The Intuition Challenge

In at least some circles–particularly amongst people who are more open to alternative healing and/or might be considered ‘spiritual seekers–I often hear the guidance “You should always follow your intuition.” Now there is something to that advice. I am all for trying to reach beyond the set conceptual categories of the mind and connect with the greater mystery that characterizes the world. But–and this is a big ‘but’–it’s not always clear what people mean by intuition. Indeed, one of the hallmarks seems to be “You just can’t explain it. You just know something.” And to that extent, surrendering to something that is vague can be…well, perhaps not the best recipe for success.

Of course, if the stakes are low, what’s the harm? If you’re trying to decide what color to paint a room, or what to serve for an upcoming social gathering, then “intuition”–however vaguely defined–can do just fine. I mean, what’s the harm if you’re wrong? But if we’re talking a major life decision like who to marry, or whether to have children, or what profession to pursue, then I think more than “gut feeling” is important. 

Older cultures like the Huichol tradition I follow certainly valued non-intellectual ways of “knowing” the world. A healer doing work in this tradition is always ‘feeling their way’ as they work with a patient. There is no set prescription such that for this ailment, you always do this kind of treatment. So intuition does play an important role in such culture.

At the same time, it comes in the context of a whole tradition that has a shared understanding of how to approach the unknown. A mara’akame (healer and ritual leader in the Huichol tradition) is working a way that might seem highly subjective to a western-trained scientist, but is actually built upon a foundation of time-tested approaches and learning. For matters that could impact the well-being of a whole village, there will also be broader discussion between more than one healer and most certainly the council of elders (Kawitero) so that the ‘grounded intuition’ of each individual is compared with others. There may be lively discussion, disagreement, and eventually some consensus that is far more likely to represent a wiser choice than if someone was just “intuiting” alone.

Our modern western culture is exceedingly individualistic and this gets reflected amongst those who seek alternative medicine or are spiritual searchers. Developing one’s intuition is a good counter-balance to our overweening reliance on the mind. The best way to develop intuition is to engage others and see how your perspective fits with others. And in the best of all possible worlds, to measure those perspectives against a background of understanding of how to approach the unknown. This is the role of tradition.

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