Interoception: More Than The Five Senses

Interoception is the ability to recognize the stimuli and sensations that our body sends us. It is the art of experiencing and understanding this beautiful physical collection of connections.

Inside are receptors, cells and delicate tissues that send us all a series of messages. However, they are messages that we don’t always hear. To help us do that, we can try things like mindfulness.

Some people say we should be thankful that we haven’t developed this sense as well or tuned it as perfectly as our other senses.

They believe that no one would really enjoy hearing how a leukocyte reacts to infectious agents, nor would they like to know how our gastric juices are separated or hear the sound a neuron makes when it dies.

Understanding the meaning of interoception

However, we don’t have to go to these extremes to appreciate what the sense of interoception can really show us. Psychophysiologist Hirokata Fukushima conducted a study in 2011 showing that this function is closely linked to empathy.

When we come into contact with someone to understand their emotions, needs or concerns, our body reacts in a very special and almost fascinating way. Other people’s affective states act as stimuli.

Understanding the mysteries of interoceptive function would allow us to discover more about how the body and mind relate to each other. It would also help us take better care of our health. We would understand how our body warns us that something is not quite right.

Influence on our daily life

Usually we spend a large part of our time on self-care. We take care of our hygiene, we provide a balanced diet and we exercise. A good image is also important to us. We choose nice clothes, style our hair and put on make-up. We also take care of our skin and try to have a good night’s sleep.

Strange as it may seem, there is something that we overlook in this routine. We don’t listen to our own bodies. We ignore the messages it sends us. It tries to send us a message of pain by taking advantage of neck tension or headaches that just won’t go away.

These symptoms can mean that our mind is stressed and our whole body is reacting to this destabilizing emotion. Yet we don’t give these symptoms the attention we should get. We don’t see what’s really happening inside us.

Athletes, on the other hand, tend to have a well-developed sense of interoception. Good athletes are able to discern when a physical sensation is normal or not.

They can feel if muscle pain is just due to straining or if it could be a sign of muscle damage. Sometimes they are even able to push through that pain. They do this to achieve the goal they have set for themselves. Or to give their very best during a match.

The mind-body connection in these cases is an effective alliance that can help us improve our performance when we need it most.

Interoception and the Insula

Interoception is a common area of ​​research in the psychophysics and psychology of emotions, learning, and biofeedback. There are many studies on the subject that help us to delve deeper into this special and very important sensory perception.

One thing we should keep in mind is that there are basic processes that our sense of interoception has to do with. These include thirst, hunger and sleep. These are mechanisms that guarantee our survival. Therefore, we must be very aware of that. Others, on the other hand, are more subtle and usually go unnoticed.

Thanks to a study published in 2012 in the journal Neuropsychology , we know which part of our brain regulates this feeling and everything it tries to tell us. It is the insula, a part of the brain that is very deeply hidden.

Here, the brain controls processes such as awareness of our emotions and bodily sensations. The insula is a control center that sheds light on the fascinating connection between the mind and the body.

Mindfulness and Interoception

At the beginning of the article, we mentioned that one way to become aware of our sense of interoception is mindfulness. This allows us to make this connection.

We can connect our bodily sensations with our inner being. Thus, it helps us to understand our mind, our needs and the way the environment and its processes affect our body.

Being able to listen to and discern all the signals our bodies send us on a daily basis is a way to invest in our own health and quality of life. By doing this, we can manage stress much better. We can even anticipate signs of possible impending disease.

In addition, we will be able to sense our own limits and become more productive as a result. This helps us to become aware that we are not machines, but a beautiful but intricate network of cells, tissues and emotions.