It’s probably not news to you that neuroscience has proven that we each have three brains. The one we most often rely on is the head (cephalic) brain, but we also have a heart (cardiac) brain and a gut (enteric) brain. These three complex, adaptive and functional neural systems each play a valuable role in terms of cognition, emotion, and intuition in decision making.
I’ve heard people talking about following their heart or their head when making decisions, as if they have to make a choice between them, and others talking about trusting their ‘gut feeling’. In actual fact, we need to listen to all three.
So, what’s the difference between them? Simply put:
Head (cephalic) brain = logic
Heart (cardiac) brain = emotion
Gut (enteric) brain = intuition
When you’re next making an important decision, ensure you’re tapping into all three brains by asking yourself:
💜 What is the logical thing to do here? Rationally, what evidence do I have to support my choices? What are the pros and cons?
💜 How do I feel about the choices I have available to me? What emotions are coming up? How do my choices relate to my core values – what I’m passionate about?
💜 Logic and emotion aside, what is my intuition telling me? If my unconscious mind was to know the answer, what would it be? Just close your eyes, relax and see what comes up…
