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Michael V. Ellis

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What is the source of intuition?

My intuition has never failed me. I have recognized a intuition after a event and I have ignored it and 'paid the price'. Is intuition an advanced human capacity that we have yet to harness? Is it a mental process based on retained experience and associated probabilities? Or, do we process an event and enlist our creative mind to imagine and convince ourselves we were aware prior? Your thoughts

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  • Stevan S.

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    TED Translator
    Jul 13 2012: Intuition is more likely to be a basis, than an advanced human mental ability. Interestingly enough, it is probably the primary level of cognitive function amongst animals, closely related to instinct.


    From a strictly anatomical perspective, intuition and instinct seem to spring from the limbic system and the hypothalamus. Nevertheless, I would refrain from using the term "Center of Intuition/Instinct", since the connections between neural structures are epic in their complexity.

    Tapping into our cognitive foundations, however, might be a dangerous activity.
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      Sarah M

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      Jul 13 2012: Why do you consider it to be dangerous ?

      • Stevan S.

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        TED Translator
        Jul 14 2012: The mentioned structures are omnipresent roots of our activities, rather than unused reservoirs of pure potential.

        Interfering with it's functions may (or may not) be dangerous in an essence that it is a gray, unexplored area of our mental activities, and the repercussions cannot be predicted due to the enormously complex connections with the other parts of the central and periferal nervous system.

        Again, this is a structural/architectural, and not a psychological stance.
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          Sarah M

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          Jul 14 2012: Stevan
          Thanks for the reply. It was very informative.
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      Leo Walsh

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      Jul 14 2012: In actuality, the Limbic System is quite advanced, and key to decision making. There have been studies showing that people with intact Frontal and Pre-Frontal cortices, and damaged Limbic Systems cannot make a decision. Which seems odd to most of us, since we are so schooled in the "Higher cognition" view of the world.

      How else could you account for the fact that, at every level of IQ, Emotional Intelligence becomes a greater determinant of success than additional IQ points?

      So, we largely decide based on a concordance of thought and feeling. Sort of like a balancing of the classical categories of "the good, the true and the beautiful." We need to honor all parts of ourselves. The internal, subjective and external, objective reality to make a sound decision.

      • Stevan S.

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        TED Translator
        Jul 14 2012: I never said the Limbic System is a basic, simple structure. It's a BASIS of advanced cognitive capabilities, it's older in evolutionary terms and presents something we have in common with other organisms with the same neural organization (whereas the super-developed neurocortex of the telencephalon is a human characteristic, amongst others).

        It is extremely complicated and intertwined with other structures, therefore it is difficult to pinpoint it's exact functions. But yes, it has been shown that the Limbic system enables emotions, decision making, motivation, integration, intuition, instinct and a huge plethora of other cognitive entities.

        I was just presenting the structural aspect of the discussion in the previous post, rather than a psychological viewpoint.

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