interoceptive

Interoceptive (from inter and internal) refers to the sense of the body’s internal state, encompassing perceptions from visceral organs and bodily processes such as heart rate, breathing, hunger, thirst, temperature, pain, and fullness. It contrasts with exteroception, the perception of external stimuli, and proprioception, the sense of body position. Interoception supports homeostasis and contributes to subjective feelings, emotion, and self-awareness.

Neural and physiological bases of interoception involve a network that integrates bodily signals with cognitive and emotional processes. Primary processing occurs in the insular cortex, with the posterior insula representing visceral signals and the anterior insula contributing to conscious awareness and subjective feelings. The anterior cingulate cortex, brainstem nuclei such as the nucleus tractus solitarius, and autonomic pathways (including vagal afferents) relay and modulate interoceptive information.

Interoception comprises multiple facets, including interoceptive accuracy (the ability to perceive internal signals, often assessed with heartbeat tracking or discrimination tasks), interoceptive sensibility (self-reported tendency to notice internal states), and interoceptive awareness (the alignment of objective accuracy with subjective judgment). Common self-report measures include questionnaires like the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, while objective tasks assess physiological signal perception.

Clinically, interoception is linked to emotion processing and various mental health conditions. Heightened interoceptive sensitivity has been observed in some anxiety and panic disorders, whereas reduced interoceptive accuracy or awareness has been reported in alexithymia, autism spectrum disorders, and certain eating disorders. However, findings are mixed, and interoception is recognized as a heterogeneous construct with context-dependent effects.

Research and practice explore ways to modulate interoception, including mindfulness and interoceptive training, focusing on improving emotional regulation and self-awareness. Ongoing work seeks to clarify its neural mechanisms, measurement, and implications for health and therapy.