Getting Beyond Words With Hermann Schmitz's Idea of Felt‐Bodily Communication

ABSTRACT

This article discusses German philosopher Hermann Schmitz's philosophical idea of felt‐bodily ( leibliche ) communication. Applied to nursing, his theory suggests that felt‐bodily communication with a person is the vital impetus for fostering caring relationships. Nursing often requires addressing the limitations of language, as words sometimes fail to fully express the depth of human connections. Schmitz provides a neo‐phenomenological underpinning for this theory of communication and redefines the crucial turn to the subject as being affected by another through our felt body ( Leib ). Bodily touch, such as holding hands, directly mediates the connection between felt bodies while communicating immediate meaning. In these situations, glances and touches between people convey meanings that facilitate communication beyond words, known as felt‐bodily communication. Through felt‐bodily communication, we go beyond the physical boundaries of our material body ( Körper ) to connect with other felt bodies, thereby facilitating shared meaning. This form of communication opens an atmospheric space between bodies that affects our vital drive before these moments can be translated into words. According to Schmitz, language has an evaluative aspect that enables judgement of what has been said, whereas communication occurs through the felt body before we enter the realm of language. Felt‐bodily communication bypasses such judgement; it directly mediates meaning and offers the wisdom of a relationship in which care thrives beyond words.