The intelligence of feeling and dramatherapy with people with dementia

![CDATA[This paper explores the link between feeling and intelligence, and how a notion of the ‘intelligence of feeling’ can support older people living with dementia. Feeling and emotion are differentiated here – emotion being a raw, reactive physical state. In contrast, feeling involves memory and consciousness (Gerhardt, 2004). Emotion accessed in psychotherapy often presents clients with a binary between ‘functional and dysfunctional emotions’ (Ellis, 1994; David et.al, 2004). Often such emotions are not differentiated from feeling intelligence – a concept difficult to capture. It is argued, however, that elders with dementia possess a highly refined ability which can transcend both the merging and the binary opposition of feeling. Conscious emotional regulation as a person ages is discussed (Cartensen et al., 1999; Fung and Cartensen, 2003), as well as how feeling intelligence is located in culture, and associated with memory and values (May, 2005; Kitwood, 1997; Harding & Pribram, 2002). Through discussion of a recent research project, it is proposed that elders with dementia could utilise a sophisticated constellation of long term memory, feeling and intelligence within their dramatherapy sessions, in order to be better able to cope with the grief, loss and confusion their ageing entails. Case examples of feeling intelligence recorded in dramatherapy sessions for a PhD hypothesis 'Pulled through a hedge backwards: improving the quality of life of people with dementia' (Jaaniste, 2013) are explored. Using dramatherapy and arts therapies (Rubin, 2009) including Developmental Transformation methods (Johnson, 1986; Sandel & Johnson, 1987), storymaking (Gersie, 1990), and Embodiment, Projection and Role, (Jennings, 1999) the case is made for the promotion of feeling intelligence of people with dementia.]]