What is well understood can be clearly stated,
And the words to say it come easily.
Nicolas Boileau (1636-1711)
Intuition, hunch, deeper knowledge, gut feeling: there are many names for the way we intuitively decide who we trust, how we behave and the winding paths we take to find our way through the labyrinth of our lives. The brain has the task of transforming our impulses into feelings to give them a meaning we understand. This happens within milliseconds. If our gut feeling and our mind agree, we leave it at that, but it happens often enough that our intuition gives us an answer our head rejects.
It takes a triggering event, internal or external, to evoke an emotional response that is passed on to the brain so that it can be evaluated and made conscious. The head and gut are also connected by neurotransmitters, produced in the brain and in the stomach. The information they provide helps to control feelings of anxiety and fear. This connection is inhibited by stress. The gut and brain are also linked via the immune system, which provides many other connections affecting our mental health.
“Are you from Beijing?” I asked a Chinese tourist when my inner voice had already told me he was from Shanghai, which turned out to be correct. How did I know? Science says it was an educated guess. Unfortunately, in this case I didn’t go with what immediately came to mind but discarded my intuition – a process known as overthinking. Without emotions, the brain has no answers to our inner processes. I can well imagine that not only the head, stomach and guts, but also the heart contributes to our hunches. It is important that we trust them. Gut feelings can save lives, and they help us make important decisions every day. It doesn’t hurt to be a little less rational from time to time. Holidays are predestined for this.
I hope you have a great time!
Yours,
Susanne Seiler
P.S. You’ll find us at the gaiamedia lounge, in the back yard of Hochstrasse 70 (behind Basel’s SBB station, tram stop Peter Merian), every Thursday afternoon from 14 – 18 h. Welcome!