I don't think I asked my questions very well, so here's the context:
Gavin's book is a good example of the discussion of intuition (I like this book,too). At a basic level much of what we call intuition is cognitive processing hyperperforming. This is especially so when you're performing in the context of fear/violence aka survival. And let's throw in here that our instincts are triggered by cues (aka environment). But let's say you take someone out of survival mode and out of the environment that they've been "training their instincts" under. Does the ability to tune into your "instincts" diminish?
For example, I've got a hero that is former military (strong "instinct" performance while in his field) who has now been plunked down into the civilian world, in say, corporate america. It's a whole new world for him. Do his instincts perform better or worse than before? Triggers are different. How does this affect his confidence (which of course are directly related)?
And let me use a practical example I just experienced today with say, my husband whom I adore. He's really one of the most brilliant men I know with AMAZING analytical skills and his instincts in his professional environment have uber-tude. But once you place him outside of this environment and say, in the grocery store, his "instincts" turn to mush and he becomes a nincompoop with no problem solving ability whatsoever. No intuition. nada.
See where I'm going here? Without the environment, what do you have in terms of instinctive performance?
:)