-Do the “Intuition History” exercise on page 116. Write your results. -Opinion o

-Do the “Intuition History” exercise on page 116. Write your results.
-Opinion of the post
Last week’s topic has been rather illuminating and I have truly enjoyed and admired some of your feedback and responses. This week there is something more regarding communication, specifically regarding communication between men and women. You will see more below.
This week we have several interesting topics, which I hope will be beneficial for you to consider. One important topic this week is intuition. The word comes from a Latin root of several verbs meaning “to look, to contemplate, to admire”. So, originally, intuition was a faculty of perception, not just like we understand perception today, but perception of one’s internal state, as it reacts to something in the world. Carl Jung, as many of you may know, believed Intuition was part of the way we can apprehend the world around us. The modern MBTI test so much used in industry, management, etc. is based in Jung’s typology.
In our scientific oriented view of the world, intuition seems to play a very limited role, but it is fact, and many great discoveries in science have been the result not only of laborious working of the conscious mind, but with the use of this amazing faculty we call intuition. Some disciplines such as mathematics for example, heavily rely on “intuitive seeing” and many discoveries have been obtained when a person all of the sudden “saw” the solution. The earliest Gestalt Psychologists for example devised various test to prove the role of intuition in psychology, but unfortunately the emphasis on statistical analysis and “hard data” have made of intuition a “bad word”.
In my own development as a Psychologist, Intuition has played a very important role. Initially, I felt very uncomfortable with any kind of feelings which I could not substantiate with “evidence”, and I tended to disregard my intuition. However, years of practice has taught me otherwise, and now, I make a commitment to be open to ‘knowledge” that seems to come from nowhere, despite my own inner resistance to accept what I cannot rationally validate. Again, this is not closing one’s eyes to reality out there and disregard reason and judgment, but awareness to the “inner voice”. For example, when I am working with a patient in therapy I try to be attuned to the “stuff” that is present in session, but it is not overtly spoken. This is very important, and at times critical, as in cases when suicide may be a real possibility. Now, I warn you, this is a function (to use Jung’s terminology) that needs to be practiced and learned. That you may “feel something” does not equal reality, and thus you need to proceed with caution. Treat it perhaps as a hypothesis to keep in mind to be later on verified or falsified. I remember in graduate school this professor named Dr Handler, who was one of the most intuitive Psychologists I have met. One time, he was shown a drawing of a patient, showing a necklace of pearls around her neck. He became concerned and warned of a possible suicide attempt, perhaps by trying to cut her neck. Well, that was exactly what happened to the patient. I saw the drawings and I can tell you, I would have missed it. I would have gone with what I thought (and everyone else) meant to show, just a necklace. He tried to explained to us how the way it was drawn, with an inclination to one side and with the left side bigger than the right side (patient was right=handed) made him suspect an unconscious (or conscious perhaps?) wish to die through slashing her neck. All incredibly amazing!
Very recently, in the clinic I work, we had the visit of a Developmental Pediatrician. She had come to evaluate several children with difficult clinical presentation, developmental delays and some with genetic/metabolic disorders. She evaluated this little girl, whom I had seen, and believed she was struggling with serious sensory processing disorders in addition to other behavioral issues dealing with self-managing of negative emotions. Many other folks have thought she may be in the autism spectrum (due mostly to severe outbursts of anger, not much else). Anyways, this doctor evaluated her then came to talk to me saying: “people’s report of her behavior, and the psychological testing (ADOS) I conducted indicate she may be in the Spectrum but I lack the GUT-REACTION, THE PUNCH IN MY GUT that would say she is in the spectrum”. I smiled because without her own awareness, she was admitting to the powerful testimony of her own intuition that was clearly indicating to her this child was not autistic. I, of course, agreed with this view.
Intuition of course, it is not only outward-directed perception, seen in particularly, in interpersonal situations. Intuition can also be inner-directed, and for personal growth is an inestimably skill to possess, as a famous Church Father, St Gregory said “That which is not revealed is not healed”. To know yourself you need to look both ways and be sensitive to the nuances not so readily available in normal human interaction or personal introspection.
In other things, the article on Continual Partial Attention” it encourages us to look at our lives and consider how much the world impinges in our inner life and our sense of being, which we have been discussing for a couple of weeks. Finally, Deborah Tannen’s excellent short article in patterns of communication between men and women is a classic, and I absolutely love her research! You need to pay attention that this is not only an interesting fact about communication, but a vital factor in understanding patterns of understanding and expressing shared realities.
Students have been doing great with their postings. I mean this class is kicking bud with the class participations, at least those students who consistently participate, and I am deeply grateful and impressed by your interest and efforts. For those who have been less motivated, I encourage you to put as much effort as you could, since this is the best way to obtain the greatest benefit from this class. In terms of mechanics, remember to turn ALL your assignments on WORD documents. Also when you turn in your Class Participation, I prefer you put them all together in one document. It makes it easier for me to read through since I don’t have to open several documents and I can go faster. You are doing great, and I appreciate the effort and enthusiasm that many of you are demonstrating; this is a very good class! Enjoy your readings, and as ALWAYS you have to post your responses here.
Once again, thank you for your amazing participation J