04/29/2026
TIME. CORRECTION / EDITORIAL FEEDBACK: Scientific Foundations of Intuition. Article: "Should You Trust Your Gut Feeling—Or Is It Anxiety?" published on April 27, 2026, in Time Magazine).
Dear Angela and Kathleen,
I am writing regarding the recent article "Should You Trust Your Gut Feeling—Or Is It Anxiety?" published on April 27, 2026, in Time Magazine.
While I appreciate the discussion on anxiety, I must address the claim that there is "no science" behind intuition or how to connect with it.
I have trademarked the process of Gut Intelligence® and have studied and documented it for 37 years: the biology and science of how your gut leads to either anxiety or intuition. My documented process, which has been tested and proven in my coaching practice, demonstrates that these are two distinct physiological pathways.
Below are the data points and research documented in my Gut Intelligence® process that explain this biological distinction:
• The Vagus Nerve & Enteric Nervous System: The gut is lined with the Enteric Nervous System (ENS)—the "second brain." The Vagus Nerve acts as a high-speed data cable, transmitting somatic signals from the gut to the brain via hormones, neurons, and neurotransmitters.
My 37 years of documentation show how these "gut feelings" are actual data points providing a biological read on our environment before the conscious mind processes them.
To increase one’s Gut Intelligence®, my process shows how to bypass the reaction center and calm the anxious mind so that we can get to enlightenment—what I and many refer to as “intuition.” It’s that “a-ha” knowing: a heightened experience we’ve allhad when our gut, heart, mind, and intuition agree on a decision.
Here are a few scientific data points that support this increased Gut Intelligence®:
• The Sara Lazar Study (Neural Pathways): Research by Dr. Sara Lazar at Harvard proves that 20 minutes of meditation a day creates a new neural pathway out of the Amygdala (the brain's reaction/anxiety center) and into the Prefrontal Cortex. This physical structural change allows the brain to move away from reactive anxiety and toward higher-level processing after a gut-alert is activated.
• SPECT Scan Evidence (The Newberg Research): The work of Dr. Andrew Newberg utilizing SPECT scans confirms the neurological shift during deep states of "knowing." His research shows a distinct darkening (decreased activity) in the Frontal Lobe—the seat of overthinking and analysis—and the Temporal Lobe (where the Amygdala’s reaction center lies), while the Parietal Lobe "lights up." This represents the biological shift from anxiety and analytical overthinking to that "Aha" moment of intuitive clarity.
• The Shift from Anxiety to Intuition: My Gut Intelligence® process shows that by quieting the reactive and overthinking centers of the brain, we bypass the anxiety loop and access the clear, biological data provided by the Enteric Nervous System.
The distinction is clear: anxiety is a reactive loop in the survival brain (the sympathetic nervous system), whereas intuition is achieved when we shift to the parasympathetic nervous system.
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss the science of Gut Intelligence® further to ensure your readers have access to the full scope of biological research currently available to calm their anxiety and access their intuition.
Sincerely,
Susan Wehrley
Founder of Gut Intelligence®
Author of Gut Intelligence: The Wisdom to Know Your Truth and the Courage to Do Something About It
Registration trademark number for GUT INTELLIGENCE® is 4,976,451
https://tsdr.uspto.gov/ =4976451&caseSearchType=US_REGISTRATION_NO&caseType=DEFAULT&searchType=statusSearch
