#318 Neuroscientist Reveals How Intuition, Purpose and Spiritual Health Can Heal | Dr Tara Swart

Oct 8, 2025

Dr. Tara Swart, a neuroscientist and Oxford-trained medical doctor, dives into the fascinating intersection of intuition, spirituality, and mental health. She shares her journey of experiencing signs from her late partner, emphasizing the importance of purpose for overall wellbeing. Tara also explores the science behind consciousness, near-death experiences, and the role of beliefs in healthcare. Through practical advice, she encourages openness to spiritual experiences, challenging conventional views of reality and highlighting the transformative power of creativity and nature.

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INSIGHT

Science Alone Misses Spiritual Needs

Viewing life only through science narrows human experience and neglects spiritual needs.
Tara Swart argues spirituality and purpose are essential components of wellbeing beyond sleep, diet, and exercise.

ANECDOTE

Signs After Bereavement

After Robin's death Tara experienced vivid signs: numbers, presences, and rapid inner responses she initially feared were psychosis.
She gradually learned to trust these signs and received repeated meaningful messages over years.

ADVICE

Ask For A Specific Sign

If you want to test whether a deceased loved one can send signs, pick a unique memory or symbol only they would understand and look for it.
Make the symbol unusual so you reduce chance coincidences and notice any meaningful occurrences.

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“In order to have maximum wellbeing, it’s not enough to sleep, eat well and exercise, you also need to have a purpose, including one that transcends yourself”

This conversation is so important for me personally as I navigate the complex relationship between two parts of my brain. The rational, data driven skeptical side that is unwilling to accept anything without complete proof; and the spiritual side that is inexplicably drawn to certain things and leans into a belief that we are connected to the universe in ways we cannot explain.

Tara and I have known each other for a few years, but as you can tell on this podcast we’re quite close. She unfortunately lost her partner 4 years ago to cancer, which she describes in detail in her latest book. But after his death she began to experience what she intuitively believed were signs from her partner. Highly improbable coincidences, chance happenings and events that were simply impossible to ignore.

At first, this led her down a path of first questioning her mental state, but using her experience as a medical doctor and neuroscientist she began to explore the science of consciousness and explored the possibility of trusting her instincts and intuition of what she believes to be true.

According to Tara, these strange nudges and connections with people who have died are not random, and it’s time we took them seriously.

We explore what we’ve lost in our modern lives, how our brain filters reality and what we might be missing, how to sharpen your intuition so you can spot the signs around you and finding purpose, meaning and connection in your own life.

We explore ancient practices like drumming, humming and vows of silence, as well as spending as much time in nature to connect with the wider universe and tap into our instincts, to live happier and more enriched lives.

We explore the science of terminal lucidity, near death experiences, the art of noticing and what they can teach us about life after death and why leading a spiritual life can be so healthful and healing.