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Gut feelings, intuition, and emotions: an exploratory study
Dean I Radin1, Marilyn J Schlitz
1Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA 94952-9524, USA. DeanRadin@noetic.org
Summary
Gut feelings, measured by electrogastrogram (EGG), significantly increased when a distant person experienced emotions. This suggests a connection beyond ordinary senses, potentially linking intuition and gut feelings.
Area of Science:
- Psychophysiology
- Human Perception
Background:
- The gut-brain axis is a complex bidirectional communication system.
- Electrogastrography (EGG) measures gastric electrical activity, reflecting gut motility and function.
- Previous research suggests a link between emotional states and gastrointestinal responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if electrogastrogram (EGG) activity in one person responds to the emotions of a distant individual.
- To explore potential non-sensory communication pathways between individuals.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind protocol was used with 26 pairs of healthy adult volunteers.
- EGG activity was recorded in a shielded chamber while a distant person viewed the subject and was exposed to emotional or neutral stimuli.
- EGG maximum values during emotional stimuli were compared to those during neutral stimuli.
Main Results:
- EGG maximums were significantly larger when the distant person experienced positive and negative emotions compared to neutral emotions (p < 0.01).
- Results were validated using nonparametric bootstrap procedures and corrected for multiple analyses.
Conclusions:
- Electrogastrogram (EGG) activity increases in response to the emotions of a distant person, independent of ordinary sensory input.
- This finding suggests a potential shared origin for intuitive hunches and the commonly reported connection between gut feelings and emotional states.