Have you ever made decisions based on a gut feeling? It has happened to me on multiple occasions where I made decisions solely because it felt right — even when I didn’t have a logical reason to back it up.
Science calls this inner consciousness “intuition,” which isn’t a mysterious force, but a function of the brain and body. Even if intuition can seem vague and logicless, it is the process that gives people the ability to make quick decisions without deliberate reasoning.
There are many subtle examples of using intuition in daily life, but I predominantly use my intuition when it comes to analyzing the intentions of someone else. For example, if I feel something about their vibe is off-setting, I try my best to keep myself away from that energy. Another example of intuition at work can be taking an umbrella with you because you “feel” it might rain.
You might think it’s a new-age phenomena, but it dates back to the stone age. It started as a survival tool where early humans would use quick decision making to protect themselves from environmental threats. These threats would put them in a life or death situation which forced early humans to make split-second decisions.
Today, intuition has evolved into a neurological phenomenon allowing the brain to quickly encode situations and generate analysis. The prefrontal cortex — the front part of the brain — acts as a centre where all our emotions, memories get put to generate decisions. This automates the feeling of ‘knowing.’
For instance, I feel I am very good at sensing dishonesty in a conversation. On one occasion, someone was selling me a fake narrative about a story and I just knew that person was fabricating the truth to protect themselves. I dug in deeper and found out my instinct was not wrong.
The amygdala, another part of the brain, is the anchor for emotions. It helps the brain to process emotions quickly and flag any threats without having discrete information. This is perceived as ‘gut feeling’ when the brain quickly assesses any danger.
For example, I was at work and was working near a long ladder. I stepped forward instinctively and the ladder fell right after. I strongly believe that with time and with experience, you can instinctively predict danger or just decisions. They won’t be right all the time but you will be thankful when they are.
Has it happened to you that you get a sensation on your skin or in your chest indicating something? That physical indication is also due to another part of the brain called the insular cortex, a hub for processing body sensations including heartbeat and gut sensations. This cortex uses these bodily inputs to generate neural intuition in the body. That’s when you feel something in your chest or skin that your body is trying to signal you something.
One example could be when your body physically feels very fatigued or drained after hanging out with someone. This may happen if a person exploits your emotional availability and pulls your energy to feed their emotional demands. I strongly believe that how you feel during a conversation is an indication of whether or not they are good for you. In my experience, my heart giggles and I physically feel happy when I talk to my best friend. On the other hand, I used to hangout with a person that would make me constantly uneasy around them. I believe it was my body clearly indicating to me which friendship was healthier.
However, intuition is not infallible. Since intuition is heavily influenced by past experiences, it can also be subject to emotional biases or parental conditioning. How one is brought up influences their ability to make quick decisions. For instance, I have had friends who won’t leave their toxic partner because they had a toxic childhood growing up. The conditioning blinded their decision-making as they found resonance in the toxicity.
There are always two sides to every coin. Intuition is not a hypothetical or vague phenomenon, but rather a tool to navigate life’s circumstances with confidence when we don’t have all of the information. Listening to your intuition and gut feelings can protect you from uncertainties, but it’s also important to open yourself up to different perspectives and new experiences so you keep refining your cognitive thinking as you grow up.
