Abstract
Intuition in Medicine: Can It Be Helpful?
Janet Lynn Roseman-Halsband, PhD, MS, R-DMT
Medicine and intuition are natural and optimum allies, not only in clinical practice, but also in life. If we consider the idea and experience of the actual practice of this potent combination, we may find that they work seamlessly and synchronistically together in unison. According to Clyde Norman Shealy, MD, PhD, “Intuition is an innate capability, specific for each individual serving as a guide, counselor and informer. It is an abstract quality of mind, programmed with a higher level of consciousness. All of our bodily cells and systems respond to this direction.” 1 Intuition is an important teacher and can only be known through its embodiment. This is the artist's task—to make what it not said or shown take shape.
How do we achieve this? The first fundamental step is through the recognition and consciousness that allows for a belief that intuition is honorable and worth cultivating, and can serve us in the medical encounter. Without this belief, the intuitive voice will not be heard. This knowledge can be learned through empirical evidence, experience, trust, and nurturance. We all have the gift of intuition, and included in the trusting of its efficacy is the recognition that this tool is sacred and needs to be accorded respect as well as gratitude for its presence. Intuition has been described as “a useful warning light, which suddenly lights up to announce that there is something unusual.” 2 This warning light, it could be argued, stems from trust, for that is an integral component in the intuitive path. If we cannot trust our own instincts, then it is doubtful that this knowing or warning will appear. A lack of trust will simply block this intuitive voice.
The intuitive voice has to be exercised in order to be helpful and trustworthy, similar to muscle strength—if we exercise it on a regular basis, we will feel strong; when we don't exercise it, we are much weaker. The same concept occurs with the use of intuition. However, before we can exercise it, we have to examine our preconceived notions about how effective it can be, and that is a personal journey. Although the intuitive voice is a powerful gift, it must also be based on knowing the difference between what is truly intuition and what are projected beliefs, and that knowledge arises after many years of experience with patients. Granted, intuition will not “cure” directly, but in our practice, we may intuitively be drawn to read a particular book or research paper or a colleague's name may come into our consciousness, and these sources may offer a new aspect of our patient's case that we previously did not consider.
The intuitive voice cannot speak to a mind that is preoccupied, conflicted, or in chaos, and it is essential that relaxation becomes part of the process for developing one's intuitive voice. Physicians are often preoccupied for many reasons—hectic schedules, personal or professional pressures, and so on—and if a physician is distracted, it may be more difficult to bring that voice into the encounter. Relaxation through meditation practices, mindfulness training, or other systems that promote awareness can help. Being attentive to patients and truly listening with both heart and mind is not an easy task. However, there are steps that can be taken. Through relaxation and presence with patients, physicians not only can listen to their patients' needs, but they can discern what is underneath their narrative. For example, if a patient tells you that they are not sleeping well, in addition to the usual medical inquiry about their sleeping habits, medications, and life-style, it would be important to ask about their emotional and spiritual lives. What gives them hope? What is interfering with their sleep? What do they believe is causing this problem? What does their gut tell them is going on? What does your gut tell you is happening to your patient? The loss of a loved one or major life changes, including moving, the birth or death of a child or close friend, anxiety about work, or a relationship, can all come into play with some patients' lack of sleep.
We often have a gut reaction about a particular patient and perhaps an inclination or a firm belief in what we think may be happening underneath their words, and sometimes we ignore the clues we are feeling. A feeling about a particular patient is ignored because the physician does not give credence to this “knowing” or what may be termed a gut feeling. However, it is this very “knowing” that often reveals the true emotional terrain that a patient may be experiencing but may not wish to reveal. According to Olivia et al., their initial research with 20 general practitioners revealed the importance of gut feelings: “The gut feelings of doctors can act as triggers and modulators of the diagnostic process. The physicians attached great significance to gut feelings, and considered them as a characteristic of the primary care working style and as a tool available in their diagnostic process. The physicians thought that the notion of gut feelings and their relevance can be transmitted to students and trainees.” 3
Intuition is a powerful, natural healing force, and as modern life moves us away from our own intuitive nature, we are cut off not only from that voice but often from ourselves. It has been said that “Intuition is the ability to experience the true connection that exists among all people. When we experience that unity, we open ourselves to the information that is passing between us energetically. Working with a patient face to face allows us to experience connectedness simply by listening and feeling another person's life force.” 4 The current medical culture does not usually embrace the idea of using one's intuition because it is counterintuitive to a scientific mind. However, it does not have to be in conflict with that training—it can be in alignment with scientific inquiry. As medical training reveres the mind, the idea of using one's “gut” or feeling in the body is not a natural practice for many physicians. One of the reasons that intuitive practices are often dismissed is because myths about this intuitive voice abound, and this misinformation has impeded the idea that using one's intuition has any important place in one's life, let alone medicine. However, the truth is that most of us have a story about when we didn't listen to our inner voice and suffered as a result.
I believe that our intuition or intuitive voice is about trust—trust in ourselves—and if we honored its wisdom, then we can understand how meaningful it can be, particularly with patients. Paying attention to what is not said, intuitively knowing when a patient needs more support, supplementation, intervention, and so on, is valuable during the patient encounter and is a skill that only experience can dictate. When we recognize that listening to this “inner voice” is not foolish, then we can begin to regain its gifts. However, it is just as important to recognize that intuition must be used with discernment and included in the whole picture of a patient's healthcare because as a colleague aptly stated, intuition is not a perfect science.