Interoception is a sense that helps many people experience sensations from the inside of their body. These sensations are different for everyone.Â
For example, interoception might enable someone to notice the condition of their stomach: is it growling or is it fluttery? Is it full or maybe nauseous? Or something else?
Or in another example, interoception might help someone to sense how their heart is feeling– is it pounding fast or beating slowly? Or maybe something else?Â
Interoception can help many people to feel other areas of the body, like the lungs, muscles, bladder, brain, bones, and even the whites of the eyes.
Noticing these body sensations (or body signals) can be important because they give information about the condition of the body and what our body might need in the moment. For some people, these body signals can also serve as the foundation of what emotion they are currently experiencing. Again, the meaning of the body signals noticed will be different for everyone. The following are a few examples,
- A empty, growling stomach could be a signal that a person is hungry.
- A dry feeling in the mouth or throat could be a sign that a person is thirsty.
- Loose muscles and a slowly beating heart might indicate a person is feeling relaxed.