Is intuition, according to Germaine Greer, just the subconscious ability to make instinctive decisions based on "tiny insignificant aspects of behavior", or is it a paranormal talent which allows humans to associate with certain situations? I will try to touch upon some of the various theories and ideas which may serve as explanations to this indescribable "way of knowing" certain things, just based on a "feeling"
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The way in which we react in unpredictable situations, and the ease of our understanding of never-seen-before concepts is very often based on intuition. But what is this intuition based on?. It has been said that religious truths depend on intuition. Upon studying religious teachings, one is often confronted with numerous irrational, illogical happenings. Miracles and wonders are just a few of these. It is often only through intuition and faith that the followers of the respective religions accept this taught knowledge. Sometimes this "intuition" is perceived as a form of .
inexplicable godly inspiration, and there are people who insist that it is only through internal experience and senses that one can acquire true religious understanding. Ethical knowledge is often impossible to justify solely through logic and reason, yet is still widely accepted and followed. In a way, faith may well be explained as a form of divine intuition: a way of knowing something, without being able to explain how.
Crisis situations are another example of when intuition, or "instincts" are used. Cognitive psychologist Gary Klein once noted about firefighters that, "Their minds move so rapidly when they make a high-pressure decision, they can't articulate how they did it They can see what's going on in front of them, but not behind them." In other words, he is saying that in emergency situations, humans make logical decisions so quickly, that the conscious brain cannot follow. As a result, an explanation of the undertaken action is not possible.