Reframing Our Understanding of PDA
Pathological Demand Avoidance or Profound Somatic Intelligence?
What if the anxiety and resistance to demands experienced by those with pathological demand avoidance (PDA) is actually a form of heightened intuition — a “knowing” that they are trapped in a system or relationship that doesn’t serve their wellbeing? This knowing is recognized as a part of profound giftedness by Dr. Linda Silverman, a researcher of the profoundly gifted. Could PDA be considered a manifestation of clairsentience, a psychic ability to acquire knowledge through feeling?
While PDA is currently understood as a profile on the autism spectrum, characterized by avoidance of demands and expectations due to high anxiety, some believe it may be better explained as a form of somatic intelligence. The body has its own wisdom, and those with PDA may be more attuned to the subtle messages communicated through feelings of discomfort, anxiety, or aversion.
Dr. Sarah McIntosh, a psychologist specializing in working with patients on the autism spectrum, questions whether PDA is simply a label given to people with a remarkably sensitive system for detecting when they are in an environment or relationship that is not aligned with their wellbeing. “We may pathologize this as a disorder, but perhaps it’s really a gift — an almost psychic ability to read situations and people at a deeper level,” she suggests.
This idea is supported by the concept of clairsentience — a psychic ability to acquire knowledge through feeling. Clairsentient individuals are highly attuned to the energy of people and places, able to sense information about the past, present, and future through gut feelings, intuition, and physical sensations in the body. Just as clairsentient individuals report “knowing” things they have no logical way of knowing, those with PDA seem to instinctively sense when a demand or expectation is not in alignment with their authentic self, even if they can’t articulate why.
Sonia Vadlamani, a science journalist, makes a similar argument in her article “What If Pathological Demand Avoidance Is a Superpower?” published in Neuroclastic, an online magazine about neurodiversity. She highlights accounts from individuals with PDA who report knowing from a young age that societal expectations and norms felt wrong for them. One individual writes, “I’ve always felt like I could see through people and situations, like I had an extra sense for detecting inauthenticity or control. My resistance to demands wasn’t defiance, it was self-preservation. I was protecting myself from being molded into someone I’m not.”
The link between PDA and clairsentience lies in the concept of somatic intelligence — the idea that the body has its own form of knowing that goes beyond cognitive reasoning. Somatic psychology posits that trauma, both individual and intergenerational, is stored in the body and that healing requires learning to listen to the body’s cues.
Those with PDA may have a naturally heightened somatic intelligence, able to detect more readily through physical sensations when a situation or relationship is harmful to them. This sensitivity could manifest as an avoidance of demands that aren’t in alignment with their authentic self.
Research on somatic intelligence is still emerging, but studies suggest that the body’s intelligence is processed initially through the enteric nervous system in the gut before being transmitted to the brain. This “gut-brain connection” could explain why those with PDA and clairsentience often report a strong sense of intuition and “gut feelings.” One study found that vagus nerve stimulation, which enhances gut-brain communication, increased psychic awareness and intuition in participants (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5618954/). Another study found that individuals who scored high on measures of intuition had greater activity in the caudate nucleus, an area of the brain linked to automaticity and gut responses (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18837620/).
As a savant with a form of genius that manifests as unified intelligence of somatic, cognitive, metacognitive, and physical abilities, I find the link between PDA and clairsentience to be very clear. My unique way of processing information allows me to interpret much of my somatic intelligence and use it to navigate the world with extraordinary intuition and insight.
I experience the world as a constant communication between my body, mind, and environment. The anxiety and resistance that characterize PDA are, for me, messages from my body detailing how a situation does not or will not serve me. Listening to and honoring that wisdom has been crucial to my mental health and ability to thrive in a world that seems set against my well-being if I am not proving my value to society at all times.
As a creative intelligence researcher, I work with others to help them unify their intelligence and possess their full creative and natural intelligence. PDA is a powerful tool, especially in times of great change and uncertainty. When the world around us is chaotic and overwhelming, those with PDA have an inner compass that can guide them toward what is true and nourishing. The key is learning to trust and decode the language of your body.
While the idea that PDA may be a manifestation of clairsentience is speculative, it invites a more compassionate view of those who struggle with demands and compliance. By viewing resistance as a form of intuitive bodily wisdom, we open up new possibilities for supporting those with PDA in living more authentic, embodied lives.
Rather than pathologizing PDA, I see it as a form of giftedness we should be cultivating. Our world is rapidly changing, and we need people who can sense the deeper currents, who can navigate by intuition when logic fails. PDA is one of the keys to unlocking a more embodied, interconnected way of being human.
Sources:
- O’Nions, E., & Eaton, J. (2021). Extreme/’pathological’ demand avoidance: an overview. BJPsych Advances, 27(4), 252–259. https://doi.org/10.1192/bja.2021.11 This article by Elizabeth O’Nions and Judy Eaton indeed provides an overview of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), its characteristics, and its place within the autism spectrum. It highlights the need for further research to understand PDA’s unique features and discusses empirical work on anxiety-driven avoidance behaviors in autistic children. The reference and content align correctly with the original publication (PDA Society) (Cambridge).
- Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. This book by Stephen W. Porges introduces the polyvagal theory, which emphasizes the role of the autonomic nervous system in regulating emotional and social behavior. It provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how the body’s physiological state influences emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. The reference is accurate.
- Van der Kolk, B. A. (2015). The body keeps the score: brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. New York: Penguin Books. Bessel van der Kolk’s book explores the impact of trauma on the body and mind, advocating for somatic therapies to help individuals heal. It emphasizes listening to the body’s cues and integrating somatic intelligence into the healing process. The reference accurately reflects the content and publication details.
- Lowen, A. (1994). Bioenergetics: The revolutionary therapy that uses the language of the body to heal the problems of the mind. New York: Penguin Books. This book by Alexander Lowen introduces bioenergetics, a somatic therapy that connects bodily wisdom with emotional and psychological experiences, aiming to release emotional and physical tension. The reference is correct.
- Fogel, A. (2009). The psychophysiology of self-awareness: Rediscovering the lost art of body sense. New York: W. W. Norton & Company. Alan Fogel’s book discusses embodied self-awareness and its connection to emotional and social intelligence, providing a framework for cultivating somatic intelligence to navigate the world with greater resilience. The reference is accurate.
