Everyone in their life at some point has gone against ordinary logic or popular opinion. When there is no basis for that 'risky' decision but it still feels like the right thing to do. From taking an unknown route to trusting a complete stranger, gut feelings can lead to funny decisions. But that 'intuition' does not come out of thin air, after all.
A study, led by Associate Professor Alan Pegna from the UQ School of Psychology, discovered that these gut feelings come from our amygdala. Which is a small almond-shaped structure in the brain that responds to threats and emotions. Amygdala processes information within two-tenths of a second. It takes three-tenths of a second for us to be aware of what we've just seen. The study looked into the speed at which humans process emotions, among other things.
We think even before we know it
Thus the findings revealed that the feeling from a stimulus is processed before we are even aware of it. "We are processing emotions without any awareness and really rapidly. But awareness is taking place slightly later on – it takes around three-tenths of a second for us to become aware of what we see," said Dr Pegna.
"These findings, along with other observations in the literature, show that parts of the brain processes emotionally important stimuli very rapidly, and without any awareness by higher-tier brain areas." The research has been published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.
Of intuitions and neurotransmitters
There is another science-backed explanation for the brain-gut connection. Serotonin, often referred to as the chemical produced by nerve cells, is largely produced in the gut. About 95 per cent of serotonin is produced in the gut and it influences emotions and mood. After which, the gut signals are then transmitted to the brain through the release of serotonin. Whether you are feeling safe or in danger, depends on the situation but it is caused by high levels of serotonin produced in the body.
It starts with the gut
In a 2020-study published in the eNeuro journal, Flinders University Professor Nick Spencer's laboratory identified a particular type of neuron in the gut wall that communicates signals to other neurons outside the gut, near the spinal cord and up to the brain.
The researchers at Flinders University found how viscerofugal neurons provide a pathway so our gut can "sense" what is going on inside the gut wall. "There is significant interest in how the gut communicates with the brain as a major unresolved issue because of growing evidence that many diseases may first start in the gut and then travel to the brain, an example of which is Parkinson's Disease," says Professor Spencer.
"What is particularly exciting about the gut is that it is unlike all other internal organs because the gut has its own nervous system, which can function independently of the brain or spinal cord. Understanding how the gut communicates and controls other organs can lead to important breakthroughs for disease treatment," he adds.
