Intuition more than just fringe science
Researchers from the University of Leeds report that intuition is a real psychological process that lies just beyond our conscious awareness.
Gerald Hodgkinson, the lead author of the report that appears in the British Journal of Psychology, says it isn't just a random response. Recent research over the past few years has led the scientists to conclude that intuition is a result of the way the brain processes information when faced with serious time pressures, information overload, situations where they lack all the information to make an informed decision, and potentially hazardous situations where an individual does not have the luxury to be able to deliberate and collect all the facts.
They define intuition as a combination of pattern recognition—where an individual takes a mental shortcut in a given situation, relying upon interpreting a given outcome based upon a mental template compiled from past experiences—and external clues. This process then triggers an emotional response or physical sensation that allows an individual to recognize the most appropriate course of action.
Further reading: Your intuition really is more than a hunch, scientists say
