Feelings vs Emotions: How to Trust Your Inner Guidance and Quiet the Mind
How Spiritual Development Deepens Through Understanding Feelings vs Emotions
By Ian Mansell
Your Snapshot Summary
Feelings vs emotions is the central distinction in this article, forming a foundation for spiritual growth and self-mastery.
Feelings are direct perceptions that come from your inner sensitivity.
Emotions are learned reactions shaped by your intellect and past experiences.
Recognising the difference between feelings and emotions is essential for spiritual growth and self-mastery.
You have four core spiritual personality types (Gifts) – Feeling, Intuition, Vision, and Prophecy each with its own mode of perception.
Intuition is not vague, it is a clear inner voice, often auditory, that offers guidance.
Emotional reactions often start with a judgment or story added by the intellect.
Living from your feelings allows for a calm, clear, and empowered state of being.
Tools like Regrouping, Cutting Ties, and the First Loyalty Meditation help quiet the mind and reconnect to truth.
This awareness restores inner authority, spiritual discernment, and aligned decision-making.
Learn more in Solara Academy’s Self-Discovery Series, Four Gift Courses, and Inner Peace Workshop.
A world catching up to spiritual awakening
In many ways, the “Muggles” world is still catching up to the spiritual awakening that gathered pace some 60 years ago through the work of Francisco Coll, and continued from the 2000s by Kristy Kaye. For centuries, the church shaped how we spoke about the soul. A soul that could perceive independently from the intellect was only seen as relevant after death rather than in daily life. Intuition became a catch-all for anything not logical and was often dismissed as unreliable. “Feminine intuition” became a label for non-physical awareness, which led to persecution of many sensitive women. “ESP” lumped together many different forms of feeling perception.
Clarifying the spiritual gifts (Personality Types)
Francisco Coll clarified that Intuition is one of several non-physical modes of perception. The principal four are Feeling, Intuition, Vision, and Prophecy. More recently, the Fifth Gift has been described as the Gift of Evolution and was discovered by Kristy Kaye. Modern personality systems try to categorise people using labels like Empath, Socialiser, Analytic, Director, Supporter, or Creator. These can be useful, but they miss that in our feelings we each have all four principal gifts, that each gift expresses itself in many ways, and that the order of these gifts is pivotal.
What Intuition means in Solara’s work
At Solara Academy we teach that ‘Intuition’ is a specific mode of perception that arrives as auditory input. It can be words, a keyword, or a clear inner voice. Everyone has this ability, and some use it as their primary way of receiving extra-sensory input. Others lead with a different gift.
Recognising the spiritual gifts (Personality Types) in daily life
You can often recognise a person’s primary gift by their characteristic behaviours. Vision shows up as attention to detail and concern for correctness. Prophecy reveals itself as a natural sense for potential futures and a dreamy, big-picture quality. Feeling shows up as empathy, hands-on ability, and contagious enthusiasm. Intuition presents as a clear inner voice and directional sense that guides natural leaders. Many newcomers take time to get used to this specific meaning of the word Intuition. That is natural.
Feelings vs Emotions: Untangling a common language trap
The other language trap is the confusion between emotions and feelings. This distinction is central to spiritual growth and self-mastery.
Feelings are facts of perception. Emotions are opinions about those facts.
If you say “I feel sad,” you are likely caught in the emotion of self-pity in response to loss, separation, yearning, disappointment or nostalgia. These are all emotions, but a Feeling is a direct perception without judgment. An emotion starts when the intellect adds an opinion or a story.
Anger is an emotion because there is an argument behind it. The feeling might be “my space was intruded on” or “my environment changed.” It turns into anger when the intellect says “they should not do that,” “that is not fair,” “he is always picking on me,” or “he will pay for that.” Emotions carry a moral stance.
Another example. “I am alone” is a feeling. It is simply a fact. No judgment. From there, the intellect can help in useful ways. “How nice to be free of interruptions.” “A chance to get on with that project.” Or it can bring in learned opinions and triggers. “I am in the wrong place.” “I have been abandoned again.” “I will miss a deadline.” Those are emotions.
How feelings actually work
In your feelings you might sense “this scene is familiar,” “have I been here before,” or “I need to be here for a reason.” You may sense “I took a wrong turn” or “enjoy the peace while it lasts” or “a storm is on the way.” These are feelings. They come from your sensitivity at great speed. That is why first impressions are often accurate. Your inner guidance may be highlighting what matters.
The quiet mind that follows feeling
When you are in your feelings your intellect is quiet and useful. Almost a meditative state. You observe, then discern the best response or non-response. The intellect serves your inner guidance by working out how best to implement what you desire to happen. If you find yourself reacting in a knee-jerk manner, you are probably not discerning.
Living from feelings in practice
When you are in your feelings you are relaxed and fearless. You respond quickly without agitation. You speak from your heart with authority and authenticity. Your wisdom is at hand and the ego is softened by humility, relevance, and respect. Once the self-talk settles, you can speak with clarity and channel your own wisdom, and at times the insight of your guides, as appropriate. There is freedom in letting go of opinions and returning to the facts of your feelings.
Two Guiding Reminders on Feelings vs Emotions from Francisco Coll
“The basis of emotions is pride. The emotions are the feelings of the intellect which are learned reactions rather than true feelings.”
“If you do not have the foundation to understand what you feel and to feel what you understand, someone else will be able to manipulate you.”
Why this matters for your spiritual growth
Learning the difference between what you truly feel and how your intellect has been trained to react is a critical stage in spiritual growth. It is a foundation we return to often in Solara Academy courses because it restores inner authority through clear boundaries, and practical self-mastery.
A simple way to apply this today
Try a brief check when you notice a surge. Name one simple fact you sense. Set aside the shoulds and stories for a moment. Choose one clean step that respects what you feel. This keeps the intellect in service to your inner guidance rather than in charge of it.
Where to deepen this practice with us
This distinction between feelings and emotions is explored throughout our programs, including The Inner Peace Workshop, the Four Gift Courses, and our Self-Discovery Series. You will learn practical tools such as Regrouping, Cutting Ties, and First Loyalty Meditation so you can apply this in daily life with confidence.
What helps you notice the moment when a feeling turns into an emotion?
Share a recent example in the comments so others can learn from your experience. If you want guidance, explore our upcoming courses and free sessions and practice these skills with our community.
FAQs: Feelings vs Emotions, Intuition & Inner Growth
Practical insights to support your journey of self-mastery, clarity, and spiritual development.
A1: feeling is a direct, factual perception. An emotion is a learned opinion or story the intellect adds to that feeling.
A2: Often yes. First impressions reflect fast, accurate perception. Note it, then let your intellect plan the next step.
A3: Pause. Name one fact you sense right now. Breathe out slowly. Take one small step that supports you.
A4: Yes. Everyone has Feeling, Intuition, Vision, and Prophecy. The order you use them shapes how you naturally perceive.
A5: Join one of our introductory courses or consultations to understand your unique order of gifts and how to work with them in daily life.
A6: Separating feelings from emotions helps you reconnect with your inner guidance and avoid reacting from old patterns or conditioning. It is the first step to self-mastery and spiritual clarity.
A7: If your mind is quiet and you feel clear, you’re likely in your feelings. If your thoughts are racing with judgment or blame, you’re likely in emotion.
A8: Intuition is one of the four spiritual gifts and provides direct inner guidance through words or impressions. Strengthening it supports faster decision-making and a deeper sense of purpose.
A9: Yes. Emotions, especially when unprocessed, can cloud your perception and make it harder to receive clear input from your spiritual gifts.
A10: You can strengthen your sensitivity by quieting the intellect, working with tools like Regrouping and Cutting Ties, and learning to trust your first impressions without judgment.
A11: Feelings are immediate perceptions and often accurate in the moment. However, the clarity of your feeling depends on your level of self-awareness and how quiet your intellect is.
A12: The four core spiritual gifts are Feeling, Intuition, Vision, and Prophecy. Each person has all four, but in a unique order that influences how they perceive and express themselves.
A13: Understanding feelings vs emotions helps you trust your inner guidance, stay present, and make decisions from clarity rather than reaction. It is a foundation for spiritual development and self-mastery.
Fabulous information. Great to learn the difference between feelings and emotions.