Intuition, Divine Wisdom, or False Guidance? How to Tell the Difference

Intuition as Divine Guidance: how to discern its source

Intuition can be a form of divine guidance, but it’s important to discern its source.

Pure intuition - when free from fear, ego, or external influence - often aligns with divine wisdom, offering clarity, peace, and truth. However, intuition can also be influenced by subconscious fears, past experiences, or external energies.

Strengthening your connection to the Divine through mantra, prayer, reflection, and discernment helps ensure that your intuition remains a trustworthy channel for higher guidance, rather than personal bias or deceptive influences.

Exercises to refine intuitive discernment

Here are some practical exercises to help you distinguish between divine guidance and personal bias or external influences:

1. The three-question test

When you receive intuitive guidance, ask yourself:

Does this feel expansive or constricting? Divine guidance brings peace, while fear-based thoughts feel heavy.
Would this advice align with love, truth, and integrity? Divine messages never encourage harm, deceit, or manipulation.
Would I give this guidance to someone I love? If you wouldn't, it might be ego-driven rather than divine.

2. Body sensations check

Divine guidance often comes with:

A sense of peace, warmth, or lightness in the body. Observe closely, what do you feel and sense. Pay attention to everything your body goes through.
A quiet knowing, like an internal "yes" without needing external validation.

Negative guidance or ego-driven thoughts often feel like:

Tightness in the chest or stomach.
Restlessness, urgency, or fear-based panic.

3. Practice automatic writing

Sit in silence, say a prayer, and write down the guidance you receive.

And then read it back: Does it bring peace, clarity, and love? Or does it create doubt and confusion? Divine wisdom uplifts rather than instils fear.

4. The 24-hour rule

If guidance comes with anxious urgency, wait 24 hours. Divine wisdom is patient, while ego or negative energies often pressure immediate action.

However, sometimes, divine guidance can come with a sense of urgency, especially when it’s about physical safety. The key distinction is in the quality of the urgency.

Divine guidance feels clear, firm, and direct but without panic. It might be a sudden, strong knowing or an internal voice calmly saying, Stop now, Turn here, or Wait. Even if it’s urgent, it carries a sense of certainty and protection rather than fear.
Ego-based or negative urgency feels anxious, pressured, or panicked. It often pushes impulsive decisions, like Do this now or you’ll lose your chance! or If you don’t act immediately, everything will go wrong!

In life-threatening moments, divine guidance may not give you 24 hours—it might require instant action. The key is learning to recognise its calm authority versus fear-driven pressure. This discernment strengthens with practice, trust, and deepening your connection with your intuition.

5. Dream interpretation

Ask for clarity before bed and observe your dreams. Divine messages in dreams feel clear, symbolic, and affirming, while fear-based ones create distress.

The key is learning to recognise its calm authority versus fear-driven pressure.

The ability to discern between intuition, true divine guidance and misleading influence is one of the most important skills on the spiritual path. Let’s dive into how you can actually tell the difference between Divine Guidance and False Guidance, without accidentally mistaking anxiety for intuition (because, let’s be honest, we’ve all been there).

The Key Differences: Divine Guidance vs. False Guidance

Divine Guidance (From God/Source/Your Highest Self)	False Guidance (From Ego, Fear, or Negative Energies)
Feels peaceful and clear, even when challenging.	Feels chaotic, pressured, or fear-based.
Supports your free will and conscious choice.	Pushes you, makes you feel you must act now.
Aligns with love, wisdom, and truth.	Uses guilt, shame, or manipulation to convince you.
Encourages long-term, sustainable growth.	Promises shortcuts and quick fixes.
Expands your faith, love, and empowerment.	Triggers fear, doubt, or confusion.

The time I thought I was supposed to become a digital nomad

There was a time when I was asking for guidance about travelling full-time. It was during the first COVID-19 lockdown and I felt like a bird in the cage... My mind had created a full picture by that time: I could totally see myself being a totally free digital nomad, travelling the world...except I still had my son who was still in high school... and even that little obstacle my mind "resolved" immediately: "you will homeschool him!". I got excited, and suddenly, I was convinced that the Universe was telling me to do it immediately. Except… I was also feeling incredibly anxious, rushed, and, oh, just slightly overwhelmed. It just felt...a little off.

Thankfully, I sat with it, meditated, and asked for confirmation. That’s when I realised: the vision was real, but the timing and urgency were completely off. I was being guided to prepare, not to pack my bags overnight and run off like a mystical nomad and crazy mama.

So I proceeded with preparations: started to sell things I knew I would not need, sorted out both of my offices where I was seeing my clients before COVID-19, went fully digital and then... voila - a few years later - I am travelling full-time and my son is already fully independent, too!

The moral of the story is that divine guidance often unfolds in steps, while false guidance wants you to act now, without thinking.

Divine guidance often unfolds in steps, while false guidance wants you to act now, without thinking.

How to recognise divine guidance

Physical signs of true guidance

A deep sense of calm or warmth, even if the message is challenging.
Feeling energised or uplifted rather than drained.
An intuitive pull towards an answer rather than a mental struggle.

Emotional and energetic signs

The guidance feels loving, wise, and aligned with your values.
No sense of fear or panic—only clarity and inner knowing.
It comes gently and does not pressure you.

The soulmate who almost wasn’t

One of my clients, let's call her Anna, came to me panicked. She had met a guy who, according to her, was “definitely her soulmate—she just knew it!” Except for one tiny problem…

Every time she thought about the relationship, she felt tense, worried, and unsure. The guy was inconsistent, gave mixed signals, and kept disappearing, but she kept seeing "signs" everywhere—his name on billboards, angel numbers, even a feather in the shape of his initial (her words, not mine), so she kept chasing him, arranging dates and he would be not present at all...

We worked through it, and she realised that true divine guidance wasn’t telling her to chase him. It was telling her to value herself, see her self-worth and wait for a love that felt peaceful, clear, and mutual. And if you have read my article on Karmic vs Soulmate Relationships: How to Tell the Difference (And Can One Become the Other?), by now you probably figured out that this was a Karmic relationship! If you haven't read it yet, you can find it here: https://www.olgageidane.com/karmic-vs-soulmate-relationships-how-to-tell-the-difference-and-can-one-become-the-other

And guess what? She decided to step up for herself, ditched this inconsistent guy and started a deep journey of self-love (through my course From Heartbreak to Happiness) and...just a few months later, unexpectedly (but we know there are no coincidences!) she met someone who actually made her feel safe and loved like never before!

Therefore it is really important to check in with your feelings. Remember, when something doesn't feel right - most likely it is not. Your mind might play games with you, but not your heart!

When something doesn't feel right - most likely it is not.

How to recognise negative or false guidance

Physical signs of false guidance

A feeling of tightness or tension, especially in the chest or stomach.
A sense of urgency or pressure, like you must act now.
Feeling exhausted or confused after receiving the message.

Emotional and energetic signs

The message makes you feel guilty, unworthy, or afraid.
It feels manipulative or contradictory.
The guidance changes constantly and leaves you more confused.

The "urgent" spiritual download that wasn’t

One of my clients once had a moment where he was meditating, and a very dramatic thought came in: "You must stop everything and move to a remote location to fulfil your purpose NOW."

He felt very excited and called me immediately and this is what we have established:

He felt anxious, not peaceful.
It contradicted everything he had been shown previously about his path.
It sounded like fear disguised as spirituality.

We agreed he would wait, and ground himself, and sure enough—the real guidance was to stay where he was and build his work step by step. Lesson learned: The Divine Guidance doesn’t rush you, but fear does.

The Divine Guidance doesn’t rush you, but fear does.

Practices to strengthen discernment

1. The pause and test method

Before acting on guidance, ask yourself:

Does this message bring peace and clarity or fear and urgency?
Would a loving, wise teacher give this advice?
Is this something I would tell a close friend I truly care about?

2. Deepen your connection with the divine

Prayer/mantra and surrender: “if this is truly from You (God, Universe, Allah, depending on your faith) make it clear. If it’s not, take it away.”
Scriptures or wisdom teachings: true guidance aligns with higher spiritual truths.

3. Test the guidance with time

If the message is true, it will remain clear and consistent over time.
False guidance tends to fade, change, or feel "off" later.

4. Ask for confirmation in different ways

Look for external signs that would confirm the message. It could be anything, from a butterfly to a bird tapping on your window. For me, signs often appear as feathers and butterflies. You can always ask for your own unique signs.

Lastly, I would like to cover the difference between divine guidance and your own thoughts

Distinguishing between divine guidance and your own thoughts can be challenging, but there are key differences.

Divine guidance often feels like a deep inner knowing—clear, calm, and unwavering, even if it challenges you. It does not argue, justify, or spiral into overthinking.

Your own thoughts, on the other hand, tend to be influenced by past experiences, fears, and desires, often creating doubt, internal debate, or emotional highs and lows.

Divine messages arrive with a sense of peace and alignment, while personal thoughts can feel restless, uncertain, or conflicted.

And most importantly, divine messages often come in an unusual pattern of language - phrases you wouldn’t normally use, words that feel wiser or more profound than your usual thinking, or even a sudden clarity that feels external to your own mental process. They may arrive in a poetic, symbolic, or direct way that stands out from your typical inner dialogue.

In contrast, your own thoughts tend to follow familiar patterns, using the same vocabulary, tone, and reasoning you're accustomed to.

If a message feels like something you wouldn’t usually phrase that way—or if it carries a depth of insight beyond your usual perspective—it’s a strong sign that it could be divine guidance rather than just mental chatter.

My suggestion is: to observe how the received message makes you feel: does it bring clarity and expansion, or does it trigger anxiety and overanalysis?

The more you practise discernment, the easier it becomes to recognise when you are receiving divine wisdom versus when your mind is simply processing emotions and beliefs.

Just remember at all times, that true divine guidance doesn’t create fear, confusion, or urgency. It might challenge you, but it will always feel wise, loving, and aligned with your soul. Your intuition will resonate with it on a deep level, bringing a sense of quiet knowing rather than panic or doubt.

If you’re unsure, pause, pray/meditate and listen - because truth never shouts, but it always stands firm. Your intuition, when tuned to divine wisdom, will recognise the difference between a message that nurtures your soul and one that manipulates your fears.

And remember: if a “spiritual message” is telling you to sell all your belongings and live in a cave immediately - maybe take a breath, check in with your intuition, and double-check your sanity!

With love and light,

Olga

I would love to hear your stories, share them in the comments below, or send me an email at Olga@newlifekickstart.com or a DM on social media!