We’ve all had moments when we just knew something, without quite knowing how. Maybe it was a gut feeling, a vivid dream, a sudden sense of clarity, or a strange physical sensation that seemed to come out of nowhere. These experiences are often brushed off as “just a feeling,” but what if they were part of something more? Something real, shared, and worth understanding?
That’s where the Noetic Signature Inventory (NSI) comes in.
A Tool for Investigating Intuition
The NSI is a 44-item self-reporting tool designed to explore the unique ways people perceive and interpret information that extends beyond what current science can fully explain. Developed over three rigorous studies, the tool is grounded in both theory and data, offering reliable and valid insight into a wide range of intuitive experiences, including psychic abilities and channeling.
Want to discover your
Noetic Signature?
The NSI identifies 12 distinct factors, including inner voice, dreams, and embodied sensations such as goosebumps, tingles, or visions. While many of these elements have been studied in isolation, our study—Investigating Individual Intuitive Expression: Norms and Patterns in the Noetic Signature Inventory—focuses on broader norms and patterns across these key factors. Our researchers offer a structured way to talk about noetic experiences without reducing them to anomalies or dismissing them as unscientific.
By establishing and uncovering meaningful patterns, the NSI contributes to bringing intuition and the science of intuition into legitimate, research-driven conversations.
Investigating Noetic Signatures and Experiences
During the study, participants were asked to respond to NSI items such as, “I have just felt in my body when something is true or not” and “I have received information about things that will happen in the future.” Each item was rated on a sliding scale from 0 (Strongly Disagree) to 100 (Strongly Agree).
Researchers focused on using the data to answer three key questions:
- What are the norms for the 12 factors by age, gender, and ethnicity?
- What relationships exist between the factors?
- Do recognizable patterns of intuitive expression emerge at the individual level?
Key Findings
A total of 3,884 participants completed the full NSI and met the study criteria, providing a rich dataset for evaluation.
The findings revealed that age had little impact on overall NSI scores. While older adults scored slightly higher than younger participants, the difference was modest. Intuitive tendencies that arise in youth appear to remain relatively stable across the lifespan.
Gender differences were more pronounced. Women reported more and stronger noetic experiences than men, findings which align with previous research. Participants identifying outside the traditional male/female binary scored even higher on average. However the small sample size cautions against overgeneralization. Overall, these patterns may reflect both genuine differences and broader social or cultural openness to expressing such experiences.
The study findings indicate that ethnicity may also play some role. Cultural background, language, and exposure to intuitive or spiritual traditions all influence how people report noetic experiences. However, most participants in this sample identified as of European descent, so results may not be globally representative. Still, the data support the idea that while noetic experiences are accessible across populations, differences may be shaped by culture.
Other Relationships and Patterns Within Noetic Expression
To better understand the structure of noetic experiences, researchers examined whether the 12 NSI factors could be grouped into broader clusters using statistical techniques like cluster analysis. While seven super-factors emerged during this process, the original 12-factor framework ultimately proved to be the most effective and meaningful representation of how people experience and describe noetic phenomena.
Beyond examining relationships between the factors themselves, the study also explored how these experiences show up within individuals. Our researchers emphasized that the goal wasn’t to measure who is “more intuitive,” but rather to recognize the unique ways people perceive and respond to their inner experiences. The study revealed that intuitive signals often occur together, forming patterns that reflect each person’s distinct noetic “signature.” Thus, noetic expression appears to be deeply personal and shaped by how people make sense of their experiences, which also connects closely with ongoing research in the science of intention.
Looking Ahead
Beyond the clear academic value, this research offers the potential to reduce stigma around intuitive or extra-rational experiences, such as psychic abilities, energy healing, and channeling. By providing language and structure, it encourages more people to reflect on and share their own ways of knowing without fear or dismissal.
Additionally, as the NSI evolves, future research will continue to explore how age, identity, and cultural context shape noetic expression. Future findings will open the door to understanding how noetic experiences might support decision-making, creativity, connection, and personal growth—all skills which are increasingly valuable in modern times.
Read the publication this blog is based upon
