Podcast Summary: Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee
Episode 604: How To Reconnect With Your Intuition & Learn To Trust Yourself Again with Dr Tara Swart
Release Date: December 17, 2025
Host: Dr Rangan Chatterjee
Guest: Dr Tara Swart – Neuroscientist, M.D., Executive Coach, Author of "The Signs"
Episode Overview
In this raw and moving episode, Dr Rangan Chatterjee invites neuroscientist and author Dr Tara Swart back to his show to explore the science and personal experience behind intuition, hidden wisdom, and our ability to trust ourselves. The discussion is deeply personal, as Dr Swart opens up about losing her husband Robin and the journey through grief that reconnected her with her intuition. They delve into the new scientific understanding of intuition and trauma, practices for cultivating inner wisdom, the role of nature and creativity, and why so many of us are disconnected in the modern world. The conversation seamlessly weaves scientific insight, ancient wisdom, and practical tools for listeners seeking to rediscover their own inner guidance.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Defining Intuition and "Hidden Wisdom"
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Intuition as Hidden Wisdom (03:06):
- Tara defines intuition as "hidden wisdom," a culmination of life experiences, patterns, and lessons embedded deep within our brain—and even our bodies.
- New science suggests intuition and trauma can be stored not just in the brain but also in body tissues (via serotonin and the fascia).
"You pick up life lessons and you lay down patterns... these patterns get pushed deeper and deeper into the brain... and even into the gut neurons." — Dr Tara Swart (03:06)
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Embodied Intuition:
- The gut-brain axis explains why we sometimes “feel” intuition physically.
- "The mind isn’t just in your brain – it’s embodied. It’s everywhere." — Dr Tara Swart (03:06)
2. Signs of Disconnection from Intuition
- Patterns and Overthinking (05:08):
- Repeating the same mistakes, relying exclusively on logic, feeling anxious, or suffering “brain fog” can be signs you’ve lost touch with intuition.
- Chronic stress not only makes it hard to access intuition, but a lack of access can lead to more stress and lack of purpose.
3. Reconnecting through Grief, Nature, and Ritual
- Tara’s Personal Story of Trust and Loss (06:30):
- After her husband's death, Tara describes feeling cut off from intuition.
- Healing came from seeking psychological safety, support from her community, and immersing herself in nature.
- Ancient practices like art, dance, and ritual (beating chests, wailing) help process grief and reconnect mind and body.
4. The Limits of Science and the Value of Ancient Wisdom
- Science Catching Up to Tradition (08:32):
- Dr. Chatterjee and Tara discuss whether new scientific hypotheses are really new, or if they're simply modern explanations of ancient knowledge.
- Tara recounts opening herself up to “signs” after Robin died, first as a skeptic.
5. Receiving and Interpreting “Signs”
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What Are Signs? (11:25):
- For Tara, signs began as robins (her husband’s name), and later mathematical patterns, reflecting Robin’s interests.
- Signs provided comfort, guidance, happiness—even if one interprets them as heightened intuition rather than objective phenomena.
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"At first it brought me comfort in the early days. Later it brought me guidance... and now it actually brings me happiness and it’s not harming me or anyone else." — Dr Tara Swart (13:48)
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Confirmation Bias or Something More?
- They acknowledge skeptics might see this as “confirmation bias,” but Tara emphasizes intention in interpretation and the healing it brought.
6. Near Death Experiences, Collective Unconscious, and Awe
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Transformation through Near Death Experiences (21:09):
- Researcher Bruce Greyson found that people who’ve had NDEs live with more freedom and less fear of failure.
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"Simply by learning about [NDEs], you can get some of the same benefits people get from having had that experience themselves." — Dr Tara Swart (21:59)
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Jung’s Collective Unconscious (25:47):
- Dr Swart cites Carl Jung: archetypes, shared human experience, and the idea that our shared unconscious contains more than just our individual minds.
- "Meaningful coincidences," or synchronicities, might reflect a deeper connection among minds that science has yet to fully explain.
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Terminal Lucidity (28:02):
- A phenomenon where people with irreversible brain damage become lucid before death, challenging materialist views of consciousness.
7. Modern Disconnection and the Healing Power of Nature
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Disconnection in the Modern World (36:41):
- Disconnection from intuition, community, and nature are seen as primary factors in reduced wellbeing.
- Nature is seen as a gateway to reconnect with all these elements.
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Personal Reflections from Rangan (38:45):
- Rangan shares how walking in nature after his father's death was transformative and set him on a new life path.
8. Humans Have More Than Five Senses
- 34 Human Senses (42:41):
- Tara’s research revealed at least 34 human senses (including immune sense, interoception, proprioception).
- New senses are still being identified—highlighting how limited our conscious knowledge of our own bodies remains.
9. Intuition in Medicine: Stories from the Frontline
- Role in Clinical Practice (49:31):
- Tara recounts a story as a junior doctor, where trusting her intuition over conventional wisdom resulted in a life-saving diagnosis.
- Confidence and intuition often go hand-in-hand in professions like medicine.
10. Practical Tools to Cultivate Intuition
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Journaling for Intuition (57:39):
- Tara recommends journaling about situations where logic and intuition conflict—then observing the outcomes over time to build self-trust.
- “Unfurling Exercise”: Cycle through asking your head (logic), heart (emotion), and gut (intuition) about a dilemma, then journal the differences.
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Seven-Year Self Exercise (59:54):
- Take on the perspective of your future self, asking them for advice to gain perspective.
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Creative Mentoring:
- Imagine what advice trusted figures or admired individuals (real or historical) would give.
11. Embodiment, Trauma, and Movement
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Disembodiment Explained (63:23):
- Many are now disembodied—dissociated from physical signals due to chronic stress and lack of movement.
- Practices like yoga, dance, and art help reintegrate body and mind; visceral experiences (goosebumps, chills) remind us we’re physically reacting to our environments.
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Physicality and Trauma Release:
- Creative and movement-based therapies help process trauma stored in the fascia more effectively than talk therapy alone (citing Bessel van der Kolk).
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"But the combination [of cognitive and somatic approaches] is—that’s where the magic is." — Dr Tara Swart (74:13)
12. Parenting and Intuition
- How to Raise Intuitive Children (75:19):
- Encourage children to express feelings, listen to their gut, and discuss what both heart and logic say.
- Avoid ridiculing or dismissing their ‘gut feelings’.
13. Relating to Grief and Death
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Both hosts share how their relationships with loved ones who have died have evolved—sometimes seeing it as a continuing source of wisdom or even a “gift.”
"I now frame my dad’s death as a gift to me." — Dr Rangan Chatterjee (79:59)
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Tara offers a practical exercise:
- Think of a fond memory of a loved one, assign it a symbol, and ask for a sign—see what happens. (84:42)
14. The Big Takeaway: Go Back to Nature
- Nature as the Gateway (86:35):
- For those feeling cut off from themselves and from intuition, Dr Swart’s simplest advice:
"Time in nature ... that will give you the key to your inner wisdom." — Dr Tara Swart (86:35)
- For those feeling cut off from themselves and from intuition, Dr Swart’s simplest advice:
Memorable Quotes
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On Intuition:
"The thing that I believe in that’s greater is love. And that’s beautiful."
— Dr Tara Swart (01:00 and 31:19) -
On Science and Spirituality:
“It also made me question whether only things that can be proven scientifically are important as part of the human experience.”
— (09:07, paraphrased by Dr Chatterjee) -
On Skepticism:
"I’m a neuroscientist and medical doctor, but I’m a human being that’s been through a life-changing experience... there's a lot of stuff that we don’t know."
— Dr Tara Swart (13:48) -
On Being Authentic:
"The biggest risk of my life would have been not coming out with this story... for my life, for my soul, for my, you know, belief in love." — Dr Tara Swart (71:52)
Notable Timestamps
- 03:06 — Dr Swart defines intuition and introduces concept of hidden wisdom
- 06:30 — The impact of grief, support, and nature after loss
- 11:25 — Receiving and interpreting “signs” from a lost loved one
- 21:09 — Near death experiences and psychological transformation
- 25:47 — The collective unconscious and terminal lucidity
- 36:41 — Why modern life disconnects us, and how nature heals
- 42:41 — The 34 senses of humans
- 49:31 — The importance of intuition in medicine
- 57:39 — Journaling and practical tools to develop intuition
- 63:23 — Disembodiment and why somatic practices matter
- 74:13 — Why healing requires both body and mind
- 75:19 — Practical advice for raising intuitive children
- 84:42 — Tara’s exercise: pick a symbol and ask for a sign
- 86:35 — Final advice: walk in nature to find your wisdom
Actionable Takeaways
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If you’re struggling to trust yourself or feel disconnected:
- Spend uninterrupted time in nature—alone, without distractions.
- Journal about decisions where logic and intuition diverge.
- Try practical exercises like the “unfurling” (head-heart-gut) and consult your “seven-year future self.”
- Move your body—dance, walk, practice yoga.
- Try connecting with symbols or “signs” from loved ones.
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For parents:
- Encourage children to listen to both logic and feelings. Don’t dismiss or ridicule their instincts.
Final Thoughts
This episode offers scientific, practical, and deeply personal insights into what it means to be human, the importance of reconnecting with our intuition, and the healing potential of embracing both ancient wisdom and modern understanding. Dr Tara Swart’s vulnerability and clarity demystify intuition and provide real steps for rediscovering our inner compass, with nature as the most reliable guide.