yes...it seems to come from 3 sources:

1) "gut feeling" warnings about something not being "right" about some people,

2) Ni's perception of inconsistency of patterns when signals just don't "jive" with other signals or statements just don't "fit" with the rest of what a person conveys, and

3) physiological hypersensitivity to the vibes of tension in others that arises from deceit. the external vibe infiltrates us internally, and our own muscles tense up in response, so we cannot internally relax around profound deceit.

at least that's how i experience it.

 

This. This. This.

I'm feeling this right now with someone I'm dating - that strange disturbance, the stirring insecurity, the feeling that not all is well. Every time I've felt this way, it's been my sixth sense telling me that he's been thinking about the relationship, or has met someone else... in short, there's a vibe change that I could never even begin to explain rationally.

So I'm basically just waiting for the other shoe to drop.

 

Yes x100!

 

I observe and feel things with such clarity, yet I wonder if I've made it up purely to entertain myself, for if I speak of it to others, they hadn't noticed!

 

Anyone else ever see auras around people, representing their emotional state?

 

I remember my ex going off on me for being immature and jealous for no reasom. I was called insecure, childish and too emotional.

I found out later she had started cheating the night before and continued everyday for almost two weeks until I finally called her out on it.

My intuition is never wrong.

 

Don't forget that we can get things wrong. So be careful.

Also, personally, I have suppressed this side of myself for a very long time. It's odd to get in touch with it again.

 

Don't forget that we can get things wrong. So be careful.

That's a good point. The scary thing about Ni is that it's still dependent on a mostly subconscious Se* to actually gather information. If I wear a blindfold and earplugs, there's no way I'll be able to "read" a person; I'm am certainly no psychic and I'm still not fond of that label. Ni operating on incomplete information can be dangerous and probably where archetypes like The False Guru come from. I know I've been guilty of blowing things way out of proportion b/c of over-reliance on Ni (and stress can make things even worse).

Every cognitive function is powerful in its own way and each one has its strengths and weaknesses. Maybe it's just because my lower functions aren't that well developed, but I am hesitant to promote the seer-like persona of INFJs.

*And this is probably where the "magical"/"mystic" stereotype of INFJ comes from... Ni seems to draw conclusions and "just know" because I'm not aware of Se's information gathering)

 

Well, fortunately, I've never seen dead people (would be scary) but I have had many unexplainable "esp" type occurrences in my life. I don't seek them, but they usually show up as a kind of "Warning - somethings very wrong" thing, so it's really pretty cool.

As for the judgment thing, I hate judgment(s), but - when it's a warning, I listen now. My intuition has never lead me wrong.

 

Yep. That Se sure works away secretly gathering all that info. I'm so glad there's a perfectly rational explanation to everything....
Well except for when there's not. There have been occasions I have had a premonition about someone I had not met and could not have met before and then meeting them. Things like that. ;P I believe there's more to things than we can rationally explain. ...The owls are not what they seem. Hoot hoot. I guess I'm just one of those wacky wacky false guru types. XD

 

I believe there's more to things than we can rationally explain.

I wonder about that, though... I do get those strange instances of deja vu like I've met a person before or I've been a particular place even when I certainly have not, but is that psychic? Or a lucky guess? Perhaps it's just my imagination running wild and forming associations and connections to what I already know. Moreover, can we have thoughts in a vacuum? Can we create colors that are not an extension of what already is? Abstract art attempts to transcend reality and rationality, but can we create something that is completely detached from all that currently exists?

My intuition is often "right" but I wonder if that's because hindsight bias has blown up one of many possibilities I've thought of, making it seem like I "knew" beforehand; or is there really some unknowable force was guiding me? Who knows. I suppose my prerogative—and main gripe—is against saying I can "read people like a book" because I never know if that I-told-ya-so attitude will someday come to bite me in the ass. Just because I'm often right or have been right up to this point, doesn't mean I'll always be right in the future.

And I'm hungry now.

 

Has anyone seen the movie "Next"? That's what I think about when I look at INFJ. You look into the future and see one way that things can play out. But every time you look into the future it changes because you looked at it.

Doesn't mean it won't play out the same way, but you knowing ahead of time may effect the way you play things out.

And then there's times you get it wrong too.

 

Yes, I have this. That's why I like most people, because I think most people I've met are inherently good. But if I don't like someone, I have always been proven right. Always.

The problem with my intuition is that sometimes I know the ending before it plays out, and I'm usually too impatient to let it play out if it's unfavorable/

 

I value my sixth sense. It always tells me when something is wrong either in my environment so that I may avert from it or attempt to fix it. It always leads me to where I need to be so that I may do what is necessary of me. It always directs me in its subtle ways, whether it is a random song on the radio when I drive to school, part of some anime, or even something as simple as a word, it causes a connection to take place in my head that I will never consciously understand and guides me to whatever is necessary. It brought me here. It brought me to reiki so I may let go of my darkness and self hatred. It brought me to the culinary field. It brought me to my ex. I have experienced all of it, and though some of it was incredibly painful and almost caused me to self destruct I have always stayed whole, for I am stronger than I can ever consciously believe, and I have learned from it.

It's like a whisper on the wind: only those whose ears are tuned to listen will hear what it says, and because so few people know this feat few people can come to understand how I operate or why I behave the way I do. Nobody will ever be able to completely understand though, because we are all human. We are all different.

 

@hal0hal0, I also think we can easily make mistakes by 'filling in' info from our own frame of reference, if any info is missing.

That's not to say that I don't believe in the workings of the INFJ sixth sense. It's just that we're mere humans.

 

I definitely agree, most of the time we only need a few seconds to figure out just how genuine (or not) someone is.

 

Most INFJs are Empath. Besides we have this very strong intuitive side, the "gut" feeling side. No wonder that what people called "sixth sense" is a common thing for INFJs. Speaking of sixth sense in my personal experience:

1. Two weeks ago, I "detected" a snake that was in my room. I just "knew" and "felt" it's presence although that time i was doing something else and was looking to other direction.

2. Three years ago, i almost died in a bad car accident but my intuition saved me.

3. Five years ago, i suddenly woke up at 3.00 am from my sleep that rarely happened in my life. At that time, suddenly i realized there was a snake that come into my room through a hole on my wall.

and some other experiences...

So yes we are having that sixth sense...

 

I feel like the sixth sense isn't so irrational. You can't always simply map out all the points that lead you to your seemingly "intuitive" conclusion, but they float around in your subconscious so to speak. I've had similar experiences, but I don't always trust my intuition, and there are some specific instances in which I truly wish I had.

When you look back often times you can see the specific instances that triggered that feeling. It's easy to get blindsided in the moment, especially when you want to believe the best about the people you care about.

I read that "INFJ males were also the type second most likely to be satisfied with the relationship, when their spouse actually was not." and also that "ENFJ females are the type/gender combination most likely to be satisfied with their marriage yet have a partner who is dissatisfied."
(oddlydevelopedtypes.com)

With that sixth sense it seems it would be difficult for this to occur. However, I'm almost positive that the influence of extroverted feeling has something to do with it.

 

I used to ignore my Ni a lot, favouring my Ti instead. But ever since I found out my type I've been paying much more attention to it. At first I thought I had myself typed wrong. But after a lot of soul searching i came to the conclusion that I wasn't typed wrong. Just that I ignored my strongest points.

I can relate to the bad vibe thing some people give off.
But I'm really careful to voice such an opinion. I know this guy, on the outside he's nice. Talks A LOT, is hyperactive. And in general considered by everyone to be a nice guy.

However, with him I get a bad vibe. I can't explain, or rationalize. It's just this feeling that below the surface something is horribly horribly wrong. And with such vibes I always was right in the end. So I'm keeping a nice friendly face, but don't trust him at all.

I don't know if anyone else experience it. But my Ni also helps me with troubleshooting technical problems (for some odd reason)

 

i totally identify. then later on you watch people exclaim in shock when he/she reveals their true (not-so-positive) identity, but internally once again your gut feeling was validated.

i'll give two examples...

1) crazily enough, i remember having that feeling about a user on PerC in the past, that i often saw around the forums, that something just wasn't *right* about them even though they seemed nice and gave off a positive persona...only later to see them banned as having multiple usernames, faking a set of identities.

2) i remember another occasion of meeting someone in a work setting and just having that inability to relax inside, sensing a total lack of authenticity about this apparently charming individual who was very nice to me and others. because the person was being considered for employment in that setting, i voiced my concerns; and later a manager already familiar with the individual confirmed that everything i sensed about the individual had been discovered to be exactly true...the person was a complete liar.

usually i'm nice to them and don't let on about this "sense of caution" i feel about them inside, and will interact with them on the basis of what they present publicly their identity to be, since i think that is only fair, given the chance that my "sense of caution" is wrong; but internally there is this wall set up that won't allow me to drop my defenses around them.

i can't ever remember a time when this "sense of caution" ended up being wrong...it seems to be a protective instinct built into us for our safety or well-being.

but those "sense of caution" gut feelings are not the same as intuition in general ~ i have experienced my intuition being wrong at times, when projection gets mixed with it ~ which could be what @Northwind insightfully explained as our own perceptions filling in the gaps in our intuition. so what i know intuitively tends to get checked over by Ti and regarded with a bit of skepticism until it can logically be proven/disproven. though i give intuitive "knowing" high regard since so often it has been correct in my personal experience - therefore take it seriously, and give it genuine consideration, rather than ignoring or dismissing it out of hand - no source of human knowledge can ever be trusted as infallible. if there's no way to prove or disprove (via Ti) something negative that is "just known" intuitively, that knowledge remains as a lingering uncertainty within, that prompts me to keep my eyes open and just be careful in that situation or with that person.

Ni hasn't really helped me with troubleshooting computers or machines (often that's a function of Ne, but Ni could do that if you just have a *feeling* you know what it is), but it has helped in diagnosing the internal state of people, which sometimes i "just know" (and it is confirmed by their volunteering the information to me later) but can't explain why or how.

 

But..but..i think i have it too (o o!)

 

I read all the descriptions and functions of other types and I always go back to INFJ. It seems to fit me the most. What baffles me though when I sometimes look at discussions here is that there is this common agreement that INFJ are natural born psychologists with exceptional interpersonal skills and can sense something wrong in other people. I never thought of myself this way and I can't really tell if something that I sense at the moment could be called sixth sense when I communicate with person. Maybe being able to put it to good use is something I am yet to discover? I know for sure that intuition plays a big part when I'm drawing, painting or sometimes writing. When drawing sometimes the shapes emerge out of nothing (and I really like when that happens) and even though there is something in them about past experiences, I see also small percent that is complete unkown. It sometimes makes me want to dig deeper to see how far I can uncover that part.

 

I used to ignore my Ni a lot too, that is, I often let Fe or Ti override it.

I'm trying to get back into touch. It's not always very easy. Certain patterns of behavior have become rather fixed.

Last but not least, I think Ni is a great help with visualizing, when I work on Technical texts.

 

I only ever run into problems with my 6th sense when I question it or ignore it outright. That's when there is trouble.

 

I see them too, but I am not INFJ. It is very weird when I see them and other people do not. It makes me feel awkward.

 

You are an interesting bunch. ENTP's are pretty good at reading people as well, or so to speak I am. But you guys seem to know/feel things by using an alternative route than ours. And that so called 'gut' feeling is really fascinating.

 

It's fascinating to read about other people's experiences of the "sixth sense". I have always had this, and for most of my life have felt that I must be a bad person.

I can sense that a person is "fake", or a manipulator, really easily (unless my judgement is clouded by emotion, like infatuation or love. Then ignorance is bliss). However, if I let this be known or react to it, I'm the one who loses out. I'm the "bad" person for not playing along with their games. No one else can see it. I become withdrawn from the "fake" person and everyone associated with them.

I can also empathise with the gut feelings in a relationship. In the past, I ignored them completely and I experienced severe emotional trauma! I recently dated someone and had a bad feeling about it from day one. I really liked him but felt he wasn't on the same page. It created a lot of anxiety for me and I became quite ill. I concluded he was playing me and ended it. Although heartbroken, I felt a massive surge of relief!

 

This is so true. I would broaden it and say that peoples' personalities/vibes/ etc make a huge impression on us, almost from the first moment we meet them. I know that the minute I meet someone, I almost instantly start gathering information about them (I know this sounds creepy, oh well...), based on their vibes, how they express themselves, any actual info they convey, etc. I start building up a map of who they are in my head. I just do this automatically, its not for any reason.

So that leads to detecting fake people, but the focus doesn't necessarily have to be on that aspect, in particular. But I guess fake people have a kind of creepy vibe, inherently?

I was on a date with a guy recently, and I realized he was mirroring my body language. I kid you not. You know articles about how, if you want someone to like you, you should mirror the way they're sitting, their body position, etc?
What those articles don't mention is that, if the person realizes you're doing it, it's literally the creepiest thing ever. I just sat there trying to desperately to convince myself he wasn't doing it, I was just overreacting, etc... But he kept doing it. And it certainly fit with the rest of his personality (very eager to please).
I never talked to him again... :/

 

I was on a date with a guy recently, and I realized he was mirroring my body language.

You realise this is usually accidental and not manipulative behaviour? It just means they like you.

 

Did you like "Lie to Me"? then I recommend books by Paul Ekman - Emotions revealed and Telling Lies. The TV series is based on his research. It is freaky when you start noticing micro expressions and you can tell at least 3-4 sentences hiding behind it.