Developing trust in our intuition and spiritual guidance is a journey beyond trauma.
As we resolve our trauma, integrate our wounded and protective inner parts into our hearts, we remove the filters to our deeper intuition and connection to spiritual guidance.
In these times of increasing chaos, it is becoming more and more important to trust our intuition – our gut instincts.
To rely on spiritual guidance and assistance from spiritual allies in making choices.
To fully use both the left (logic) and right (intuitive) sides of our brain.
To be clear, aligned and authentic on the path we are walking.
However, there are some important caveats in doing this work and trusting guidance.
Our response to trauma creates protective parts of our persona whose role is to keep us safe and direct us away from choices that might re-traumatize us, or recognize the trauma that exists within.
These protectors act as a filter on our intuition and our capacity to connect to deeper spiritual guidance. They will filter out choices and guidance that they think are “dangerous” or will be disruptive to our lives.
They may also keep us numb, dissociated, frozen, ashamed, anxious and contracted. These conditions are a barrier to us connecting to our deeper intuitive nature and feelings.
This is similar to the notion of staying in our comfort zones.
Protectors can function in a number of ways.
Protectors re-enforce cognitive biases that are aligned with what they believe is good for us. Cognitive biases play a large part in determining who we hang out with, who we trust, and how we align ourselves in society.
Protectors can also use distraction techniques to keep us away from “dangerous” choices. They can keep our minds racing when we are trying to seek guidance or meditate so we don’t plumb the depth of consciousness and encounter our inner trauma. They can re-direct our focus from challenging personal work into spiritual bypassing.
One way to evaluate cognitive bias and distraction when trying to make, or seek guidance on, a choice is to choose the opposite answer from the one that seems ‘right’. Then see what physical, emotional or mental reactions emerge within and determine which inner part is reacting. If it is a familiar reaction, or from a younger or protector part then it is worth exploring the bias that is being introduced into our decision making.
Another way to evaluate this is by recognizing that we often unconsciously narrow our choices to two options. One that matches our protector’s “instructions” and will keep us “safe” and one that won’t. And we choose the one that will keep us “safe”, thinking it is guidance from spirit. It is useful to consider that there may be other (third or fourth) options that have been taken off the table by our inner protectors. When we expand our options we have an opportunity to review how cognitive bias or distraction may be filtering our intuition and guidance.
Guidance techniques include pendulums, meditation, muscle testing, cards, traditional “divination” techniques, and many others.
As we engage with guidance, and strengthen our intuition, we become more in tune with our own inner spirit and authentic self.