Introduction

Trusting What You Feel

I am going to share with you a secret. A family secret. It’s one of those secrets no one has to tell you to keep—you just know not to speak about it. I am beginning with a family secret (you may have one like it) because often where there are secrets, there are treasures to be found. For me, the treasure was my intuition. There’s a good chance that much of your intuitive power lies hidden inside you, like a treasure waiting to be discovered.

“Indeed, the most trusted friend we will ever know lives in our own skin.”

—J. T. GARRETT AND MICHAEL TLANUSTA GARRETT, CHEROKEE NATION, AUTHORS OF THE CHEROKEE FULL CIRCLE

I knew this secret for a long time, but I didn’t fully understand what I knew until my early twenties. When I was seven years old I began to have this sense, this feeling, that someone was missing in our family. Every time we gathered for our occasional family dinner or for a holiday I would be very aware of this missing presence. I would look around me at the dinner table, asking myself, Who is missing? and Where is this feeling coming from? Years later, when I began to keep a journal, I would write these experiences down. Even though this perception was persistent, I never spoke about it to anyone.

Where in our culture are we taught how to respond to such feelings? Not in most schools, churches, or homes. However, there was a time when people were taught to value, trust, and develop these feelings. There was a time—and I believe it is returning—when young people entering their teens were given special instruction to develop their intuitive and spiritual powers. They were taught to understand their bodies not only as muscle, blood, and bone, but also as energy and containers of the spirit. They learned how to use their own intuitive experiences to reveal the truth about themselves and their world. Understanding these mystical truths was an essential part of the journey to adulthood in ancient cultures.

This ability to access inner wisdom is still valued and practiced in some areas of the world. As Arnold Mindell, author of The Shaman’s Body, explains, intuitive wisdom relies on being deeply attuned to the body.

“Indigenous healers have taught that the quality of life depends upon body sensations that are linked to dreams and the environment, to what I call the ‘shaman’s body.’ According to medicine people living in native settings around the world, and to mystical traditions, the shaman’s dreaming body, when accessed, is a source of health, personal growth, good relationships, and a sense of community.”

What Mindell refers to as the shaman’s body I will call the energy body. To understand the language of the energy body—your intuition—is to find great strength, wisdom, and freedom. With this book you will learn to speak that language.

When I was a teenager, I had no such understanding—but my energy body was constantly sending me signals just the same. I began to notice that I was often aware of things that were hidden under the surface of my everyday interactions with other people. I had a strong sense of what others were feeling; I felt as though I was seeing into other people’s secret worlds and glimpsing their hidden treasures. I seemed to know a lot more about what was going on around me than people were telling me. I often had psychic dreams—dreams that gave me more insight into what was happening in my life. And per-haps the most perplexing signal, the sensation that someone was missing from our family, only increased as the years went by.

At age twenty-five, I had an opportunity to test the validity of this particular feeling. My father was visiting me, and it felt like the right time to share my secret. I began by telling my father what I under-stood at the time about intuition (I had by that time investigated this topic in a variety of ways). I told him of the many intuitive markers in my life, when my feeling sense—my wisdom body—had alerted me to the truth about something. And finally I described my intuitive experiences during family time.

He listened and I could sense his heart open to me. He sat very still with his full attention on me as I spoke. Then I asked him the question that had troubled me since childhood: Did he have any other children? His answer was open and kind. I could see that in this moment he, too, needed to speak his truth. He told me that, yes, he had another daughter. She was born when I was seven years old.

I felt such love as the truth in my heart was finally validated by my father. He gave me the greatest gifts a father can give—his truths and his recognition. A weight I carried in my heart and body lifted, and a great peace entered and filled me. We sat and ate together, but nothing at that meal tasted as sweet and wonderful as my father’s honesty.

”Clear intuition requires the ability to respect your own impressions.”

—CAROLINE MYSS, MEDICAL INTUITIVE, AUTHOR OF ANATOMY OF THE SPIRIT

“Children are wise, even if adults cannot see it. We are so obsessed with teaching them that we do not notice what masters they really are.”

—VICTOR SANCHEZ, AUTHOR OF THE TOLTEC PATH OF RECAPITULATION

So much came together for me then. This validation of my intuition opened a door within me that has remained wide open ever since. The truth really does set one free. Now I was free to fully trust my intuitive self. I knew that there would always be truth to be discovered if I had the wisdom and courage to listen for it. Now I was free to decide what it meant to me to have a half sister. Later in my life, I would go in search of her.

The gift of intuition didn’t come without its problems. Being intuitive often meant experiencing an overload of psychic energy from my surroundings, which sometimes made life more painful and difficult. Nothing in my formal education or spiritual practice taught me how to use and control my intuition. As a teenager, it helped me a great deal to begin a meditation practice and to consult the I Ching. I also found it useful to write down my dreams and reflect on their meaning. I kept a journal of my psychic as well as my more mundane life experiences.

Yet, this was not enough. These practices did not speak directly enough to my intuitive feelings and experiences. They didn’t advise me about how to use my own energy body, or how to respond to the energy of other people, or how to recognize intuitive wisdom. Books on intuitive development, such as Caroline Myss’s Anatomy of the Spirit, didn’t come out for another fifteen years.

“I disappoint some people when I discuss intuition because I firmly believe that intuitive or symbolic sight is not a gift but a skill—a skill based in self-esteem.”

—CAROLINE MYSS, AUTHOR OF ANATOMY OF THE SPIRIT

I was already in my mid-thirties when my spiritual adviser and psychologist told me about a local psychic and healer who taught a yearlong psychic development class. At the age of thirty-five, I attended this class and finally got the instruction I needed. A void in my life was being filled. I came to understand so much about myself, my feelings, and my intuitive body—my wisdom body. I felt so strongly that the material in the class should be shared with more people that I began to teach the class myself, and to this day I continue to teach it. Now, with this book, I can share with you the ideas and techniques for intuitive development that I have learned over the past fifteen years.

These are subjects of great importance not typically taught to young people. Many of the teenagers I come in contact with are troubled by social anxiety and feeling overly sensitive. Some speak about feeling some kind of “instinct,” but they doubt themselves too much to act on it. Many talk about getting “signs” but are not sure how to interpret them. All of these concerns can be alleviated dramatically by understanding and developing your intuition.

There are now many quality books on intuitive development for adults, but none especially for teenagers. This book provides you with tools for developing the intuitive powers you will need as you make your way through the powerful passage to adulthood. It is a guide that will take you on a journey: into your own wisdom body and onto the path of the visionary. This time in your life, when you are discovering all of your powers and unique qualities, is an ideal time to begin to walk this path. It is also a time to begin to move through the fears and obstacles keeping you from discovering these treasures. It is time to tap into the powerful source of wisdom and guidance that was given to you at birth.

“The intuitive wisdom mind is that of a deeper level of being.”

—STEPHEN LEVINE, MEDITATION TEACHER AND AUTHOR OF A GRADUAL AWAKENING

“All of us have intuitive feelings all the time.”

—SHAKTI GAWAIN, AUTHOR OF DEVELOPING INTUITION

EVERY ONE OF US HAS INTUITION

To some degree, you and every other person on earth has this spiritual perception, this skill. For me it was very intense; for others it is quite subtle. It doesn’t matter if it is strong or faint—what matters is that you learn how to listen to it. As you read this book, you will find many exercises and ideas on how to recognize and develop your intuition further.

Some Basics about Intuition

It doesn’t benefit anyone for you to be less than you are. To not use your intuition is to be less than you are. To not know and live by your own truths is being less than you are. To ignore your energy body is being less than you are. To be everything that you are, and were meant to be, you need to begin by understanding some basic truths about everyone’s intuitive powers.

Truth One: Intuition is an ability that we are all given at birth.

Truth Two: You have a right to develop and use your intuitive/psychic ability, particularly at this pivotal time in your life.

Truth Three: Your intuition is your direct connection tospirit (God, Higher Power, the Creator, Goddess, Buddha, the Tao, etc.).

Truth Four: Your intuition is part of the creative energy thatflows through us all and through everything.

Truth Five: Your intuition increases as your understandingand love for yourself and others increases.

Truth Six: Emotional intensity is part of your intuitive nature.

Truth Seven: Your intuitive/psychic journey is meant tomake you feel powerful and good about yourself.

Truth Eight: When you use your intuition, it benefits everyone.

Truth Nine: Some people are more easily able to use theirintuition, just as some are more able with music, but everyone can develop his or her intuition.

Truth Ten: Intuitive wisdom and intuitive/psychic development are not “New Age”; they are very “Old Age,” respectedand taught in ancient cultures in many forms.

In our culture, it can be difficult to access and trust our intuition. Shakti Gawain, author of Developing Your Intuition, offers this explanation: “One of the reasons that many of us do not learn to trust and follow our intuition is that we are taught from an early age to try to accommodate those around us, to follow certain rules of behavior, to suppress our spontaneous impulses, and to do what is expected of us.” Sound true to you? In school we are constantly reminded to accommodate teachers and authority, to follow the rules, and to suppress our intense emotions—in essence, to do exactly what is expected of us. While these guidelines have an obvious purpose and are in some measure necessary for us all when we are in school, the fact is that they do hinder our intuitive abilities. When we habitually look outside ourselves for direction, we don’t get to exercise an important life skill: that of listening for—and acting on—our own inner wisdom.

We all need the help and guidance of others. But never should you follow the advice of others when it means to ignore your own inner guidance. There are times when teachers are wrong. Sometimes a friend’s advice is misguided. Clergymen and others in positions of trust or authority can abuse their power. We need to listen to our inner guidance while we consider the advice and direction of others. When our inner voice says “No” or “Think about it first,” we must listen to it, and find out what it is trying to tell us. As you develop the intuition that is inside of you and learn to think more for yourself, you can go out into the world more aware, confident, and strong.

“Don’t read with the mind only. Watch out for any ‘feeling response’ as you read and a sense of recognition from deep within. I cannot tell you any spiritual truth that deep within you don’t know already. All I can do is remind you of what you have forgotten. Living knowledge, ancient and yet ever new, is then activated and released from within every cell of your body.”

—ECKHART TOLLE, FROM THE POWER OF NOW: A GUIDE TO SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

First of all, I invite you to have fun with this book. Let it be an adventure you go on with yourself and, if you choose, with your friends. The exercises and readings I have chosen will guide you on a journey of spiritual discovery that will empower you with truth and courage.

Most of the chapters begin with two stories that illustrate the ideas discussed in the chapter. The first one will be written by or about a teenager, portraying his or her intuitive and spiritual awakening. The second story will be a traditional tale from one of many cultures around the world. These indigenous cultures valued intuition and the spiritual life and believed it was important that elders, such as myself, teach this wisdom to our youth.

A Quiz: How Intuitive Are You?

This quiz uses a scoring system to give you a general idea of where you fall right now within a range of intuitive awareness.

There are twenty-three statements below for you to read and respond to. On a separate sheet of paper, write the numbers 1 through 23 in a vertical column. Read each statement. Then, next to the number on your paper that corresponds to that statement, write the word that best describes how often you experience what the statement says. Choose one of these words for your answer: often, sometimes, or rarely.

1. I am aware of others’ feelings.
2. I experience social anxiety.
3. I sense things before they happen.
4. I remember my dreams.
5. I have recurring dreams.
6. I am afraid of some of my feelings.
7. I experience a lot of coincidences.
8. I have gut feelings about decisions.
9. Friends seem to come to me a lot for advice.
10. I know my dreams mean something.
11. I have been told that I am too sensitive, that I overreact.
12. I have déjà vu experiences.
13. I believe I am intuitive.
14. I believe or sense that a greater power watches over me and helps me.
15. I am scared of what I know.
16. I have sensed things were going to happen before they did.
17. I have high self-esteem.
18. I can speak up for myself to my peers.
19. I can speak up for myself to adults.
20. I know how to ask for advice.
21. I have a strong sense of purpose; I know what I am going to do with my life.
22. I use drugs and/or food to avoid my thoughts and feelings.
23. I know when someone is not telling the truth.

Now use the following list to assign points to each of your answers. Determine your score by adding up all the points. Give yourself:

1 point for each time you wrote “rarely”

2 points for each time you wrote “sometimes”

3 points for each time you wrote “often”

If you scored 23 to 35:
You aren’t often aware of or tuned in to your intuition. You may sense some inner voice inside of you but you’re not sure how to access it. Possibly you don’t feel very good about yourself or trust the way you do feel, but this will improve quickly as you practice the exercises in this book. The first step for you will be to start uncovering your hidden intuition and making it more available to you. Soon you will begin noticing a stronger awareness of yourself and your surroundings. You will find that you trust your intuitive self more often and feel more energized and positive. Keeping a journal while you read this book will be very helpful.

If you scored 36 to 58:
You are often in touch with your intuitive sense, although you may not fully understand what it all means. Some people may experience you as oversensitive but friends are likely to come to you for advice because you often have good insight into their problems. You may experience some social anxiety due to your very real sensitivity to the energy around you. You may not always trust or understand your abilities. You may oscillate between times when you have very good feelings about yourself (high self-esteem) and times when you bottom out and your self-esteem is very low.

You will quickly benefit from this book because you will find the guidance contained here makes you feel safer, more balanced, and more confident in your intuitive abilities.

If you scored 59 to 69:
You are very aware that you have psychic abilities although you have not received instruction on how to skillfully use them. Your self-esteem is fairly high most of the time and you are ready for and excited about using the guidance in this book. Your confidence and skills will build quickly as you work through the activities in the ensuing chapters.

 

Regardless of your score, this book will help you develop and trust what is already inside of you.

The stories will be followed by simple explanations and exercises for understanding and developing your own intuition and energy body. Many of the exercises I learned from others; many I developed myself over the years. Some are techniques that were taught to ancient peoples as they entered their teen years. Practicing these exercises will not only increase your intuitive powers but will increase your creative energy as well. You will notice positive changes in yourself as you progress through the book. You cannot do the suggested activities in this book without a significant increase in your self-esteem, because your intuitive self is the true source of self-esteem.

I recommend that you progress through each chapter in sequence since most of the material in one chapter builds on the previous chapters. However, if you wish, you can just read bits and pieces and try certain exercises that speak to you. Whichever approach you take, you will find that the more you use the wisdom in this book, the more spiritually and intuitively empowered you will become.

Before we go any further, I would like to be clear about what I mean when I use the word psychic. Psychic comes from the Greek word psyche, which is translated as “the soul.” It is defined as “sensitive to nonphysical or supernatural forces.” So, to be psychic means to be able to hear the language of the soul, to understand the language of energy. It is not about fortune-telling, although having a sense of what the future holds may be a skill of a gifted psychic. Our psychic abilities enable us to tap into the wisdom and power of our souls and energy bodies, and to open up to the spiritual world.

What Is Shamanism?

Throughout this book you will find references to shamanism and shamans. Shamans are spiritual specialists, knowledgeable in matters of spirit and energy. Traditionally, shamans were people believed to have been chosen by spirits, who could enter a trance state and travel into the spirit world. Shamans played a vital role in their communities, dedicating their lives to the betterment of their people. They were sought out for advice, fortune-telling, and healing the sick. Shamans had to undergo a great deal of training and practice with an established shaman before being initiated into service. Thousands of ethnic groups around the world still recognize shamans.

In your own local area, you are likely to find people referring to themselves as “shamanic practitioners” but not necessarily as shamans. Shamanic practitioners use practices such as those found in this book to empower themselves and others spiritually and to make direct contact with the spirit world.

“The shaman relies on inner powers to support his or her conclusions about a situation, rather than on material concerns which is often the case today,”

—JOSÉ STEVENS AND LENA S. STEVENS, FROM SECRETS OF SHAMANISM

“Shamanism itself is a time-honored crosscultural quest for knowledge and personal power that predates all known religions, psychologies and philosophies.“

—JOSÉ STEVENS AND LENA S. STEVENS, SECRETS OF SHAMANISM

You don’t have to be a shaman to practice shamanism. In fact, you will be engaging in shamanic practices throughout this book. You will be opening up to your vital energy and the spirit world that is inside of you and outside of you. Some of you may well become shamans, after you use this book to open the door to the truth about you.

“Basically . . . the shaman uses altered states of consciousness to communicate with and influence the forces of nature and the universe for the benefit of society. In order to do this, the shaman everywhere practices the accumulation of inner power. These are the three most distinguishing features of the shaman, then: the use of altered states; influencing events for social benefit; and the accumulation of inner power.”

—SERGE KING, THE WAY OF THE ADVENTURER

Keeping Your Psychic Journal

Because there will be changes within you and outside of you, you may want to keep a special psychic journal. Use your journal to document and reflect on your psychic experiences, your dreams, and your intuitive insights. Many of the exercises in this book include answering questions in your journal as well. Some of the personal experiences I share with you in this book are from the many journals I have kept since the age of fifteen.

Forming a Teen Psychic Group/Circle

I recommend that you discuss this book with a friend, mentor, spiritual adviser, therapist, or study group. This will give you someone to share your experiences with as well as someone to listen to any concerns you might have. You may want to form a Teen Psychic group to read the book and do the exercises together. You will find a list of recommended organizations and groups to contact for further guidance and support in the Resources section of this book.

My intention for this book is to help you discover and walk the path that leads to your own truths and gifts—not mine or anybody else’s. Along the way you will learn the secrets young people used to know about the energy body, about the wisdom of our intuition and emotions, and about our spirituality. Take from this book whatever you may find helpful. Start walking now. All that you need will arrive to help you.

If you want the truth,
I’ll tell you the truth:
Listen to the secret sound,
which is inside you.

—RUMI, SUFI POET

Opening the Door: A Beginning Meditation

Use this exercise to open the door to communication with your body and its energy. It is adapted from a variety of yoga practices, which assist you in awakening the vital energy that is in you.

Lie comfortably on your back on the floor, on a yoga mat or rug, with pillows under your neck and knees. Place your hands loosely at your sides or on top of your belly. For a few moments simply lie still, breathing and relaxing while at the same time staying in tune with your body. Instead of daydreaming, notice the sensations of your body . . . the rhythm of your breathing, the touch of clothes against your skin, the images that appear in your mind’s eye . . . relax, breathe, and remain present, just lying on the floor, relaxed yet present. Notice the different parts of your body and, without judgment, bring your awareness to them. Begin with your legs, relaxing them even more, letting them rest from their constant exertion. Now bring your awareness to your waist and lower torso, perhaps noticing the breath and how it makes the belly rise and fall . . . Notice the arms relaxed at your sides; allow them to sink into the floor. Relax even more . . . yet maintain a presence in the body. Bring your awareness to your entire torso and then up to your chest. Notice your spine and relax it into the floor . . . continue to breathe and relax. Notice your shoulders and neck, inviting them too to relax as you bring your awareness to them . . . Allow your head to rest heavily on the pillow, breathing and relaxing in awareness of your body . . .

After a few minutes of this relaxed presence in your body, take a moment to notice what it feels like to be alert and relaxed at the same time . . . without judgment (no right and wrong), just notice. Rest as long as you like in this state of awareness. Then take a couple of deep breaths and sit up. You may want to take a moment to write what you experienced in your journal.

“If you’re an alive body, no one can tell you how to experience the world. And no one can tell you what truth is, because you experience it for yourself. The body does not lie.”

—STANLEY KELEMAN, AUTHOR OF LOVE: A SOMATIC VIEW

“Peoples of ancient times and indigenous peoples of the present have chosen different ways, and that is why we have so much to learn from them. They have not separated themselves from the silent knowledge, the knowledge of the energetic body, as we have done.”

—VICTOR SANCHEZ, TOLTEC MEDICINE MAN

 

I listened to the singer’s song he sang of old times and I found the path.

—MAURICE KENNY, POET,
TAKEN FROM AKWESAN NOTES