( Oprah.com ) -- In 1986 Susan King hit her head -- hard -- in a car accident . The result was more than a concussion . Afterward , when King looked at people , she saw images of events occurring in their lives and had flashes of insight about them . With uncanny knowledge of their situations , she has been able to advise clients on everything from job searches to divorce proceedings . King refers to her work as intuitive counseling , and though her vocation may seem rarefied , she believes that intuitive power is available to everyone . `` To me it 's our body 's radar , helping us make all sorts of decisions -- if only we 're willing to pay attention . '' Oprah.com : 10 questions that have no right to go away . My intuition has gone through a metamorphosis from the time I was a young child to where I am now . I used to just get feelings . I went from getting feelings to having dreams , to seeing symbols that meant things , to seeing things actually happening to other people , to feeling that what 's happening to other people is happening to me . Intuition is knowing without knowing . It 's instinctively knowing something that you do n't know how you know . You meet people and you have a subconscious feeling : You like them or not . You trust them or you do n't . And sometimes you stop and think , Where does that come from ? What is that ? Oprah.com : When to trust your gut . I believe that just as we hear and see and smell and taste , this is another sense we have , but it 's one we do n't recognize . I think it 's almost an animal sense that we 've forgotten . We were better at intuition in the past . With modern technology and the frantic pace of life , most people today spend their lives running . Never stopping to listen . There 's no time for the mind to be quiet to listen to anything . And then when a problem comes : trauma . Because people are not in touch with themselves at all . You have to incorporate in your day some quiet time to listen to that voice . If you do n't , you wo n't hear it . But it 's there . It 's meant to guide us . Oprah.com : Are you listening to your life ? If you were to go out and meet somebody , spend an hour with them , and there was an attraction , and you came back home and wrote down the first thing you felt when you saw them , when they spoke to you , when they touched your shoulder -- you may not realize it , but you 'd find that you 'd already built a subconscious profile of the person . We all have that capability , but we do n't use it . I 'll tell you a group who uses intuition : people who do martial arts . They have to anticipate what their opponent 's going to do . Remember Bruce Lee ? Even people coming from behind , he could see . It 's like he had eyes in the back of his head . There are times when you get a feeling about something -- say , I do n't want to get on this flight -- and you wonder : Is it my anxiety , or is it real ? It 's difficult to know what 's fact or fiction . You can only judge over a period of time . You have to gain confidence in your ability to listen . Number one , you can build up to 15 minutes a day of sitting and focusing on your breathing . So that you have quiet time to connect with your inner self . Oprah.com : 7 ways to reduce your stress from Dr. Oz . Number two , every day , live the day and enjoy the day . Do n't be anxious about , Is this gon na happen or is that gon na happen ? Walk through your day -- do n't run . Get a little notebook , a tiny thing that fits in your pocket . When you have a feeling about something , write it down . That way , when your feeling later turns out to have been correct , you can go back and see that your instincts were working . And that builds your confidence . Intuition is like a muscle . You develop it the more you use it . One of the worst things in life is indecision and confusion . It plagues everybody . But confusion is sometimes a blessing when it stops you from making a move , because sometimes you 're not supposed to make a move . I say to people , `` You do n't walk down stairs blindfolded , you do n't drive a car blindfolded -- why would you want to make massive life-changing decisions when you ca n't see what you 're doing ? You have to wait for clarity . '' So to me , confusion can be a kind of intuition : your body 's way of saying , do n't do anything right now -- just go with the flow and the answer will come . I 've given lots of talks , to all kinds of groups , and sometimes you 'll get people -- usually men -- who will say , `` I think it 's a load of old rubbish . '' And I 'll say , `` Well , that 's your belief . I 'm not here to change your belief . '' The most important thing is just to trust it . Trust in your gut . Trust that first feeling you feel about something . Because that very first feeling is usually the right one . Oprah.com : The gut whisperer : 3 exercises to help you tune in . -- As told to Susan Casey . Subscribe to O , The Oprah Magazine for up to 75 % off the newsstand price . That 's like getting 18 issues FREE . Subscribe now ! TM & © 2011 Harpo Productions , Inc. All Rights Reserved .
After hitting her head in a car accident , Susan King suddenly had a sense of intuitive ##ness . Intuition is knowing without knowing . People had a better sense of intuition before her , King thought .