The New Science Of Intuition: Neuroscientist Joel Pearson On Leveraging The Unconscious Mind For Better Decisions & Actions

What is intuition? What are these mysterious workings of our gut feelings and hunches—the subtle whispers that often guide our choices, for better or worse?

It turns out that these elusive bodily sensations are not just a mystical phenomenon but a measurable biological reality rooted in the interplay between our brains, bodies, and unconscious minds.

My guest today is Prof. Joel Pearson, a cognitive neuroscientist, professor of psychology at the University of New South Wales, and author of The Intuition Toolkit. He has dedicated himself to unraveling the neural basis of intuition, developing methods to quantify and study this lesser-known human capacity in his Future Minds Lab. 

Joel’s findings challenge conventional notions about intuition. Intuition is a genuine mental capacity rooted in the brain’s constant processing of subtle cues, associations, and emotional signals below the threshold of conscious awareness. When developed, it can be an invaluable asset in decision-making, enabling us to draw upon the insights of our accumulated knowledge and experience.

He points out that not all gut feelings are created equal. Cognitive biases, emotional distortions, and the pull of impulse can be easily hijacked. The key is learning to cultivate discernment—to separate reliable intuition from the many things that may mimic it.