# Mind over (fecal) matter **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 18, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-over-fecal-matter/589451 "2011-07-18T14:58:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-over-fecal-matter/589451/1 "2011-07-18T14:58:33Z")
Do I really need to preface with a TMI? Anyway, I was just wondering why, especially when I have a touch of diarrhea, I can walk perfectly calmly to the men’s room, but from the moment I actually enter the water closet I’m suddenly hopping from foot to foot and as soon as the stall door closes behind me I’m irresistibly compelled to rapidly and fumblingly detrouser myself and slam into position lest I inadvertently create a modern art masterpiece all over the walls. Has there been any study of why one’s bowels suddenly get that signal to RELEASE NOW based solely on physical location? ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-over-fecal-matter/589451/2 "2011-07-18T15:11:35Z")
[An SDMB classic](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=166577). ---
**Author:** ![Lobelia\_Overhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/54ee81/32.png) [@Lobelia\_Overhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobelia_Overhill)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-over-fecal-matter/589451/3 "2011-07-18T16:24:25Z")
Possibly a similar phenomenon to the urge to urinate suddenly arising if someone asks “does anyone need to go to the bathroom” before a road trip?