Extroception

Extroception refers to the sensory information that originates from outside the body. It encompasses all the stimuli that we perceive through our senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. These external cues allow us to interact with and understand our environment. For instance, seeing a red traffic light (visual extroception) signals us to stop, while hearing a loud noise (auditory extroception) might indicate potential danger. The ability to process extroceptive information is crucial for survival, navigation, and social interaction. It allows us to detect threats, find food, communicate with others, and generally orient ourselves within the world around us. Unlike interoception, which deals with internal bodily states, extroception focuses on the external world and our relationship to it. The combined processing of both extroceptive and interoceptive signals contributes to our overall sense of self and our place in the environment.