Excuse me, your intuition is speaking.
I debated whether to share this story. It felt…perhaps a bit dark, a bit dramatic. But it happened to me recently, and it perfectly illustrates why intuition isn't just some woo, nice-to-have spiritual concept. Our intuition is a biological mechanism designed to keep us safe.
A Really, Really Long Day
I had just driven from my mother's ranch in New Mexico to an Airbnb in Phoenix. I’ve done this drive a million times over decades, but this one didn’t start on the right foot.
It started with a nail in my left tire on a rural rocky dirt road.
Ever the optimist, I told myself the delay is probably just protecting me from something bad further down the road. I was lucky enough to get the tire fixed quickly, but it still set me back two hours — which meant I ended up driving most of the way in the dark, through snow, sleet and rain. Sure it’s great when you’re on the Star Wars ride at Disneyland and it’s light speed activate - when it’s horizontal snow dive bombing your windshield and you’re at the wheel in charge of keeping yourself alive, it quickly gets exhausting.
9 hours after I first hit the road I finally pulled onto the street of my Airbnb for the night. It was late, I was spent, and my two little dogs in the backseat wanted their dinner.
Two things caught my attention as I approached the house.
First — the road construction. There were "Road Closed" signs everywhere in front of the property. But I'd stayed at this same Airbnb on my way to New Mexico, so I knew I could ignore the signs and pull right into the driveway. No big deal.
Second — a man. Dressed in all black, black hoodie pulled up over his head, walking slowly up the left side of the street. My Airbnb guesthouse was on the right.
I pulled into the well-lit driveway, next to the owners truck, and put my car in park.
The Still, Small Voice
After my challenging drive, I was ready to quickly unload and collapse into bed.
But a quiet, calm thought crossed my mind: Wait to get out of the car until the man in the black hoodie is gone. I wasn’t particularly worried but wasn’t about to argue. It was a reasonable request.
So I sat there and waited, tracking his figure across the street through my rearview mirror. He wasn’t moving fast, looking down, seemingly preoccupied with something that wasn’t me or my VW.
His black clothing made him hard to see against the dark street, so I turned to look through the back window. He was starting to pass by now, still moving slowly, still focused down on something in his hands. I turned back and waited a few more moments.
Bored and ready to call it a night, I turned to look again, expecting him to be gone by now.
Sure enough, he wasn’t across the street anymore.
He was in my blind spot, swiftly coming at me. Only a few feet away.
I felt my throat clamp shut in terror.
Although I had been tracking him, I hadn’t thought I was ACTUALLY IN DANGER.
I panicked.
Thankfully, my hands knew what to do and quickly threw my car into reverse and jerked it back about 6 feet to scare him off. He stumbled back a few steps, throwing his hands up in surprise and quickly slithered off into the shadows.
Oh. My. God.
Did that actually just happen?
Did I just almost become an episode of Dateline?
I was terrified. Obviously I definitely didn't want to get out of my car now. I kept my eyes glued to the spot where he had disappeared into the shadow of a giant saguaro cactus in front of the main house. I didn’t have the owner’s phone number so I messaged him via the app, but it was 11pm and he didn't respond.
I called a friend back home, crying and panicking. I didn’t know what to do. Do I call the police? Do I just stay in my car? Do I drive away and go…where?
I called Airbnb, and argued for a few minutes about giving me the owner’s phone number until they ended up calling the owner on my behalf. Finally, the garage door opened and the owner came out. I don’t think I’ve ever been so relieved to see another human being in all my life. He looked around, didn't see the man and didn’t seem too worried. Probably a homeless guy, he said. I’m sorry you got scared. He stood watch while I hastily carried my things inside and locked myself into the bedroom with my dogs — happily oblivious to the fact they had been way too close to potentially being dognapped.
Later that night I lay in bed ruminating, playing it over and over in my mind, seeing the mans face beneath the black hood as he was coming at me and trying not to contemplate what could have happened. What if I hadn’t seen him? What if I had opened the door? What if…? Then another more empowering thought would cross my mind.
I was proud of myself.
I protected myself, my dogs and my belongings from….God knows what.
My intuition saved me from harm.
That man saw a woman alone, with California plates, late at night, about to open her car door — and he saw an opportunity. He was expecting to catch me by surprise.
But he didn't. Because something inside me said wait. And I listened.
How I Got Here (From Psychic Junkie to This)
I didn’t always pay attention to my intuition. For years, I was the opposite — ignoring my instincts, addicted to psychic readings, not trusting myself.
That was the old me. The Psychic Junkie.
Through self hypnosis and ongoing inner dialogue with my Higher Self, I learned how to quiet the mind and really listen to my own internal guidance system.
The more I practiced listening, the clearer that inner voice became. The more psychic I became.
It's not that I suddenly developed some supernatural power. It's that I turned down the noise, stopped outsourcing my intuition— and I started hearing what had always been there, waiting for me to listen.
And now I can hear that still small voice within clearly, even in moments of distracted exhaustion, on a dark street at 11pm in Phoenix, when every part of me just wants to grab my dogs, go inside and get under the covers.
Have you ever had a moment where you listened to your intuition — or one you wish you had? If you feel comfortable, I’d love to hear your experience in the comments.
🧡 Sarah
P.S. I later learned that many cars automatically unlock the doors when shifted into park — something I hadn’t been aware of at the time. It’s worth checking your own car’s settings so you can make informed choices about your safety, or getting into the habit of manually locking your doors after parking until you know the coast is clear.
Sarah Lassez is a Certified Hypnotherapist and the author of Psychic Junkie. She is also the creator of The Inner Oracle Protocol™, and guides people to reconnect with their own Intuitive GPS, accessing clarity, guidance, and insight from within.