Common Sixth Sense
Rachael Schmidt
Expansion House (2025)
ISBN: 979-8999533500
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (01/2026)
In Common Sixth Sense, mindfulness mentor and educator Rachael Schmidt offers readers a guided practice to help us reconnect with our most authentic selves. Written to help seekers connect to a life that feels true and purposeful, the book teaches us about the noises that often distract us. This includes the constant lure of technology, life stressors, and especially for me, the clutter of possessions that seem to own my energy. Schmidt brings us to the heart of the matter: we lose ourselves from inner guidance when we pay too much attention to external demands. The answer lies in focusing on a journey that takes us within ourselves to reconnect with what we’ve blocked.
Common Sixth Sense is well organized in a way that readers will find easy to digest. She offers brief sections, short reflection statements, and contemplative questions. This design will allow readers time to pause and absorb her messages. As I read, I felt like her words were coming to me in a calm, quiet manner. It made me feel like I was learning from a compassionate mentor rather than a lecturer.
Schmidt’s background encompasses over twenty years of spiritual development and mindfulness-based training. The author also shares personal reflections, which help enrich her messages. Readers will see that she engages in the same practices that she teaches. Introspective questions will provide readers with valuable thoughts to journal. The emphasis on returning to one’s inner source will resonate with seekers, such as myself, who are feeling pulled in too many directions, most of which are caused by the overwhelming pace of modern life.
Common Sixth Sense is a valuable resource that will continue to be re-read over the years. Now that I’ve read it, I plan on going back and taking more time to go in-depth. I plan on journaling my thoughts into a five-year journal where I can observe how my thoughts shift as I learn new insights that pertain to the current times in my life journey. I expect this to help me avoid veering off the path again.
Readers who want a compassionate, reliable guide to more connected, authentic living will love this beautiful resource. They will find peace in reconnecting with the inner voice that so many of us have drowned out. I am so grateful that Common Sixth Sense arrived in my life when it did. I am happy to have a priceless guide that will help me live a more intentional and authentic life.
At a Glance: A mindfulness and spiritual self-help guide about quieting modern distractions and returning to inner guidance. The book uses short reflections, contemplative questions, and journaling prompts with a calm, compassionate tone.
Best for Readers Who Enjoy: mindfulness books, spiritual self-help, authentic living, journaling prompts, inner voice guidance, books about intentional living, reflective personal growth, calming reads, modern stress relief