The Effect of Memories on Intuition in Psychiatric Patients
- Sanjana Vattikuti
- 4 days ago
- 10 min read
Abstract
This paper investigates how explicit and implicit memory systems shape intuitive decision-making in psychiatric patients. Studies show that disorders such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and dementia impair memory processes. These disruptions often increase reliance on intuition, which are helpful but also vulnerable to bias and false memories. In psychiatric care, nurses also frequently use intuition in treatment decisions, though its reliability resides with experience and cognitive factors. By combining research across psychology and neuroscience, this paper argues that memory function significantly contributes to intuition in psychiatric populations and recommends increased memory-based assessment, intuitive skill-training, and individualized strategies to improve clinical outcomes.
The Effect of Memories on Intuition in Psychiatric Patients
Reto Bisaz and his colleagues from New York University state that “we are who we are because of our memories,” as they influence our emotional maturity and guide our thoughts and decisions (Bisaz et al., 2014, p. 1). They emphasize that different types of memory, such as short-term and long-term memory, can be classified as explicit or implicit memory processes (Bisaz et al., 2014, p. 1). Our personal experiences and history also shape these memories, and memories of those times have established a common identity in individuals (Shotton, 2013, p.1). Elizabeth Shotton from the University College of Dublin claims that history is “a form of collectively shared knowledge,” which can influence the behaviors and perceptions of one's identity, as well as the recognition of the surrounding community (Shotton, 2013, p. 1). Yet, in many psychiatric patients, there is a high prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders, which changes the cognitive processes of explicit and implicit memory systems (Becker et al., 1999, p. 2). When these memories are disturbed during the mental process, these patients rely on intuition to make decisions, ultimately causing the individual to have low cognitive control and quick information processing (Areshtanab et al., 2024, p. 91).
According to Anuradha Kushwaha and her colleagues, conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety disorders can impair different memory systems (Kushwaha et al., 2024, p. 183). Due to the increase in mental illnesses in patients, many psychiatric nurses also implement intuitive decisions to help treat individuals, allowing them to communicate between theoretical and practical knowledge (Areshtanab et al., 2024, p. 93). However, the idea of intuition is often ignored due to prejudice from others, and it is considered unscientific (Areshtanab et al., 2024, p. 92). Many scientists and researchers are still unsure about the prevalence of these memory processes; however, it was revealed that in both explicit and implicit memory tests, there was a generality of selective memory when applying them to patients with mental disorders (Becker et al., 1999, p. 2). Memory has significantly influenced the individuals living in the United States, with around 6.9 million Americans aged sixty-five and older now living with Alzheimer’s dementia, where the older demographics start losing their memory as well as the connection between their neurological processes, ultimately affecting their intuitive behavior and decision-making (The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, 2024). Therefore, the following question becomes prominent: To what extent do explicit and implicit memories and neural processes contribute to decision-making in psychiatric patients? Accordingly, many psychiatric nurses should implement different strategies when treating patients corresponding to their specified mental illnesses. Measurable testing between the correlation of intuition and explicit and implicit memories can be beneficial in understanding the effects of different cognitive disorders.
Intuition in Cognition
When understanding the effect of intuition in psychological disorders, it is essential to analyze the impact different cognitive processes, such as memories, have on intuition. According to Hossein Namdar Areshtanab and his colleagues from the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, intuition is the process or idea of suddenly knowing the truth of a specific situation without using a linear reasoning process or having particular data to back up that intuition (Areshtanab et al., 2024, p. 92). Matthew Lieberman from Harvard University agrees that intuition is the brain’s capacity to recognize patterns and form quick judgments without conscious reasoning (Lieberman, 2000, p. 112). Intuitive judgments frequently arise from the activation of implicit memory, which forms the foundation of intuitive expertise across various areas, including language comprehension and perceptual abilities (Wippich, 1994, p. 108). Neuroscience shows that intuitions, or “gut feelings,” stem from complex neural networks designed for rapid decision-making (Lieberman, 2000, p. 125). In the context of creativity, the implicit messages embedded in intuition are often complex to translate, with this difficulty being particularly noticeable in creative processes (Nosal, 2021, p. 347). Intuition is not merely a secondary or peripheral function; it is always active, remaining vigilant and continuously influencing and interacting with conscious thought (Nosal, 2021, p. 347). The Fuzzy-Trace Theory (FT), which distinguishes between verbatim (explicit detail-based) and gist (intuitive, meaning-based) memory representations, indicates that they interact when making decisions, developmental reversals, neural processes, and cognitive biases (Reyna, 2012, p. 333).
Prior exposure to other stimuli can further enhance the intuitive performance in individuals without their explicit recollection of that memory, such that these intuitive responses are often shaped by unconscious knowledge that cannot be easily accessed through intentional thought or recall (Wippich, 1994, p. 105). However, Valerie F. Reyna states explicit memory can also interfere with the ability to reason, as it can overwhelm intuition with detail and prevent people from seeing the bigger picture, suggesting that these memories may disrupt intuitive processes when over-relied upon (Reyna, 2012, p. 340). Nevertheless, the structure of the brain is significantly shaped by how an individual engages with and responds to their surrounding environment, meaning that experiences, behaviors, and external stimuli play a critical role in molding the brain’s physical and emotional development over time. This implies that neural plasticity, the brain’s ability to rewire its neural connections in response to key experiences in life, facilitating learning and recovery, supports intuitive decision-making when considering intuitive neural processes (Shotton, 2013, p. 4). Most of our intuitive biases originate from our memories, which evolve in our understanding of our history and what we have been through from birth to the present day; memories of our history and past experiences have established a common identity in ourselves where they influence our present actions (Shotton, 2013, p. 1). Reto Bisaz and his colleagues emphasize that memory consolidation, the process through which memories become stronger and more stable over time, is essential for ensuring that information is firmly embedded in the brain, ultimately leading to the fixation and long-term storage of memories for future retrieval (Bisaz et al., 2014, p. 2). Understanding how memory, experience, and neural processes shape intuition is essential for grasping its role in psychological functioning and everyday decision-making accuracy. Overall, intuition is intertwined with memory, neural activity, and environmental influence, which shape how individuals make rapid, unconscious judgments.
Disorders and Their Effect on Memories and Intuition
It becomes essential to explore how intuitive processes vary across different psychological disorders, as memory and cognitive function impairments can significantly influence how intuition operates in affected individuals. According to Michael J. Frank and his colleagues from the University of Colorado, the explicit memory system within the hippocampus is not required for transitive inferences, the ability to logically figure out how two or more things are related; however, the hippocampus plays a key role in quickly learning combinations of different stimuli, analyzing that certain psychiatric conditions compromise specific memory systems (Frank et al., 2006, p. 704). For example, short-term memory is affected in elderly patients who have dementia or Alzheimer's disease; the deterioration of the hippocampus can disrupt the intuitive processes that rely on past experiences, making it difficult for individuals to make those quick judgments without deliberate reasoning (The Journal of Alzheimer’s Association, 2024).
According to Eni S. Becker and his colleagues from the Dresden University of Technology, people with anxiety avoid feared situations, reacting to threats with escape behaviors but typically don’t exhibit memory biases favoring disorder-related stimuli (Becker et al., 1999). Individuals who have depressive symptoms tend to dwell on negative or sad experiences, which enhances their ability to have good memory retention, indicating that some psychological disorders can allow a positive boost in memory processes (Becker et al., 1999). However, the concept of reconsolidation, where memory returns to a stable state, and consolidation, where memory is strengthened, can prove that they can also “weaken memories that are too strong and linked to psychopathologies,” such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and even substance use (Bisaz et al., 2014, p. 2). Post-traumatic stress disorders, which are “characterized by the involuntary retrieval of disturbing memories,” are triggered due to the exposure and reminders of traumatic experiences, which can consume cognitive capacity (McNally et al., 1994, p. 352). This makes it difficult for the patient to effectively search for specific memories as they are blocked from these negative cues (McNally et al., 352). According to Anuradha Kushwaha and her colleagues from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, psychotic illnesses, and prodromal syndromes can and have caused impairments in memory, and the more common deficits in memory are found in working memory (WM) domains, which creates a link between the emotional components and cognitive processes within neural networks (Kushwaha et al., 2025, p. 182). The poor maintenance of PTSD and other psychological disorders can negatively impact emotional processing and problem solving skills (McNally et al., 1994). Psychological disorders can have profound effects on memory and cognitive function, shaping the way intuition operates in affected individuals. These disruptions highlight how emotional and cognitive systems interact, influencing the way individuals perceive and respond to their environment.
Intuitive Use in Psychiatry and Its Reliability
The use of intuition in psychiatry plays an important role in diagnosing and treating patients, though its reliability can be influenced by various cognitive and emotional factors. Decision-making is a multifaceted process that involves a sequence of choices, and many nurses refer to intuition when making these decisions; however, intuition and other forms of tacit knowledge are considered unscientific and aren’t taken into account (Areshtanab et al., 2024, p. 92). Nonetheless, as work experience increases, the relevance of intuition in decision-making intuition also increases due to the experience the nurse has had over the years due to their lasting confidence (Areshtanab et al., 2024, 93).
According to Werner Wippich from the University of Trier, the effectiveness of intuition stems from its ability to quickly bypass the slower, more effortful princess of reasoning, instead relying on memory traces that are automatically activated without conscious effort, leading to the idea that nurses can effectively make quick decisions when treating psychiatric patients (Wippich, 1994, p. 107). However, in some cases intuitive thinking can also raise the possibility of false memories indicating the brain’s ability to suppress irrelevant or incorrect information (Gronchi et al., 2023, p. 1). Giorgio Gronchi and his colleagues from the University of Florence state that memory is constantly in a process of active reconstruction, which makes it vulnerable to distortions and the formation of false memories, suggesting that this creates a cognitive environment in which memory monitoring systems are less effective (Gronchi et al., 2023, p. 1). This ultimately leads to the concept of false nostalgia, which indicates that our brain exaggerates past memories while minimizing the effects and deeper interpretations of those memories, while only focusing on the emotion (Norberg, 2022, p. 2). Johan Norberg from Stockholm University emphasizes that people turn towards nostalgia as an anchor to bring ourselves to a “sense of stability and predictability” so we can achieve a natural state of mind, this can further change the direction of an individual’s intuition (Norberg, 2022, p. 3). Although these memories are strong in emotion and can help with personal continuity within people who have dementia, it is said to be unrealistic and “notoriously unreliable” (Norberg, 2022, p. 4). These findings challenge assumptions about intuition’s reliability, especially where accurate memory recall is crucial when making decisions about specific psychological disorders and patient care in the psychiatric industry (Gronchi et al., 2023). While intuition plays a significant role in psychiatric decision-making, its reliability is challenged by cognitive and emotional factors such as memory distortions and the influence of false nostalgia. These complexities highlight the need for a careful balance between intuitive judgment and evidence-based practices, especially in situations where precise memory recall and accurate assessments are crucial for effective patient care.
Recommendations
Incorporating different treatment strategies based on a patient’s psychological disorder and memory processes would lead to a better idea of these illnesses. Additionally, conducting more tests on the reliability of nurses’ intuition would help more effective treatment methods. These strategies can allow nurses and practitioners to thoroughly interact with patients in order to give the best care that is specifically beneficial to that individual. When understanding an individual’s background and their memories, psychologists can be able to identify the cause of problems, and also use those memories to solve the conflicts these individuals have. Conducting more studies and tests on these nurses and their intuitiveness when treating patients can also help researchers and other psychologists understand how their instinct can be beneficial, and also allow them to make intuition a more reliable source by implementing a practice of “true” memories. Memories have a profound effect on many psychological disorders, as each disorder impacts the cognitive processes differently, these memories also impact how people perceive intuition. Intuition comes from the reused practice of memories, and this allows nurses to make intuitive decisions about certain disorders due to their practice memories. Therefore, it is recommended that future research place a stronger emphasis on evaluating the relationship between memory, intuition, and psychiatric care. By refining intuitive practices through targeted training, increased memory-based assessments, and promoting deeper patient-nurse interaction, the psychiatric field can move toward a more individualized approach. This will not only enhance the reliability of intuitive decision-making but also deepen our understanding of how memory functions differently across psychological disorders, ultimately leading to more effective and efficient mental health treatment strategies.
References
2024 Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. (2024). Alzheimer's & dementia: The Journal of the
Alzheimer's Association, 20(5), 3708–3821. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13809
Areshtanab, H. N., Vahidi, M., Hosseinzadeh, M., & Janmohammadi, S. (2024). Barriers and
Facilitators of Intuitive Decision-Making among Psychiatric Nurses: A Cross-sectional
Study. Journal of Caring Sciences, 13(2), 91–96. https://doi.org/10.34172/jcs.33231
Becker, E. S., Roth, W. T., Andrich, M., & Margraf, J. (1999). Explicit memory in anxiety
disorders. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 153–163.
Bisaz, R., Travaglia, A., & Alberini, C. M. (2014). The neurobiological bases of memory
formation: from physiological conditions to psychopathology. Psychopathology, 47(6), 347–356. https://doi.org/10.1159/000363702
Frank, M. J., O’Reilly, R. C., & Curran, T. (2006). When Memory Fails, Intuition Reigns:
Midazolam Enhances Implicit Inference in Humans. Psychological Science, 17(8),
700–707. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40064438
Gronchi, G., Righi, S., Gavazzi, G., Giganti, F., & Viggiano, M. P. (2023). Intuitive thinking
predicts false memory formation due to a decrease in inhibitory efficiency. Frontiers in
Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1195668
Kushwaha, A., Basera, D. S., Kumari, S., Sutar, R. F., Singh, V., Das, S., & Agrawal, A. (2024).
Assessment of memory deficits in psychiatric disorders: A systematic literature review.
Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice, 15, 182–193.
Lieberman, M. D. (2000). Intuition: A social cognitive neuroscience approach. Psychological
Bulletin, 126(1), 109–137. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.126.1.109
McNally, R. J., Litz, B. T., Prassas, A., Shin, L. M., & Weathers, F. W. (1994). Emotional
priming of autobiographical memory in post-traumatic stress disorder. Cognition &
Emotion, 8(4), 351-367.
Nosal, C. S. (2021). On the Relationship Between Intuition, Consciousness and Cognition: In
Search of a Unified Concept of Mind. Roczniki Psychologiczne, 24(3–4), 345–360.
Reyna, V. F., ∗. (2012). A new intuitionism: Meaning, memory, and development in Fuzzy-Trace
Theory. In Society for Judgment and Decision Making, Judgment and Decision Making
(Vol. 7, Issue 3, pp. 332–359) [Journal-article].
Shotton, E. (2013). Memory, perception & intuition. UCD Architecture.
Wippich, W. (1994). Intuition in the context of implicit memory. Psychological Research, 56(2),
104–109. https://doi.org/10.1007/bf00419717
Comments