Psychological mechanisms of intuition and its gnoseological status

Abstract

Intuition is one of the most mysterious and, at the same time, everyday phenomena of human cognition. It manifests as a sudden enlightenment, “inner voice,” or anticipation, allowing for decision-making without explicit logical analysis. In psychology, intuition is often described as a rapid, unconscious process of processing information, while in epistemology (knowledge theory), it occupies an ambivalent position: from a reliable source of knowledge to an illusory phenomenon. This article analyzes the psychological mechanisms of intuition based on contemporary research and its epistemological status, drawing on philosophical and scientific approaches.