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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Many years ago I was leaving Colorado for another state in a U-Haul truck full of my house stuff. My car was on top of a trailer with its wheels off the road and I’m sure you know the name of that rig and it worked.
Going under an airport runway that had huge banks of grassy land above, with the interstate I was on below, we had just driven under the runway and a small still voice on the side of my head above my right ear only–I instantly perceived, yet “unheard” the still small voice, not in individual works, as when we speak and hear naturally, did not “say” the words, but “impressed” on me: “your window in the car has been shot out.” I heard no gunshot, yet I told my good guy friend driving the truck to stop. He said I was nuts… he checked the passenger side, of course, that’s where the hilly bank was. My friend got back into the truck and said that the window in your car’s passenger side is gone!–shot out!
He further asked, “How did you know that?” I told him it was the still small voice and of course, he didn’t know what I was talking about.
I was moving 1100 miles east and knew that we would encounter rain, so I had my driver pull into the next truck stop, offload my car, called my auto mechanic and told him the right window needs to be replaced now, he had/or got one, I drove to him, and was back to the truck stop in a few hours with the glass vacuumed out of the car, and a new window.
Another time a teenage girl was missing. My husband at that time and I were lying in bed watching TV as we did each night for the news. Again, the still small voice said she was in the (not being named) reservoir with a concrete block attached to a rope around her neck. I told my husband, who never doubted my perceptions. The next night on TV, the teenage girl was found exactly as the voice told me.
While watching TV news in bed on June 5, 1968, I told my then-boyfriend that Robert Kennedy would be killed tonight! An hour later, the TV said he had been assassinated–again, the still small voice. The rest is history.
I “listen” for this “voice” but not a voice, every day of my life!
Last summer while crossing an overpass with train tracks below–this bridge had 2 lanes going north and 2 lanes going south. I was in the inside lane going south and a white SUV was about 4 car lengths behind me in the right lane near the little sidewalk on the bridge. I was almost at the curve where the north side separates from the south side. Hard to explain. A dark red old pickup truck with a lawnmower carrying-type trailer was attached. He was heading north on my southbound side! I remained calm without realizing it. I slowed down perceiving his speed. I think the white SUV could see a head-on collision coming.
Time stood still for me while the pickup was at his normal speed of 35 mph. He cut off people in the northbound lane and cars honked at him as he barged in, not merging. I missed hitting him by about a foot–and then I started having an adrenalin rush and couldn’t stop shaking. That subsided and I continued driving home. A gut instinct? I don’t really know. I do think, “Jesus had the wheel.”
Greetings. I’m not really sure if it was fear or a gut feeling but it kind of built up and made me feel confused and upset my guts as I processed to think about it.
It was about my ex boyfriend. He was having problems due to his past, and wasn’t in a good place. I first felt that I should help him and I did. He felt absolutely gratified and that nobody has held him with that high regard, and I responded with that is what I should have done. We progressed to be friends from lovers, but there was a feeling of indecisiveness nagging at me, and I ignored it mostly for the relationship and his sake. It got stronger over time. We met only twice, but his stare was off, his smile felt more superior than welcoming, he started to brag about his accomplishments, physical power etc. etc. The martyr I saw instantly morphed into someone else and I have seen that he was rude to his friends, too.
I re evaluated my thoughts and felt that the nagging indecisiveness, the fear which made me nervous, nauseous, trapped (and i love my freedom in a place where lots of bad things happen) so within 5 months, I decided to break up. He proceeded to guilt trip me, told me that I didn’t love him, that he was sick anyways and I would be the cause of his death, etc etc. Of course I got angry and told him to get help and look after himself, with or without me, because people are not to be put into pedestals and I, am obviously a person who has flaws. I was scared that he loved me ‘too much.’ promises, plans of future, what good ‘may’ happen.. All those shattered before my eyes, because I didn’t choose fear and entrapment but rather my freedom. And I learned that I was not cut out for relationships yet and figured out I had to learn how to trust and be compassionate if I want a long term healthy relationship. After a heated argument, we wished each other well. I still think about him, but I am adamant on going no contact. Lots of women have had undeserved endings from men who manipulated and hurt them; and I don’t want to be one.
I probably dodged a missile. I’m no way gonna be vulnerable in an unsafe country.
Regards,
Eva
I had a gut feeling that my mum had not to get her bus that morning but she was having none of it so I begged her yo get a taxi which I payed for . Mum’s bus went on to be involved in a very serious accident that morning that cost people their lives, my mum was not one of them
WOW, this is eerie and fascinating. Thank you for sharing Helen, I’m so glad you listened to your gut instincts!
Hi, I’ve been dealing with intrusive thoughts for years now and latley they have been severe. I’ve been dealing with anxiety, stress, depression. I am afraid but certain events that might happen in the future and I get this hunch. Do you think it is related to fear or gut feeling?
Intrusive thoughts are often related to OCD and anxiety disorders (more so than to a gut feeling). I recommend that you reach out to a therapist to help you Bardhi. You may also like to look into ‘CBT Cognitive Distortions’ and learn about that more. Gut feelings only tend to happen every now and then, not constantly – so if you’re frequently experiencing fearful sensations in the pit of your stomach it’s most likely anxiety not a true gut feeling about something/someone. ♡
I applied for many jobs, and I heard back from only one of them. I was ecstatic at first, but as I talked to the employer, I got a really bad feeling which just continues to grow worse. The job hasn’t started yet, but I’m not happy, and I constantly feel like I’ll making a bad decision if I accept it. Is this my gut telling me to back off before it gets too late? I’m so conflicted.
It might be Rie. Have you tried journaling about these feelings? Journaling is a great way to find clarity.
so let me start with a little back story about a year n half ago i made the dumbest decision of my life in a physical sense i havent nor could i actually cheat on my wife, but on the emotional sense i did and it seems to have crushed her making her into something else then what i origanely have fell in love with. there is no dought in my mind that i do love my wife. to be clear about that. she dose not beleave a word that come out of my mouth, i feel as if im on trial all the time. in one way or another it seems to go back to what i did a year and a half ago. it seems to never fail.
anytime i ask any sort of question its like im in the wrong for even thinking that question, i was raised to always ask and that a stupid qustion is the one not asked, anyway last few times i have driven her car its seems a little to clean. then today i went to get some parts to fix one of my trucks and noticed that her car looks as if it just been cleaned again, as if she hasent cleaned it in the last couple days. earlier in the day she all of sudden had a interpurter job for two hours long. from 2-4. i happend to text to see where she was and if it was possible to get a ride or use the car to get my parts. i get a phone call not even 60 seconds later her stating that she is close just in traffic. i asked her to stay on the phone with me till she did make it home and she got defensive right away and to what it seemed to me as if i heard a voice all a sudden. i didnt say that to her and i insisted for her to stay on the phone with me. i proceded to tell her that its a little suspicious before i knew it she hung up the phone. let me stop to give you this little bit of info i run my own service home repair or handyman if u would, with that said i spend alot of time in the truck, all over the sate of colorado. with me spending countless hours behind the wheel i can only recall bug splatters on the hood grill and whindshield when driving out in the country, her truck was covered in these splatters when asked she said something smart and i just walked away not wanting to loose my cool.
ever sense ive had this lingering head ache and for the last few hours a upset stomach, it really feels as if something is really not right and im kinda lost in what to do! is this a gut feeling or something else? how should i approch this situation?
lastly to be 100% honest it feels as if she only is with me the get revenge or payback if you would
any advice is apricated
elvis b.
“to be 100% honest it feels as if she only is with me the get revenge or payback if you would” – I’d explore this feeling more with a counselor or relationship therapist Elvis. I can’t speak for you or understand your gut instincts, that is up to you to find out. However, it does seem from your message that ‘something isn’t right’ – have you tried having a conversation with her? For your relationship to work, you both need to be able to honestly communicate with each other.
I met man and I fell deeply in love. When I saw him I heard a message and it said “pay attention he’s going to be your spiritual teacher.” I had no background in spirituality. He was my animus personified. We started dating and I had this gut instinct/feeling that he was using me. But I was so in love with him that I ignored it. I was so torn. I ended up making this man my higher power and not realizing it and suffered and hit rock bottom and nearly lost everything including my mind. I never got proof or confirmation that he used to me. My own self abandonment led to suffering and trauma which led me to my spiritual awakening. everything is different now. I think differently. I dont know if I would have experienced God or healed my childhood wounds had it not been for this experience with this man. So please, what do you think? Should I have listened to my gut in the beginning?
So last night I was going to sneak out of my house w/ my friend to go to the school across the road, to go to their playground to hang out, but suddenly my friend got a gut feeling that we shouldn’t go. Around 10 minutes passed and I was asking her about her previous gut feelings and if they were correct, but when I said “What if we just snuck out to go sit on the pavement/road and suddenly we both got gut feelings to lock my french doors (doors in my room that led to the front deck), so we bolted them shut. (We did that around 1am) Today I found out from my parents that a gang of thugs had been at the other end of my street and had robbed a house. So I’m really glad I listened to my gut feeling and didn’t go, then locked the door because if I had gone, me and my friend might of been b#a+en up or r@p#d.
Yes I was about to cross a street and my mind yelled stop and I did just as a mororcycle swept by me.
I came to an intersection and had a strong feeling something was wrong.
I looked up and the light was red. I stopped quickly simultaneously noticing the older man about to step into the crosswalk.
I was walking back to my apartment from a night class and passed a man on the straight who said, “Hey beautiful.” I rolled my eyes and kept walking. I turned onto my street, which had no other people walking on it, and after a few minutes I felt pressure in my throat, stomach and head. I looked behind and saw the silhouette of a man following me (that looked kinda like Mr. Hey Beautiful). I started walking faster and to my joyous luck I saw a couple turn onto my street ahead of me. I jogged to catch up with them, and then looked back to find the man gone.