal wisdom. Intuition is your spiritual wisdom. We need both if we are to walk our spiritual paths with courage and intelligence.
Intuition is very cerebral – it is a calm and clear sense of “knowing.” On the other hand, gut instinct is very visceral and physical – you feel it in your body.
Intuition can be expressed through the body, and the gut instinct can be expressed through intuitive knowing. But generally, both are clearly discernable and strikingly different in their experience.
Also, gut instinct is much more emotional and reactive (as it is wired in the primal brain), whereas intuition is more neutral and calm.
Examples of Gut Instinct
Some call it a “hunch,” others an “inkling,” but in this article, we’ll refer to it as the gut instinct. Here are some examples that are taken from the animal kingdom and human (animal) behavior of gut instinct:
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- A herd of zebra sense danger while grazing. They cannot see the lions lurking in the surrounding savannah, but something is distinctly “off.” One zebra whinnies and the herd begins galloping away vigorously.
- A herd of elephants meander through the deserts in search of water. Instinctively they know what direction to move in to find their sustenance.
- A cat sits on the edge of a three-story house and wants to find a way down. She slinks over to the edge and stares at the ground apparently about to jump – but then changes her mind. She climbs down to the first story roof and then makes the jump, apparently aware on an instinctual level that jumping from any higher distance would injure her.
- A person approaches you at a bar wanting to flirt with you. You start reciprocating, but something feels wrong. You sense a predatory quality about this person. You don’t trust them. You excuse yourself and leave.
- Two hikers get lost on a trail within the mountains. Without a compass or any way to determine a direction back to camp, they sit silently and tune into the surrounding trees. Suddenly one of them points to the west, “I have a feeling that is the way back!” An hour later they have made it back to home base.
- You’re driving down a highway at night. Suddenly, the impulse overtakes you to change lanes immediately. You obey the impulse, and a couple of seconds later miss a large spike of glass that could have punctured your tire and rendered you stranded on the side of the road.
- A young woman is sitting in class at college. Out of the blue, she feels the strange impulse to return home. She ditches the class and catches a taxi, a pit of dread looming in her stomach. When she arrives home, she finds her mother on the floor having a heart attack. If she had ignored her gut instinct, her mother would have most likely died alone.
- A man has two job offers. One of them pays less, and the other pays more. Logically he would choose the job that pays more, but he can’t shake the knot of dread that forms in his stomach every time he considers accepting the higher paying offer. He decides to choose the job that pays less. Two months later, he is relieved that he chose the right offer as the higher paying company went out of business due to a high profile lawsuit.
I hope you now have a good idea of how the gut instinct operates!
Signs You’ve Experienced a Gut Instinct
Pay attention to these signs:
- A sudden feeling of dread or fear (that is out of context)
- A strong urge to do something (feels like an inner nudge or pull)
- Full-body chills, goosebumps or “tingles” up the spine
- Nausea or physical uneasiness
- Sudden hypervigilance (or being on “high alert”)
- A clear and firm voice within you instructing you to do/not do something
You might experience all of these signs at once or only one or two of them.
Is it Fear? Or is it Your Gut Instinct?
Don’t get them confused!
But also, don’t worry if you have already. Chances are you were never taught about the difference between superficial mental fears and true gut instinct.
The mind can easily fool us, particularly when it comes to gut instinct. After all, we feel our emotions within our body. When you’re scared, you most likely get clammy hands, butterflies, and an increase in heart rate, right?
In a similar fashion, when we experience a gut instinct, we also receive physical sensations.
So how on earth can we distinguish between the two?
My response is to pay attention to your mind. What is the quality of your thoughts? Is your mind racing, frantic, or chaotic? If so, you are experiencing fear.
On the other hand, if your mind is relatively neutral, but your body is experiencing strong reactions (like a sense of impending doom for instance), you are experiencing a gut instinct.
In other words, when you need to distinguish between the voice of fear and your gut instincts, always turn your attention to your mind.
Why?
Gut instincts are spontaneous – they arise out of the blue. They don’t have time to build-up in the brain, therefore, the brain is relatively still and neutral. There is no “hmm, should I? Shouldn’t I?” going on. There is just an immediate DO THIS/DON’T DO THIS.
Fears, on the other hand, build-up. They are typically more vague, nagging, unclear, and tumultuous. If your mind is spinning, if your thoughts are everywhere, you are experiencing fear, not gut instinct.
7 Gut Instincts You Should NEVER Ignore
Obviously, you must be the judge. But there are some situations in life where your gut instincts shine the most.
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While it’s easy to brush off most nagging sensations, please never ignore the following ones:
1. “I’m in danger”
Remember that your gut instincts reflect what your subconscious mind already knows. Although you may not be able to pinpoint what exactly the danger is, please listen to this inner warning. It could be the difference between life and death.
2. “They’re in danger”
Yes, you might sound like a lunatic. Yes, you might feel embarrassed or perplexed. But if you genuinely feel that someone is in danger, tell them. You have nothing to lose. You might just prevent the person from making a big mistake or endangering themselves.
3. “This isn’t the right choice”
If you get a strong and clear feeling that what you’re doing isn’t right, pay attention. Even if there is no moral or logical reason why you should be feeling that way, take heed.
4. “I need help”
Your gut instinct doesn’t only warn you of danger, it also helps to preserve your emotional wellbeing. If you receive a strong sensation that you need help (whether physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually), seek it out. Don’t linger.
5. “I need to help them”
At some point in our lives, the overwhelming desire to help someone will arise. There may not be any rational reason why. The other person may appear to be perfectly fine on the surface. But don’t let appearances deceive you. Have a conversation with the person. Ask them how they are. This might make you feel vulnerable or uncomfortable, but you will at the very least make the person feel special, and at the most potentially save their lives.
6. “Something feels off in my body”
Unless you’re a hypochondriac (which is unlikely), your gut instincts rarely lie about the state of your health. If a sudden strong and clear desire arises to see a medical professional, do it. Get a full health assessment, and even if nothing comes up, feel proud of yourself for practicing self-care.
7. “This is it!”
Often when the perfect life calling, spiritual path, job, house, decision, option, etc. comes along, your gut instinct will immediately notify you. If you receive a strong and clear feeling that practically screams “YES” don’t ignore it! This is one of the most important reasons why it’s essential to listen to your gut instinct. It could be the difference between making a life-fulfilling choice and a soul-starving decision.
Trust Your Gut
So long as you’re able to distinguish between the voice of fear and the spontaneous feelings of your gut instinct, it is safe to trust your gut.
Trusting your instincts is an invaluable life skill and one that will tremendously benefit you on the spiritual path. After all, this instinct is built into our very DNA, so why not make the most use out of it?
As a final recommendation, I suggest practicing mindfulness exercises like meditation if you struggle to trust your gut. Mindfulness meditation will help you to become aware of your thoughts and body sensations. The more awareness you can develop, the easier it will be to make the distinction – it will become second-nature to you.
Can you think of any situations where you were helped (or even saved) by your gut instinct? I’d love to hear your story below!
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Ok so… How do I explain this…?I live in a kinda old house so its very common to see shadows and stuff, but for some reason I saw one that I vividly remember thinking was a person but was too scared to walk backwards to see if it was or not. The rest of the night I felt like I could hear mumbling or the “Whispers” which was not a happy place for me. My stomach was turning and I felt shivers down my spine and sides. I hear my dog doing one of those low growls/barks and I thought she was trapped in my room because I remember closing my door, but I walk down the hallway to see it open, but I payed no mind. I go to sit down in my bedroom but I felt like someone was in the room with me but Im a big baby when it comes to this stuff so I just sat there, shivering, scared, and wanting to turn the light on to check any spaces near me. I for some reason always have a knife next to my bed (Which give me comfort, because Ive had vivid dreams about an intruder braking in). (This is all tonight, Im scared shitless rn typing ths out) I have my door locked because I dont trust anything, and I remember checking the closet to see if I saw any figure of a person, or a face (which is the worst thing to do when you want to cry and are in the midst of a breakdown thinking someone is watching you/ in your house) I see a flash go off, and I almost started crying, I get the courage to put the knife in my hoodie and run up and turn the light on. No one is my room. I start hear rustling in my gaurdians room so Im coming up with all these stories of what if the snuck in through the window that I saw a shadow in, what if they just killed my family ect… Im over here on the verge of crying knowing my one brothers door is open… The other is sleeping on the couch with his friend and My parents room which is across from the room I saw the shadow in. Im shivering please help me, it is 4:41 am and I want to be brave and go out there but I a baby
Sorry about the spelling errors Im shaking right now.
This was a very interesting read. Not long ago i was sat at a crossroad of traffic lights, when they went green i had an overwhelming sense to wait. A second later a car rushed past having jumped the red light. He would of hit me side on. Glad i listened to whatever told me to wait.
I live in the uk but went to ireland to look after my mom in her latter days. My friend looked after my cat whilst I was in ireland for 6 weeks. Towards the end of the 6 weeks I had this overwhelming feeling that I needed to go home, back to the uk. I put it down to exhaustion due to caring for my mom, which was shared with my siblings. When I got home I noticed straight away there was something wrong with my beloved cat, whom I’d had for 14 years. He had cancer. Many trips to vet couldnt save him. I was so glad I came home and to be able to care for him in his final days. He died on the friday and my mom died on the monday. Heartbreaking.
A friend and I were walking down a somewhat unsafe avenue at night in a foreign country when a man across the street looked around and then entered the street to cross diagonally directly towards us. I sensed danger in my gut like never before or since then. I threw my arm out to hail the next taxi available and one was available right away luckily. The taxi stopped between us and the man. He yelled, “SE SALVARON!” (“you were saved” more or less) in an evil and aggressive manner. The driver commented on how the guy had been coming after us. My friendly didn’t notice any of it, but it was seriously scary – scarier than being at knifepoint by someone a few months prior to that.
If the guy hadn’t screamed that at us, and if the driver hadn’t exclaimed what he saw in that quick few seconds, I wouldn’t have the “proof” that my gut was on point, but to me those were sure signs we avoided a really unpleasant interaction.
Often, as human beings, we like to believe that we have evolved to a stage beyond all other living entities. I firmly believe this not to be be true. I remember, when carrying my first born and only child, I was informed that I would recognize the cry of my newborn. I remember thinking that this was rubbish! I was proved to be wrong. Amidst the sound of multiple crying newborns, although I had only heard my first born squeak shortly after he was born, I recognized his cry which amazed me! I instantly understood that we have not evolved as much as some would like to believe. Sue.
I have them pretty regularly. Not long ago I was supposed to start a new job that i desperately needed due to financial distress. On my way there i got the overwhelming urge to turn and run from that place. I kept fighting it telling myself i would be fine and i was overreacting. I started feeling sick the closer I got and my heart was racing. I made it all the way there and had tunnel vision and everything in me was screaming “Turn and Run” and so I did and I was so upset with myself that I did that until 3 hours later when I got a call out of the blue offering me the job I’ve wanted for so long and that I knew could become a career for me. I’m still there today and I am so happy and so grateful that I trusted the feeling even though it made no sense at the time to turn down a good paying job with no prospects of another job offer and being on the verge of eviction and repossession
I was once driving late at night on a dual carriage way, as there was no traffic I had been sitting in the fast lane, to smooth out corners. Suddenly as I was coming up to a corner I decided to switch back for no reason, the next thing I know is a car comes bombing past me on the wrong side of the carriageway, in the fast lane i had just vacated. It would have been a horrific head on, he obviously had no idea he was going the wrong way.
I felt so blessed.
I don’t know if this fits in but many times I do get the feeling of something strange that is going to happen.. I don’t usually have an idea of what it is but it’s kind of the fear of the unknown. Usually about the choices that I make or affecting my everyday life. I am an overthinker and it just becomes more difficult.
Many years ago, (I didn’t even know I was clairaudient then) I was coming back from work at night. It was in december, it hadn’t snowed yet and the road was very dark. I was exhausted and I said to myself, the car knows the way, so I wasn’t very vigilant. Then I heard a voice in my ear, like someone opening a microphone. The voice said, ”Diane, pay attention, something is going to happen down the road”. Then I realized I was driving like a zoombie and I should be more careful. A little further down the road, a car turned in front of me but had no lights on. I saw the car when the break lights came on when it turned, but it was very close. I pressed the breaks so fast that the back of my car skided and I stopped at an inch before hitting the car in front of me. If I had not listened to the voice, I could have been severely injured and so the other driver, who never saw me coming.
What is happening in the world today has created a state of hyperawareness and distinct sense of instinctual danger within my gut (but it is NOT b/c of the possible health threat), There is something unseen in the shadows about this global issue. I feel like many many people are in extreme danger but it’s for reasons that are HIDDEN from view. I am caught between being hopeful and despairing. This is because what is hidden is NOT my making, therefore I cannot control it and whatever IT is will be forced upon me and many many people. And what is forced on us will be (I deeply sense) horrible and damaging. I hope I am wrong. And what’s worse? There’s no escaping. I hope I’m wrong. I hope I am wrong. But that gut heaviness and sense of doom is just so damn heavy to ignore…