University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality & Healing and Life Science Foundation

Ways of Knowing:
Intuition’s Role in Health & Healing
2007 Symposium

Welcome

Mary Jo Kreitzer

Welcome to the 2007 Proceedings of the Ways of Knowing: Intuition’s Role in Health and Healing Symposium. Thank you for your interest in this historic event for health care professionals.  This invitation-only event was attended by 100 health care professionals including physicians, nurses, researchers, administrators, CAM providers and other allied health care professionals from the United States and abroad.

Everyone is invited to enjoy these Proceedings. Health is relevant to all of us whether we provide care for others or are learning more about how to take charge of our own care.

The Symposium focused on intuition’s presence in health care settings from scientific, philosophical, psychological, spiritual, and phenomenological perspectives. The conversations among health care professionals and researchers ranged from the healing methodologies of Indigenous traditions to the technological and scientific understandings of the heart.  

Health care issues are involved directly or indirectly with the profound questions of life.  What creates life?  What sustains life?  What is necessary for life to thrive? How do we respond to death?  What can we do that is helpful?

Sharon Franquemont

These most intimate questions invite a deeper exploration of what true communion and communication is between and among people, their surroundings, and their spiritual core.  Intuition, which Webster defines as direct perception, is an aspect of that communication having contributed to inspiration, innovation, and revelation throughout history.

Dr. Jonas Salk, a promoter of intuition, said, “It is always with excitement that I wake up in the morning wondering what my intuitor will toss up to me like gifts from the sea.”

Following Dr. Salk’s lead, we hope you find something that excites you in these Proceedings as well as something which contributes to your knowledge about health and wellbeing.

Mary Jo Kreitzer                                                            Sharon Franquemont
University of Minnesota                                               Life Science Foundation
Center for Spirituality & Healing                                Education                                         

Symposium Goals

• Explore emerging science and research on intuition, health and healing.
• Identify implications of research on intuition for health professional education, research, care of patients and self-care.
• Create an environment that is nurturing and conducive to a deep and creative exploration of intuition.
• Grow a learning community that will continue to examine various dimensions and expressions of intuitive experiences.

We also express OUR gratitude to Bill Sanda who served as a photographer for the Symposium. His photographs are used, with permission, throughout the Proceedings.