book bowels
English
Noun
- Synonym of Mariko Aoki phenomenon and plural of book bowel; a tendency to experience bowel movements as a result of being within a bookstore.
- 2021 March 8, Dr. Sameer Islam and Mike Darling, “A Doctor Explains Why Bookstores Make Some People Feel the Need to Poop”, in Men's Health[1]:
- "It's more common than people realize, and I think people are just embarrassed to talk about it," he says. "I've also heard it called called 'book bowels.' I think that name speaks for itself." We asked Dr. Islam what theories might help explain the strange phenomenon. ... For "book bowels" specifically, possible theories include the smell of paper or ink having a laxative effect, the nervousness that may arise from all of the books present...
- 2021 May 10, @YMSRadio, “This Is Why Some People Feel The Need To Poop In A Bookstore”, in iHeart Z104.3 Baltimore[2]:
- It's unofficially called "Book Bowels" or the "Mariko Aoki phenomenon" and is a psychological issue where our brains trigger our body into a "fight or flight" reaction based on our history with similar environments.
- 2022 May 7, Nevin Thompson, “Exploring the Mariko Aoki phenomenon: Do bookstores make you poop?”, in Global Voices[3]:
- As for what might cause ‘book bowels’, the gastroenterologist said: The intensity of the information that you encounter in museums and libraries—or the sudden quiet of a garden—can trigger an autonomic response in your gut.
- 2023 August 4, Kelly, Sarah-Louise, “Why Bookshops Make You Need to Poo”, in Huffington Post[4]:
- TikTok users have been speaking about needing to poo whenever they are in a bookshop or, as it is known to some, ‘book bowels’. According to users, the sudden urge to poo happens to them as soon as they walk into bookshops or libraries...
- 2024 February 2, Loukou, “How going to your favourite high street shop might leave you with a sudden need to poo”, in The U.S. Sun[5]:
- Today, the phenomenon has made its way to TikTok, with some using the term ‘book bowels’ to describe it.