BodySelf

BodySelf is a theoretical construct in philosophy of mind and cognitive science that denotes the integrated, ongoing sense of the body as part of the self. It includes body schema (unconscious sensorimotor maps) and body image (conscious bodily perception) and describes how bodily states, actions, and sensations contribute to self-awareness and agency.

The concept traces to phenomenology, especially Merleau-Ponty, and to contemporary neuroscience. Experimental work on multisensory integration, such as the rubber hand illusion, shows how ownership and agency over body parts can be altered. Interoception and proprioception are core to BodySelf, connecting internal bodily signals to emotion and regulation.

In practice, BodySelf informs somatic therapies, rehabilitation, and prosthetics design, enabling intuitive use of devices through body-based cues. In digital contexts, it underpins immersive virtual reality and avatar design, seeking to maintain a coherent sense of self when the body is modified or virtualization.

The approach emphasizes dynamism; BodySelf is viewed as fluid, context-dependent, and culturally shaped rather than a fixed essence. Some critics argue against reducing identity to embodiment and stress the roles of language, memory, and social relations.

See also: embodiment, body schema, body image, proprioception, interoception, sense of ownership, sense of agency, phenomenology.