Human Intuition as an aspect of Organismic Flow
Human intuition can be understood as a higher‑level, meaning‑rich readout of Organismic dynamics, including interoceptive signals from the body, combined with memory, emotion, and prediction in the brain. It can help a person “negotiate” with bodily needs, for example choosing to delay eating or toileting safely in some situations, or recognizing when it is no longer wise to keep waiting.[1][2][3][4]
Intuition as a body-brain summary
The brain constantly receives noisy, partial signals from inside the body (heart, gut, hormones, immune system) and from the outside world. Intuitive feelings like “this isn’t a good idea” or “I really need a break” often reflect the brain’s best guess about what will keep the whole organism safe and in balance, even when there is no clear, verbal reasoning.[2][5][6][1]
“Asking the organism to wait”
Because the brain can model the future, it can inhibit or reshape immediate responses to needs: holding urine until a bathroom is available, postponing a meal during a meeting, or pushing through mild tiredness to finish something important. In these cases, top‑down control systems weigh internal needs against goals and context, then modulate signals like hunger or urge-to-void, which can feel like “telling the body to wait a bit” while monitoring for when it becomes unsafe or too uncomfortable.[3][7][8][9]
Coordination, not suppression
However, this negotiation works best when intuitive awareness stays tuned to the body, rather than chronically ignoring it. Long-term, repeatedly overriding signals such as hunger, sleepiness, or pain can disrupt Homeostasis and Interoceptive accuracy, so healthy intuition usually supports flexible timing (wait a little, then respond), not permanent Suppression of needs.[10][11][12][1]
Ignoring Intuitive insight
Repeatedly ignoring intuition that reflects bodily needs and limits can indeed lead to significant adverse effects over time. This is because those intuitions usually summarize important signals about homeostasis, stress load, and safety.[13][14][15]
Physical and metabolic effects
Consistently pushing past hunger, thirst, pain, or fatigue can disturb sleep, hormones, and Metabolism, raising risk for problems like chronic pain, digestive issues, and Cardiometabolic disease. For example, ignoring satiety and Stress signals around food can contribute to Disordered eating patterns and weight-related health issues.[16][17][18][19]
Mental health and Interoception
When Body-based signals are downplayed or overridden, people may gradually lose sensitivity to them (impaired interoception), which is linked to anxiety, depression, and difficulties regulating emotions. Some autistic and Neurodivergent adults describe long histories of missing or mistrusting internal cues (hunger, bladder fullness, tiredness) and experiencing burnout or Meltdowns when their true needs finally break through.[14][20][21][13]
Decision-making and safety
Intuitions about social or physical danger often arise from rapid integration of subtle cues (heart rate, tension, context) before conscious reasoning catches up. Habitually dismissing these warning feelings can increase exposure to harmful situations, whereas listening and then reflecting (“Is this feeling about now or about my past?”) supports wiser, safer choices.[15][22][23][24]
References and Further Reading
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