Am I Just Imagining Things? 5 Ways to Tell If It’s Your Spirit Guides or Your Imagination

I remember the early days of my spiritual journey when every message from my guides felt like a figment of my imagination. “Am I just making this up?” was a question I asked myself repeatedly.

Many of my clients come to me with the same struggle. They worry they’re just imagining things or doubt if the messages they receive are real. If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s just your imagination talking, I get it. Let’s explore how to tell the difference between making things up and receiving genuine guidance from your spirit guides.

1. Understanding the Ego and Its Role

First, let’s talk about the ego. The ego is that voice in your head that constantly questions, doubts, and analyzes. It’s a necessary part of our human experience because it helps us navigate the world. However, the ego can also be a source of fear, attachment, and skepticism. It often disguises itself as rational thinking, making you question the intuitive messages you receive.

How the Ego Shows Up:

It usually speaks loudly and urgently.

It creates doubt and fear, making you second-guess your experiences.

It often brings up past experiences or worries about the future to discredit the present moment.

Why This Matters:

When your spirit guides communicate with you, they speak through a sense of inner knowing, which is calm and peaceful. In contrast, the ego’s messages often feel frantic and anxious. Recognizing when your ego is talking versus when you’re receiving genuine guidance is the first step to discerning your inner voice.

2. Feeling vs. Thinking: The Role of Intuition

One of the key differences between your imagination and genuine guidance from your spirit guides is how the message feels. Imaginative thoughts are often tied to the ego and can feel forced or driven by personal desires. On the other hand, messages from your guides come through your intuition—a deeper, more subtle sense of knowing.

How to Tell the Difference:

Imagination (Ego): It feels forced, is usually tied to personal desires or fears, and often brings a sense of urgency or anxiety. It might be driven by what you want to happen rather than what is truly best for you.

Genuine Guidance (Intuition): It feels calm, clear, and centered. Even if it’s surprising or not what you expected, it carries a sense of peace. There’s an inner knowing that accompanies the message, free from the emotional charge of fear or attachment.

What I Do:

When I receive a message, I pause and check in with how it makes me feel. If the message brings a sense of peace, even if it’s not what I was hoping for, I recognize it as genuine guidance. If it feels frantic or tied to an outcome, I know it’s more likely my ego or imagination.

3. Attachment and Expectations

Our minds are naturally attached to certain outcomes. We might desperately want a particular answer or result, which can color the messages we receive. This attachment can make it challenging to differentiate between what we want to hear and what our guides are actually saying.

How to Recognize Attachment:

You feel anxious or stressed about the answer.

You have a strong emotional reaction, especially if the message aligns with your desires or fears.

You keep asking the same question, hoping for a different answer.

How I Handle This:

I remind myself to release my attachment to a specific outcome before seeking guidance. I approach my guides with an open heart, ready to receive whatever message serves my highest good, even if it’s not what I want to hear. This openness helps me clear the noise of my desires and hear the true message.

4. Messages from Guides Are Quiet and Calm

Genuine messages from your spirit guides are often quiet and subtle. They don’t shout or demand attention. Instead, they gently nudge you in the right direction, often leaving you with a sense of calm and clarity. In contrast, messages driven by the ego are noisy, persistent, and often come with a sense of urgency.

What This Looks Like:

Ego: “You need to act now, or everything will fall apart!”

Guidance: “Take a deep breath. This might not be the right time. Trust in the process.”

How I Recognize This:

When a message comes through, I check in with my inner state. True guidance leaves me feeling calm and centered. Even if it’s not what I expected, it feels right in a way that resonates deeply within me. If the message is frantic or creates a sense of panic, I recognize it as my ego trying to take control.

5. Practicing Discernment

Learning to tell the difference between imagination and genuine guidance takes practice. It involves tuning into your inner self, quieting the mind, and trusting the subtle ways your guides communicate. The more you practice, the easier it becomes to discern the voice of your spirit guides from the noise of your ego.

How to Practice:

Meditation: Spend time in meditation to quiet the mind and connect with your inner self. This practice helps you become familiar with the calm, centered space where your guides communicate.

Journaling: Write down the messages you receive and how they make you feel. Over time, you’ll start to notice patterns and develop a clearer sense of when your guides are talking versus when it’s just your imagination.

The journey to discerning between imagination and genuine guidance is one of trust and practice. Your spirit guides communicate with a quiet, calm voice that leaves you feeling supported and at peace. The ego, on the other hand, is loud, urgent, and often rooted in fear or desire. By tuning into how a message makes you feel, releasing attachment to specific outcomes, and practicing mindfulness, you can learn to recognize when your spirit guides are truly speaking to you. Remember, it’s a process, and the more you practice, the clearer their guidance will become. Trust in your ability to hear your guides and know that they are always here to support you with love and wisdom.

Get the clarity and insight you’ve been craving from your spirit guides. Book a reading session, and together, we’ll deepen your connection, make sense of their messages, and find the answers you’ve been looking for.