Ever wondered why your 'gut feelings' often lead you to the right decision? Delve into the fascinating world of neurobiology, where we unravel the science behind intuition, exploring how our brains process information beyond conscious reasoning.
The neurobiology of intuition exists and we’ve learned something very interesting about it
Most people base a lot of the decisions they make on their gut feelings
- It’s basically just an inner voice in touch with everything you’ve seen, felt, and experienced
- Your intuitive side can actually be an amazing tool if you make good use of it
The Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex
This is where we store all of the information on past rewards, along with the pain of mistakes, or things we wish we hadn’t done so that we would have avoided experiencing something negative
- The most interesting thing about this brain structure is that it responds based on emotions
- Once you’ve heard that inner voice, you have two options: listen to it or send it through the filter of analytical thought
The Caudate Nucleus
The caudate nucleus speeds up the sixth sense to help you make quicker, almost automatic decisions based on your previous experiences or learning
- Gut feelings aren’t just pseudoscience – they’re actually a mechanism that has helped to define who we are as humans
What Does the Neurobiology of Intuition Have to Say?
These mental processes aren’t all in our imagination. They actually have a neurological foundation.
- Doctor Keiji Tanaka from the RIKEN Brain Institute led a fascinating study to try and find some answers to what happens in our brains to create this sixth sense.
The Precuneus
This is a little part of the superior parietal lobe, which also happens to be right on the line between the right and left brain hemispheres.
- The precuneus plays a role in episodic memory, visual-spatial processing, and consciousness.
