The enteric (or intrinsic) nervous system is one of the main divisions of the autonomic nervous system. It consists of some hundred million neurons which are located in the lining of the gut. As the first animals are believed to have been tiny tubular like structures that adhered to rocks waiting for food to come along the only function of a nervous system in such organisms would have been to control the digestive functions. As animal bodies became more complex and developed the need for a much more versatile system the central nervous system gradually evolved, leaving the enteric nervous system to deal primarily with the digestive function. Although it is capable of doing this independently it can nevertheless communicate with the brain, just as the brain can communicate with the gut. In fact, a large part of our emotions are influenced by the nerves in our gut.

For example, we are all familiar with the term ‘butterflies in the stomach’.

One renowned American psychologist, Gerd Gigerenzer, has written a book called ‘Gut Feelings – The Intelligence Of The Unconscious’. He believes that reflection and reason are overrated and considers that intuition, the whole array of gut feelings that have evolved over the millennia, is much better qualified to equip us to make decisions. He goes further to say, “Intuition, it seems, is not some sort of mystical chemical reaction but a neurologically based behaviour that evolved to ensure that we humans respond quickly when faced with a dilemma”.

We have all experienced feelings of this type, and when we have ignored them we have often regretted it later. Another psychologist recently travelling in India tells of how he was about to get into a cab but stopped when he felt a sudden burning sensation in his stomach. He later saw the driver being arrested at the railway station for theft.

The enteric nervous system is certainly a very much smaller system than the central nervous system – the brain alone has one thousand times as many neurons – and it has no power of reasoning but it does possess an innate wisdom that is able to protect us. We should never ignore our gut feelings, but allow ourselves to tap into that wisdom. It gives a whole new meaning to the saying, “Think twice”.

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