Banner by Harshitha Gompa

It’s a Gut Feeling

by Harshitha Gompa

To go or to not go with your gut—a dilemma we’ve all faced one too many times. That unexplainable hunch, that inner nudge that seems to go against all logic, but what we can only describe as our instinct. It’s almost like having an angel and a devil perched on each of your shoulders, except this time, it’s your brain and your gut shouting two entirely different things. While intuition can often feel like a mystical power guiding us in the right direction, science reveals that there is more to it. It turns out that our gut is like our “second brain” and that it communicates with our central nervous system, thereby influencing our mood, thoughts, and feelings. Understanding the science behind our gut feelings is helpful because it impacts our decision-making and can make us more aware of patterns in our thoughts and behavior. Yet, the question remains: despite the science behind it, can we really trust our gut?

Interoceptive memories are the brain’s way of remembering how internal sensations—like hunger, tension, or pain—felt, and how they relate to past experiences. The brain links sensory information, such as taste or smell, with emotions and thoughts. For instance, the taste of your mom’s cooking might trigger feelings of nostalgia and comfort. Over time, these memories are stored in the brain and may be triggered by certain cues, like a particular smell, taste, or sound. Sometimes, things unrelated to the gut—someone’s body language, tone of voice, or facial expression—can activate these memories, bringing back a gut feeling we may experience as butterflies or a sinking feeling in our stomach. Thus, our body can recognize familiar stimuli and evoke certain emotions that we often feel in our gut, even if we’re not conscious of why we feel that way.

Additionally, the brain is known to process information subconsciously. This is an automatic phenomenon that helps us perform everyday tasks. For example, when we drive a car we are not paying attention to every minor detail such as our foot pressing the gas pedal or turning the steering wheel. These processes are automatic and often occur in the background. The brain is therefore constantly taking in information and analyzing it behind the scenes. This process is believed to be involved in our gut feelings or intuition as it suggests that our brain recognizes information before we consciously process the situation. Dr. Simon M. McCrea explores the idea that intuition is linked to subconscious processing, which is often associated with the right hemisphere of the brain. The right hemisphere is known for handling complex, pattern-based thinking and nonverbal cues, both of which are important for intuitive insights. This aligns with the view that gut feelings are instinctual, intuitive responses to a situation that occurs outside our conscious awareness.

To better understand the process of intuition, it’s important to explore the connection between the gut and brain, and why we even experience gut feelings. The gut-brain axis is a direct link between our digestive and central nervous systems that allow signals from the gut to influence our physical states, like hunger or nausea. Recent research suggests that the gut also plays a role in shaping our emotions and thoughts. Dr. Emeran A. Mayer at the University of California Los Angeles explains that, the common phrase about making decisions based on gut feelings may have a neurological basis, rooted in brain-gut interactions and interoceptive memories associated with these interactions.

Another study, conducted by Dr. Jeremy Appleton, highlights how gut microbiota influences mood by affecting the brain's response to stress. In an experiment with mice, researchers compared germ-free mice (without gut bacteria) and specific pathogen-free mice (with gut bacteria). The results showed that mice without gut bacteria had a stronger stress response, measured through the level of stress hormone released, suggesting that the gut microbiome is involved with regulating our emotions.

While there is evidence supporting that our gut feelings arise through systematic processes rather than being entirely random, this does not necessarily prove that our intuition never fails. Our brains are subject to several cognitive biases that sometimes distort our perceptions. Our confirmation bias may lead us to only believe information that aligns with our first impression of a person, ignoring opposing views. Some people may be inclined to read news that favors a particular political candidate and ignore others, as their intuition drives them to support that candidate. However, being influenced by cognitive biases may not always be a negative thing. For instance, a doctor in the ER may rely on intuition built over his years of practice and experience. Similarly, a police officer might develop an instinct for recognizing when someone is lying, drawing from countless observations and interactions over time. Therefore, our intuition may guide us in several situations, but it could still be wrong. Thus, the strength of one’s intuition can even differ from person to person based on their experiences, cognitive abilities, and emotional awareness. So, to answer the question of whether we can really trust our gut, the answer lies somewhere in between. You could always consult your gut and see what it has to say, but fair warning—even it might not have all the answers!