Neurodivergent Intuition: The Power of Non-Linear Knowing
“I just knew.”
It’s something many neurodivergent people say and often doubt themselves for saying. We live in a world that idolises logic, linear steps, and ‘evidence.’ But for many neurodivergent thinkers, those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, or simply beautifully different brains, intuition isn’t just a vague feeling. It’s a deeply wired, valid form of knowing. And it often arrives non-linearly.
In my book You Do Know, I talk about the four types of intuition: mental, emotional, somatic, and spiritual. While these apply to everyone, I’ve found that neurodivergent people often access their intuition in ways that go under the radar of traditional thought processes and this can be both their gift and their challenge.
The Brain Isn’t Broken, It’s Brilliant
Most of us were taught to trust logic: if you can prove it, it’s real. If you can’t explain it, don’t trust it.
But what if your brain feels the answer before it can say the answer?
Neurodivergent brains often work in patterns, flashes, stories, emotions, or bodily sensations. These ways of knowing don’t always show up in the same tidy steps as neurotypical logic, but that doesn’t mean they’re not just as accurate.
In fact, intuition bypasses the logical mind entirely. It’s not about “figuring it out” it’s about tuning in.
Non-Linear Doesn’t Mean Nonsense
Maybe you’ve had this happen:
- You sense someone’s lying, but can’t say why.
- You know you’re in the wrong job, but can’t yet list all the reasons.
- You feel a YES in your body, even when your mind screams “Are you mad?!”
These are moments of intuitive clarity. Not because you analysed a spreadsheet of data, but because your nervous system, emotional intelligence, and subconscious perception picked up on something your conscious mind is still catching up with.
In You Do Know, I call this the difference between ego-voice and intuitive knowing. Ego tries to protect us through overthinking. Intuition? It speaks softly and simply, when we learn to trust it.
Why Neurodivergent Intuition Is Powerful
Neurodivergent folks often:
- Notice the ‘vibe’ first (before the facts line up)
- Process emotion or energy through the body (somatic intuition)
- Jump between ideas intuitively (mental downloads, not always in words)
- Connect dots others don’t see (big-picture intuition)
This isn’t a flaw. It’s fluency in a different cognitive language. Many people with ADHD, for instance, describe knowing the answer but struggling to explain how they got there. That doesn’t mean the answer’s wrong. It means the explanation came after the intuition.
So How Do You Trust It?
- Slow your thinking. You can’t hear your intuition over a shouting ego.
- Get curious, not critical. Ask “what might this be telling me?” rather than “prove it.”
- Use your body as a tuning fork. How does a decision feel? Tight? Expansive? Heavy? Light?
- Play with pattern spotting. What ideas keep returning? What pulls your attention again and again?
And finally…
❤️ Your Way of Knowing Is Valid
The world wasn’t built for nonlinear thinkers, but intuition is.
If your brain doesn’t always do things the “right way,” that doesn’t make it wrong. In fact, it might just mean you’re more connected to a quieter, deeper source of knowing.
The more you practise trusting yourself, without always needing logic to co-sign, the more you’ll realise:
Want to dive deeper?
You Do Know learning to act on intuition instantly, is a guide to accessing your intuitive intelligence in a world that often teaches us to ignore it. You’ll learn how to spot the difference between fear and inner truth, and how to live more boldly, in alignment with your own knowing.
