Gut Instincts Get Real
Neurological pathways in a very unlikely place.
By Philip Shepherd
Philip Shepherd is the author of ‘New Self , New World ’, a book that among other things, looks at the importance of our ‘second brain’. Scientists recognise that a web of neurons lines our stomach and a field of medicine call ed ‘neurogastroenterology’ is dedicated to study ing it. To help us take advantage of this forgotten brain, Shepherd looks at how we can open our intelligence to a new way of being that calms the busy one in our heads.
The language, customs, architecture and hierarchies we live with aren’t arbitrary creations. They embody and uphold certain assumptions, which invisibly guide our thinking and our actions. Once you identify and question such assumptions, though, everything shifts and you begin to see with fresh eyes and act with renewed clarity.
One of the big assumptions we live by is that knowledge will save us. Whatever problem we face, we feel that if we can just get the facts right, we’ll find the right solution. There’s no question that knowledge can illuminate a situation, but something is amiss. If it were true that knowledge could save us, our world would be in much better shape now than it was five hundred years ago, as our knowledge is exponentially greater. Yet even our individual lives can be driven to distraction as we try to figure out and stick to the right diet, the right amount of exercise, the right career path etc.
We are missing half the picture. If the type of knowledge we use isn’t matched by an equal measure of self-knowledge, it can become harmful – promoting things like devoting oneself to acquisition.
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Philip will be teaching workshops in Dublin (Nov 1/2) and Galway (Nov 8/9). His book, New Self New World is available from Amazon.
