The metaphor of the head as heaven and the gut as hell draws from ancient spiritual and philosophical traditions, where the head—seat of intellect, vision, and higher consciousness—is associated with the celestial or divine, while the gut—center of primal instincts and digestion—is linked to the earthly or infernal realms.

This symbolism is echoed in various mystical teachings, where the head is seen as the locus of enlightenment and the gut as a place of base desires or suffering.