What’s the Difference Between Sensing and Intuition?
Whether we’re trying to distinguish between our innate intuition and its non-psychic neighbors like observation, instinct, or anxiety, it can be tricky to differentiate among the universal knowledge living in all of us and much more ordinary occurrences. Much of those varying traits come down to one key detail: tangibility.
One of the most common stand-ins for true intuition is sensing. These two experiences can be extremely similar, and in many cases, they may be happening at the same time. But are they two sides of the same coin? Not quite. Let’s talk about how sensing and intuition work and what their key differences are.
Sensing Starts with Your Senses
We’ve all been in a position of observing someone or something closely and getting a strong impression that something is hiding beneath the surface. It often happens in conversations when we suddenly realize that what a person says and what they think don’t seem to line up. It can be uncomfortable if we feel like we’re being manipulated, but it can also be a watershed moment with a good friend who’s on the verge of an important realization about themselves.
While these “Aha!” moments may feel like they come from your intuitive center, they’re often a product of careful perception. Information your eyes and ears take in that’s ambiguous by itself may trigger an insight, warning, or desire to act when it’s all mixed together in your brain. Sensing is about processing information you’re gathering from the world around you and connecting the dots to form an idea.
Intuition Comes from Within
In contrast, intuition engages with your emotional and spiritual foundation to inform how you inhabit the world. It’s inside-out rather than outside-in. Like sensing, intuition may be activated by an experience you have, but that’s not always the case. In fact, in deep states of meditation, your intuition may manifest purely and clearly even though you’ve left your body far behind!
Intuition also draws on extra-sensory knowledge you have accumulated from past lives and the spiritual forces that surround you. This information may be brought to you or emanate from the past without any prompting from the natural world. Also, intuition often arrives as a clear feeling or direction, whereas sensing is a fuzzy picture rapidly being brought into focus.
Sensing and Intuition Working Together
Sensing and intuiting are often happening at the same time, but one usually comes first and activates the other. For instance, if you receive a strong intuitive message about a particular person, you’re almost certainly going to start paying closer attention. Your sight, smell, touch, and hearing will all be activated, and if it’s a powerful feeling like love or a potential soulmate, it may feel like electricity from head to toe!
That doesn’t mean your senses shut off your intuition, but they may take over your experience. Once your intuition has set you on the right path and properly tuned your mind and body, your conscious self often has more than enough to take the wheel.
Sensing may also produce experiences that encourage you to engage your intuitive energy. If you suddenly become sensorially aware of something in your sphere, intuitive practices can help you explore it on a soul-led level.
Regardless of which comes first, both sensing and intuition play a valuable role in the incredible journey you’re on. You’re always going to need both—and the more you develop your intuitive skills, the sharper your senses will become.
Which Is Best for You?
We all have intuitive abilities, but not everyone has the same balance between internal and external. Some of us approach our experiences intuitively, and others engage with their senses first. It’s not about good or bad—just different!
If you’re familiar with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MTBI) personality test, you’ve probably been labeled as either sensory (S) or intuitive (N) as a result of your natural tendencies. This either/or approach has some solid rationale behind it, but like most psychological tools, it’s only an indication of your disposition.
Your MBTI result isn’t the end-all-be-all of who you are or the dimensions of experience you can access. An INFJ is perfectly capable of tapping into their sensing side, for instance. It’s about what works for you.
Whether you’re scoring a 99% (S) on the MBTI test or leaning more towards the bigger picture of intuition, we’re all walking both paths all the time. As we grow and learn, intuitive and sensory people alike develop a richer understanding of their total experience of the world. At the end of the day, a soul-led existence depends on an open heart and mind, both of which benefit from sensing and intuition.
Sensing and Intuiting Your World
The more you’re willing to learn about intuition overall, the more you’re opening yourself up to personal growth and expanding spirituality. If intuition is our soul’s compass, then sensing is the map by which we travel, taking us on adventures and showing us more of the world than we ever imagined. Each reveals a unique perspective on the world we’re living in, and sensing and intuition rarely flourish independently of each other.
Remember, the universe has a plan for you. By sharpening your intuitive skills and embracing the joy of the journey, you’ll be ready to lean in and listen closely when it starts to whisper.
And if you’re yearning for a teacher or resources to help hone your skills further, I’m here as your spiritual mentor for every sense, study, and season. Never stop sensing and intuiting your way through this beautiful life, my friends! Keep honoring your intuitive journey, step by step.
