Practical Intuition: How to Harness the Power of Your Instinct and Make It Work for You

by Laura Day, Demi Moore (Introduction)

Laura Day has tutored Deepak Chopra, George Soros, Demi Moore, and hundreds of others to make use of their own intuitive powers. It's a power we all have, a power that anyone can use--some call it "gut instinct," others the "sixth sense."

With Practical Intuition, Laura Day teaches you how to harness this remarkable hidden ability. Through exercises, first-person accounts, and real-life examples, she shows you how to make intuitive decisions about everything from stock-market picks to your love life--consciously and to your benefit.

Backed by the support of her world-famous clients, students, and admirers, Practical Intuition is sure to become one of the biggest self-help debuts in recent history.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Psychology, Personal Development, New Age, Personal Growth

208 pages, Hardcover

First published September 9, 1996

Reviews

[Jane Greene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a practical hands on instruction book for getting in touch with your intuitive skills. A great deal of the book was basically about learning to listen to yourself and trust what you hear. So often we go through life with good instincts...then we stop and hesitate about our decisions which often changes the results. If as our teachers used to tell us, we would go with our first answer, maybe life would be smoother. I think, in general as humans we tend to over think and second guess ourselves far too much. The only thing I disliked about this book is that it is interactive and to get the most out of it you do need to do the exercises. Definitely not a lay in your bed and read kind of book.

Meditation was mentioned a few times and I felt more time should have been devoted to the art of meditation. In order to receive intuitive thoughts, I believe you have to clear your mind and relax. As a health care provider I find myself using instincts (albeit trained), and intuition to assist me in evaluating and treating my patients. There were times when I would think "outside the box" and those thoughts would guide me to the correct answers. Early humans were given instinct and intuition to help them survive...we all have them still. We just don't trust them and listen like we should.

[Jackie Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forget Fortune Tellers, Laura Day Tells You How

Practical Intuition was the first book from Laura Day that sparked her career as a famous intuitive. Thanks to Demi Moore plugging Day’s talents her audience grew considerably out of this work. Day teaches a popular workshop based on this book and her methods are simple to grasp.

Day describes being intuitive from a young age but she doesn’t believe her gift is unavailable to others. In Practical Intuition Day writes of blind exercises, blind readings, and meditations to increase intuitive ability. Day thinks that anyone with enough practice can become their own best psychic, even though she doesn’t like too use the word psychic.

Practical Intuition is broken down into chapters that build upon one another. Day encourages readers to keep a diary of their intuitive impressions to build confidence in their own abilities. She doesn’t promise that you will become a whiz at picking winning stocks or the lottery but she does say you can improve with time and commitment. The book sells for as little as five dollars which is a deal compared to some of the pricey psychics in the world.

[Marcella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the book, follow the instructions and it will work for you.

[Liza Nahas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a casual read. While it is written in a comprehensive style, to get the most from the book, one must complete the exercises provided. I did find this interesting and instructive and I think I can better use my natural intuition now. I would have to continually practice and be alert to it in order to really hone my skills, and that is something that Day talks about in the book. Only once or twice did I not fully understand how to complete an exercise and I wished Day was teaching a physical class in which I could ask quest for clarification. Also, I really needed to be alert and in a quiet place to read/do the exercises. This is not the book to throw in your purse & read on the go.
Still, a good beginner's book for using your intuition.

[Natacha Pavlov · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got rid of a stack of books at the local bookstore and found this on a whim. The intro by Demi Moore instantly hinted that the author has worked with a range of individuals. It contains interesting exercises that I recommend doing at the end, and writing up a ‘report’ of all your impressions. Given that it’s an older book, there were instances where that came through, namely the (at least somewhat comical) reference to the 90s ‘psychic hotlines.'

[SmarterLilac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Think you don't have any intuitive ability? I used to think that about myself until I read this book. I recommend it sincerely to anyone seeking to get in touch with the proverbial sixth sense (it's easier than you think.)

[Serina · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow! what a great way of thinking...basically trusting yourself. extremly fun to do the exercises.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

reading this for the 2nd time. read it 6 years ago. definitely worth a fresh perspective.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I had to choose one book that has helped me on my journey toward more fully realizing my psi abilities, then it would be this one. Others do come close, but this is THE ONE.

When I first encountered Ms. Day's book on intuition (she doesn't use the term psychic ability because she thinks it is too woo-woo), I rolled up my sleeves and got to work. She asks a lot of her reader. Journaling. Writing. Tape-recording. A thorough search of one's beliefs. That kind of thing. But even with that, I remember waking-up from a dream - while I was in the midst of going through the exercises - where I was saying, "I LOVE THIS BOOK!"

It is like the lights turned on and somebody was home. I was home, and I knew that I KNEW things. Powerful. After that nothing and nobody stopped me besides myself.

So, this may be your book, but then it might not be. Come ready to do some serious work. But the payoff is sublime.

[Molly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Barf. No, on second thought, double barf. I really tried, I did, I did some of the "exercises" out loud with my family, wrote another one, and read some of the stories with the open-ist mind I could, but I couldn't get past the incredible stupidity, wishful thinking, and some of what read like downright lies. It was any "What Do I Do With My Life?" self-help book welded to some mystical mumbo-jumbo and some trust-me-I'm-an-expert hucksterism. Bleah.

[Mike S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book, Laura is a great teacher, the other reviewers said it all... read, practice, enjoy, and prepare to be amazed. The one thing I'd add is to take your time, really savor the book, give it a chance to sink in, don't feel badly if it takes you a month, two months, whatever, to work your way through it. Read it when you can really relax and enjoy it.
This book is far better than I'd hoped for. I'll be reading other works by her. Highly recommended.

[Kathy Ziegler · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really thought this book would help me improve intuition I already have. The exercise involving the name of the horse winning the race proved that it’s probably dangerous for me to operate as if I have any intuition at all. I was excited that my vision was so close to a horse name. Turns out my vision had nothing to do with the win, place or show horses out of nine horses. I had three chances !! Not for me. Back to real life.

[Websterdavid3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

do you want to learn how to be more intuitive and more accurate in your intuition?

Read it.

More accurately, read it, pull out the tape recorder, and follow her exercises.

there are many other training books on intuition, this is the one (in Delphi, Greece) that worked for me. very clear, very clean.

[Donna Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old school book but the exercises on how to increase intuition were fun.

Laura Day shows you how to get in touch with your intuition. Practical advice in seven steps: opening, noticing, pretending, trusting, reporting, interpreting, integrating.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a great book to help you learn more about your self and use more of that sixth sense we all have but overlook.

[Amanda Myhre · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my life. I would recommend it to anyone.

[Lisa sypher · Rating 5 out of 5]

It really teaches you about how to use intuition.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of exercises to build your relationship with this powerful tool we all have inside of us.

[Olesya Konovalova · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked the book a lot. I noticed that I became more sensitive to the world around me. To my surprise had few visions and then their results. I was shocked. It is fun!

[Nikki Lampe-Nalchajian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura Day is incredible. Inspiring. Challenging. Each time I read it, I discover something new.

[Katharine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a jumping off point to find Laura's work in all the places she shares it. I highly recommend exploring what Laura is teaching in this book and to look into her newer books as well. She is a uniquely adept guide to opening up truly incredible access to your intuitive gifts and beyond. Some of the exercises in this earlier book mystified me at first, but through practice, and eventual study in one of her bootcamps, the exercises unlocked truly shocking degree of intuitive skills for me, that can be shared with others. I have read and re-read this and How to Rule the World from Your Couch, and the Circle. Her different books each seem to take a different approach to accessing the gifts of your intuition, in service of creating a life you might otherwise only dream of. I'm so grateful to have found Laura's work and am so excited for the release of The Prism in 2025.

[Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

The overall premise that we have a strong intuition and we ought to trust it I agree with, but it was very hard to get on board with some of the exercises when getting to the nitty gritty of what particularly she does. It is an intriguing notion that there truly are intuitives out there who can pinpoint with astonishing accuracy certain things. I think books like The Gift of Fear might be ideal to start with. Also the lack of names giving the anecdotes suggested a lack of credibility.

[Levi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mostly liked this book. I think it does a wonderful job in teaching the reader how to enhance their intuition. However, I do believe that the author goes back and forth a lot within this book. At the end of the book, I honestly felt that the writing was a bit lazy since it was just repeating the same things over and over. Overall I give this four stars since it did enhance my intuition.

[Audrey]

I don’t get a lot of quiet time so I couldn’t get into the exercises. The times I did do the exercises, it was just non-sense even after reflecting.

Maybe someone else could find it helpful (I just didn’t personally). You need a lot of quiet/alone time which I don’t have as a working mom, It just didn’t vibe with me.

[Patty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the exercises seemed helpful to tap into intuition, but as someone with aphantasia (inability to visualize) a lot of what she suggested was not helpful for me personally. Her descriptions were also often vague or confusing. I’m holding on to my answers and will reread them in 6 months to see if it was accurate at all. I’m skeptical.

[Jessie Kanzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this book by Laura Day when I was 14 years old. I’ve come back to it countless times. It changed my life. Please read it to improve your own life and our mass consciousness. This is vital work.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. It taught me more about intuition than anything else I’ve ever read or listened to. (The one other exception might be the remote viewing subreddit, where I first began to think this sort of thing might be real.)

[JustJust Besaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this book it has been really helpful to me.
Fun and fast read, hard to put down

[Judith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, like a board game can be fun. The exercises are A LOT OF WORK.

[Disha Prabhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Still figuring out how to use my intuitive ability, but this a must read for those wanting to explore this area.