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In her new book Radical Intuition: A Revolutionary Guide to Using Your Inner Power, author Kim Chestney reveals an all new understanding of intuition and how to use it to live an extraordinary life. We hope you will enjoy this Q and A with Kim about the book.

What is Radical Intuition…and what makes it so “radical?”

Radical Intuition is an all-new way of understanding intuition. This “new school” intuition challenges the fundamental nature of consciousness. It invites you to open your mind — and discover a revolutionary, new reality beyond “thinking” as we know it. This is a radical change in the way we understand and live in the world. As we learn to honor intuition over our critical minds – to honor our inner truth over the conditioning of the world – we are able to free our minds, once and for all, and reclaim the extraordinary power that awaits inside.

In Radical Intuition, you say that “by going beyond the limits of our thinking mind, we have the opportunity to expand our consciousness and bring the world together like never before.”
Why is radical intuition so important to the world today?

Today, we are at the beginning of what I call “the intuition revolution.” You can see signs of it everywhere you turn, as more and more people are waking up to their truth, and standing for who they are. We are moving beyond the labels and institutions that have divided us for centuries; we do this by following our intuition, our higher calling and doing our part to make the world better.

This truly is a collective evolution of consciousness – waking up from unconsciousness and into higher consciousness. Intuition does not allow for the injustices of the world because it is part of the unifying truth behind it all. The mind divides us; intuition unites us. It is the invisible connection between all people – the force that moves us to rise up and go beyond, to become better than we are today.

On that note, the book talks about how being true to yourself is the most revolutionary act. What exactly does that mean – and how does it apply to intuition?

Though many of us don’t realize it, we have spent most of our lives living by someone else’s ideas. We listen to our parents, our friends, our teachers and colleagues; but all of that input is secondary. Our real power comes from “insight” -- from listening to ourselves – having the wisdom to recognize our inner guidance and the courage to follow it. We alone know what we are capable of and destined for. When we start looking within, and tuning out the din of the outside world, everything changes. We can finally discover who we really are, and what we are made for.

You say that everyone has intuition. How is that so?

Every person who walks the face of the earth has intuition. It is a natural part of being human. Like a talent, some people are born more open to it than others, but everyone can develop it, once they become aware of it within them. A lot of people think it’s just for women, but some of intuition’s greatest advocates have been men, like Einstein, Steve Jobs, Paramahansa Yogananda, Picasso, Henry David Thoreau, Mooji and so many others.

Who hasn’t thought of a friend just as they called on the phone? Or had a great idea, out of nowhere? Or just had a “gut feeling” about a situation? These are all calling cards of intuition, the first sparks of an intuitive fire that we can light with time and attention. Like anything else, the more you use it, the stronger it becomes.

One of the key themes in Radical Intuition is stepping beyond Mindfulness into Insightfulness. What does that mean and why is this important for us right now?

The mindfulness movement and works like Eckhart Tolle’s Power of Now have made a tremendous impact on world culture. Learning to be present, and awake, and conscious of our being has never been more important. Meditation, too, is a powerful counterpoint to our busy, information age culture.

But, now that we are moving into the stillness, we can see that there is still more. There is another step to take. In the silence, our intuition speaks. Finally, our hectic minds are quiet and we can hear the small, still voice of intuition calling us…guiding us…leading the way to a better life, a better future. First we become mindful, then we become insightful. This quality of insightfulness is already defining a new era of leaders, creatives and innovators; intuition will be the holy grail of the future.

What do you most hope readers will take away from this book?

What I most hope readers will take away from Radical Intuition is the intention to open up their lives to intuition. I hope to plant the seeds that will allow their own intuition to flourish Intuitive awareness is the greatest gift you can give yourself – it is the balm for every wound; it is the light in every dark place; it the peace behind every moment of turmoil; it is truth behind all illusion.

Intuition is nothing less than your connection to God, the Universe, your Higher Self – whatever word you use to describe our sacred source. Ultimately, then, I guess that I hope Radical Intuition brings each and every reader closer to knowing their true self and reconnecting with the unifying beauty, joy and love of life itself.

Kim Chestney is the author of Radical Intuition. A globally recognized innovation leader and the founder of Intuition Lab, her work has been featured or supported by leading-edge organizations including SXSW Interactive, Carnegie Mellon University, Comcast, and Hewlett-Packard. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Visit her online at www.KimChestney.com.

Excerpted from the book Radical Intuition. Copyright ©2020 by Kim Chestney. Printed with permission from New World Library.

I hope you can help me. I feel like my waking life has become something of a dream. I'm mentally of out of it a lot of the time. I can't remember details the way I used to; I'm in a peaceful, dreamy state most of the time; and the strangest things keep happening to me. For example, I will see a stranger somewhere and think that I am having a telepathic conversation with them, and then I'll think it's all in my head, but then they will approach me and say something to me that confirms that what was happening mentally was REAL. This is totally tripping me out. I feel like I'm living in the Twilight Zone. "Coincidences" happen constantly. I think about someone or something and they just show up. My psychic abilities are on fire. What is happening? Blessings to you both!

Bethany

Dreamchaser:

Basically, you answered your own question when you stated that your "psychic abilities are on fire." That is exactly what is happening. You have reached a new level of enlightenment, and you are now seeing things that you did not see before. You "just know" things, and you are walking in an almost constant state of awareness. Welcome to MY world, by the way.

Coincidences will seem to happen CONSTANTLY if you know what is going to happen next. Even if you do not consciously know that you know, you still know. So when it happens, you are caught by that "Wow, I knew that was going to happen!" feeling.

New levels of enlightenment can be reached in various ways. The most common involve meditation and just plain old right living. Meditation really puts us in alignment with the Source of All Knowledge. When we practice meditation regularly, we really do ground and center. However, if you are like me and have to learn by doing, then the School of Life is probably for you.

Of course, you may not know that you have chosen the hard way, so to speak, but you did. If it is in your life, you chose it. I would highly recommend that you get some guided meditation CDs and use them. Let them teach you how to relax, center, and renew your soul through meditation. There are some REALLY great ones out there. Personally, I LOVE Kelly Howell; she takes my soul to wonderful places with her meditations.

Because you are so detached from the Earth these days, in addition to meditation, you need to find a way to get grounded.

Meditation is vital to your soul right now. It would also prevent you from having to take the whole "learn by doing" route. You could meditate, get guidance about what is next for you, and just do that. Doesn't that sound easy?

I believe that living as you are living now is actually humankind's natural state. Over the eons we have picked up fears and worries and concerns, and passed them down from generation to generation. Of all the Earth's creatures, we are probably the most fear-full. Animals do not have much fear. They use common sense and caution, but are very instinctual. Living by our guts is living instinctually. What you're experiencing is a natural state for all living things.

I recommend that you accept that this is your new norm. Realize that you are going to hit new levels of enlightenment if you are on the path. As long as you are learning, you are going to evolve and grow.

Sometimes when you hit a new level, your physical body will struggle to handle these new vibrations. It feels very strange and foreign. Also, your guides may be quiet for a while when you move into new levels so you can get accustomed to the energy there.

I wish you easy transitions.

*****

Astrea:

Most people who have any psychic awareness experience what you are experiencing every day. When we think about someone, they usually show up around that time. When the phone rings, we know who is on the other end of the line. When we sit down to answer email, we find the message we've been expecting from someone far away.

These are very common psychic occurrences; they happen to EVERYONE. Some people pay attention to them and some never consciously realize they're happening, but we are ALL somewhat psychic.

Over the past ten years, new awareness of our minds' potential has put most of us in touch with at least some aspect of our psychic abilities. The people who use their abilities to make a living, help others, or guide departed spirits toward the Light can for the most part CONTROL these experiences.

It usually doesn't just "come over" us suddenly, and we don't feel like we're in a waking fog. We have to stay as grounded as possible to accurately interpret our psychic impressions. While that can be a challenge, it can be done.

What is happening to you is different. You are experiencing disassociation because something that is going on in your everyday life has made you so unhappy that you are trying to escape from reality. This is why you feel the way you do.

It isn't your higher self, it's your everyday self causing this to happen. Imagining that you talk to people telepathically and that you're not in the real world is not good for you. There are some deep-seated issues you need to resolve before you can put your psychic abilities to good use. Sooner or later, you'll have to work through the problems you've been trying to escape.

I know you think that people confirm your "telepathic conversations," but that's simply NOT the case. They may say something that makes you think this is happening, but you can make anything into what you hope it is if you try hard enough. Fortune tellers have formulas for doing just that that are almost foolproof. People will also ask readers just the right questions to confirm what they want to hear.

I know you are sincere, but you're misguided. In order to use your spiritual gifts to help yourself and others, you must get back in touch with reality as soon as you can.

If your psychic abilities actually WERE on fire, you probably wouldn't be disassociating from the real world. Instead, you would be HYPER conscious of what is going on around you, not feeling "out of it" or like you're in "The Twilight Zone."

Also, there may be some kind of chemical or hormonal imbalance at work here, so seek help from a qualified physician. In order to use your REAL psychic abilities, you need to come back down to Earth as soon as possible!

Astrea:

Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.

Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!

While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!

I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!

As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.

I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.

You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!

Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.

A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.

You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.