The Goal Digger Podcast | Episode 913

When Science Meets Spirituality: How to Trust Your Gut and Grow Into Who You’re Meant To Be

Host: Jenna Kutcher
Guest: Dr. Tara Swart, neuroscientist & author
Release Date: September 15, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Jenna Kutcher invites Dr. Tara Swart back to the show to explore the intersection of neuroscience and spirituality—particularly, how ancient wisdom and modern science converge on intuition, gut feelings, and “signs” from the universe. Together, they discuss why many people, especially entrepreneurs and women, have been conditioned to mistrust their intuition, and how reclaiming it can unlock fulfillment, resilience, and transformation in both business and life.

This conversation is a blend of personal stories, cutting-edge research, and actionable tools to help listeners reconnect with their inner wisdom, regulate their nervous systems, and live more in tune with themselves and the world around them.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why We Ignore Our Intuition & Its Cost

• Separation of Intuition and Logic: Dr. Swart highlights that Western society has deprioritized intuition, valuing rationality above all, especially in professional settings. This creates a binary where we’re forced to choose “head or heart” instead of integrating both.

• The Risk for Entrepreneurs: Intuitive risk-takers are pressured to conform, leading to burnout and a divided existence, where creativity is shut down in favor of “logical” thinking.

  “You’re taking a person who is creative, who is entrepreneurial, who is a risk taker and then saying, don’t use any of the special superpowers that you have. Just think like everyone else.” — Dr. Tara Swart [09:56]

2. The Science Behind Intuition (and Ancient Wisdom)

• How Intuition Actually Works:
  Dr. Swart explains that intuition is not mystical—it’s a physical process:

  • Wisdom and learned patterns are embedded in the limbic system and, through experience, get pushed deeper into our nervous system—even stored in the gut (“gut neurons”).
  • Trauma and positive wisdom alike are held not just in our brains, but throughout our bodies.
  • Modern science is catching up to ancient wisdom: physical practices like dance, drumming, art, and movement ("body keeps the score") can release and access intuition.

  “If we look at our ancestors in palaeolithic times, they drummed, they danced, they chanted, they hummed, they beat their chests... these practices were actually part of honing your instincts, trusting your intuition, being able to read the land and predict the weather.” — Dr. Tara Swart [14:38]

• Regulating the Nervous System:
  High-intensity activity can spike cortisol; for many, gentle movement (like yoga or walking) is more effective for healing and reconnection with intuition.
  Creativity and art are powerful tools for mental and emotional health (neuroaesthetics).

3. Physical Signs, Gut Feelings & Synchronicities

• How the Body Talks:
  Visceral reactions (shivers, “hairs standing up,” butterflies) are real, physiological responses to intuition. Neuroplasticity means we can strengthen this “sense” at any age.

• Signs from the Universe:
  Discussion on “angel numbers,” feathers, animals, and recurring synchronicities—how they might be meaningful, regardless of scientific proof.

  “A big question at the intersection of science and spirituality now is, do you have to be able to prove something for it to have value in your life?” — Dr. Tara Swart [24:11]

4. Our Senses & Expanding Awareness

• We Have More Than Five Senses:
  Dr. Swart’s research finds at least 34 known physiological senses (not just the “traditional” five), hinting at unknown human potential and validating seemingly “woo” experiences.
• Ancient & Ancestral Wisdom:
  Both women discuss the importance of intergenerational learning, gardening, animal tending, and other “lost” skills, noticing a modern return to practices cherished by our elders.

5. Practical Tips for Entrepreneurs: Realigning with Intuition

• Small Shifts:
  • Time in Nature: Even 5 minutes listening to birdsong noticeably regulates stress (birds only sing when it’s safe).
  • Breathwork: Quick shifts from sympathetic (fight/flight) to parasympathetic (rest/digest) states.
  • Movement & Art: Move, dance, doodle, or simply enjoy beauty to move energy and reconnect.
  • Tune into Nervous System Signals: Learn your body’s cues for stress and relaxation.
• Building Internal and External Validation:
  Both trusting one’s gut and finding supportive partners enhances one’s ability to act on intuition.

6. Balancing Strategy and Surrender

• Both speakers admit that holding space for both strategic planning and “following the breadcrumbs” of intuition is an ongoing practice—a “muscle” one builds with experience.

  “When I stress and I get anxious about something and I try to, like, force it to go the way that I want it to... I delay the outcome that I want. As soon as I realize if I surrender every time I do that, it somehow magically works out.” — Dr. Tara Swart [48:09]

  “Loosening the grip leaves room for magic, leaves room for possibility.” — Jenna Kutcher [49:04]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Intuitive risk takers—your logical brain will always try to keep you safe… you’re being told to shut off your special superpowers.” — Dr. Tara Swart [09:56]

• “For me, success is a calm nervous system.” — Jenna Kutcher [33:49]

• “Science is really only catching up with our grandparents now, truly.” — Dr. Tara Swart [32:51]

• “We are all reinventing ourselves. The brand or persona no longer fits... and it feels like a risk.” — Jenna Kutcher [41:43]

• “When birds are singing, we feel safe, and it actually lowers our cortisol levels...” — Dr. Tara Swart [34:49]

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 05:06 | Why we’re taught to ignore intuition; cost of ignoring gut instinct. | | 09:57 | The unique risk of ignoring intuition for entrepreneurs, especially risk-takers. | | 10:57 | Dr. Swart’s neuroscience-backed update on how intuition is stored/accessed in the body. | | 14:37 | Evolutionary context: Why chanting, movement, drumming were necessary to human survival | | 17:15 | Jenna’s personal experience using gentler exercise to heal after trauma/miscarriage | | 20:44 | How gut feelings and visceral reactions show up as real physical signals | | 22:54 | Angel numbers, feathers, and the value of “unprovable” signs and synchronicities | | 24:41 | “How many senses do you think we have?” Science suggests up to 34! | | 32:50 | Intergenerational wisdom, the return to ancestral practices | | 33:49 | Calm nervous system as the new success metric | | 34:49 | Tiny practices for tuning in: birdsong, breath work, movement, beauty | | 47:38 | Balancing strategy and surrender, plus Dr. Swart’s “magic tricks” for letting go | | 52:52 | Mini-Meditation Exercise: Head, heart, and gut check-in by Dr. Tara Swart (full demo) | | 59:45 | Jenna reflects on her own alignment: “I got similar answers, but different angles…” | | 60:37 | Where to find Dr. Tara Swart and her new book “The Signs: The New Science of How to Trust Your Instincts” |

Guided Mini Meditation: “Head, Heart, Gut”

[52:52–59:45]
Dr. Swart leads a three-part meditation to access the wisdom of logic (head), emotion (heart), and intuition (gut):

• Relax (seated or lying down); notice your breath
• With your hands on your head, ask yourself a question and receive the logical answer
• Move hands to your heart: ask again, and allow the emotional answer to arise
• Move hands to your belly: ask again, listen for your gut’s response

“I got similar [answers], but like, from a different angle… with my heart and my gut, it’s more feeling. Less thinking, more feeling.” — Jenna Kutcher [59:45]

Dr. Tara Swart’s Resources

• Instagram: @drtaraswartzo
• New Book: The Signs: The New Science of How to Trust Your Instincts (Available September 16 in US/UK bookstores and online)

Overall Takeaway

Blending science and spirituality is not only possible but vital for building a sustainable, fulfilling business and life. The tools we need—intuition, creativity, movement, ancestral wisdom—are accessible when we remember to listen to our bodies, embrace ancient practices, and lovingly trust the signals within and around us.

“The world needs what you’re building.” — Jenna Kutcher