Varieties of Clinical Intuition: Explicit, Implicit, and Nonlocal Neurodynamics

Intuitive knowing has always been central to therapy, but uncanny experiences like thought transference, telepathic dreams, and synchronicity have stayed on the fringes of science for lack of a model. The authors propose a Nonlocal Neurodynamics model that adds nonlocal-participatory informational channels to ordinary sensory communication, grounded in the quantum/classical nature of the body/brain/mind system. They argue for a metaphor shift in psychoanalysis to incorporate complexity science and quantum neurobiology, bridging the mind-brain divide. Clinical examples illustrate how local and nonlocal intuition can be used in daily therapeutic work.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Intuitive response has been a cornerstone of patient–therapist interactions in all schools of therapy. In addition, persistent instances of “uncanny” intuitive knowing, such as “thought transference,” telepathic/precognitive dreams, distant awareness, and synchronicity have been identified since the very beginnings of psychoanalysis. These phenomena have remained on the fringes of scientific exploration, partly because of the lack of a conceptual model that would bring them into the mainstream of clinical work. The authors propose a Nonlocal Neurodynamics model that complements classical local-interactive forms of sensory (verbal and nonverbal) communication with nonlocal-participatory informational channels arising from the fundamental quantum/classical nature of the body/brain/mind system. We suggest the need for a metaphor shift in psychoanalysis in order to incorporate the latest developments in complexity science and quantum neurobiology, which allow for a meta-reductive informational perspective that bridges the Cartesian mind-brain divide and enables a unified picture of psychophysical reality. We use clinical examples illustrating a full spectrum of local and nonlocal clinical intuition to help clinicians utilize these concepts in their daily work.