Why Is Intuition Called a "Gut Feeling"—And Can You Trust It?

Why We Call It a "Gut Feeling"Metaphors have long helped us describe the human experience, and “gut feeling” is one of the most popular. These days, we hear people talk about gut reactions, gut instincts, and gut feelings as if they’ve always existed—but they’re actually fairly modern expressions. How Intuition Really WorksNoel Hendrickson/GettyImagesWhether you call it your gut instinct or sixth sense, the psychology behind intuition works the same way. Moreover, the study demonstrated that intuition can be measured scientifically and improves over time, providing real evidence that these gut instincts are more than just feelings. The gut also has its own network of neurons—sometimes called a “second brain”—that constantly communicates with the brain.