Is Intuition in the Neurons?
This article, Von Economo Neurons, Intuition, and Phylogeny discusses the possible role a group of neurons in our brains might have on our intuition. The particular neurons are called Von Economo Neurons (VEN) and are found in the fifth layer of the human neocortex (which means it is relatively deep).
They are only found in a few areas of the brain and those areas are known to receive information from numerous brain regions. Therefore, the hypothesis is that these VEN must be able to receive an array of diverse information and process it speedily.
It is this latter probable action of the VEN that leads scientists to speculate that they may be close to understanding how intuition works in human beings. The VEN have been found in the brains of the great apes only, leading to speculate that the faculty or facility is relatively new in biological terms; about 12 to 15 million years old.. This comparative newness also leads to the theory that, because they are a late addition to the brain, they may be more susceptible to dysfunction and might, therefore, be important in understanding autism or even Alzheimers.
However, before we all start jumping up and down on our chairs excitedly, we should temper our enthusiasm slightly. The reason is that what the scientist might perceive as being intuition might not necessarily be what the rest of us perceive it as. The reason for saying so can be seen in the video which can be seen here. (Before you rush off, just note that the video is of an entire lecture lasting 2 hours, 42 minutes and 8 secs and is from the Skeptics Society Annual Conference.)
The lecturer, John Allman, Hixon Professor of Biology at the California Institute of Technology, begins by defining intuition. (Incidentally, his lecture is a more in-depth treatment of VEN, so it dovetails with the above article neatly.) I think his definition of intuition is worth looking at more closely:
“Intuition is a form of cognition in which many variables are rapidly evaluated in parallel and compressed into a single dimension. This compression facilitates fast decision-making. Typically we are not aware of the logical steps or assumptions underlying this process although intuition is based upon experience-dependent probabilistic models. Instead we experience the intuitive process viscerally. Intuition operates largely in the social domain but can also be applied to purely physical situations. Intuition is plastic; it is not instinct, although instinctive feelings may contribute to it. Emotional value judgments contribute to both intuition and deliberation.”
First, the interesting phrase about experiencing it viscerally. The location of the VEN in the brain are in precisely those areas which monitor the gut functions. Therefore, talk of a ‘gut feeling’ may be very accurate.
The phrase which I find slightly less true is the assertion that “intuition is based upon experience-dependent probabilistic models”. In other words, prior experience is the prime factor in intuitive decision-making. Now, from my own experience, I don’t think this is necessarily the whole truth. It may well be partly true, if you take into account intuition as being applied solely in the field of social interaction. Yet there are plenty of instances of intuition operating in non-social ways (i.e. for the individual alone, without regard to other people).
There is, as is only to be expected, an emphasis on rationality and logic. Yet the whole tone of this scientific description or definition somehow leaves the area bare of other possibilities. If you are only convinced that intuition works in social situations (because you are not willing to take other criteria or results as being in the same class as intuition), you will find yourself in this dead end.
The lecture goes into several more interesting areas. For example, the VEN are not complete at birth, but develop afterwards. This means that many variables could affect that growth (and therefore possibly this narrow aspect of intuition could be affected adversely). Also, there are more in the right hemisphere than the left.
I would urge you to either read the article or view the lecture (or at least skim it) as it does at least show where current scientific thinking
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