Body Sensations

The monograph aims to present the recent scientific knowledge on body sensations, i.e., conscious experiences that are localized or felt in the body from an internal perspective, regardless of their sensory origin. It summarizes the basic philosophical, evolutionary, neuroanatomical, psychological, and pathological aspects of the topic. Moreover, related phenomena, such as emotions, the placebo and nocebo effect, complementary and alternative medicine, and mind-body practices are discussed from the perspective of body sensations.

Auteur

Ferenc Köteles is professor of psychology and the head of the Ádám György Psychophysiology Lab at the Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.He is primarily interested in the complex relationship between physiological and psychological processes. His research focuses on the placebo and nocebo phenomenon, various aspects of interoception, and the effects of mind-body interventions.

Contenu

Foreword.............................................................................................................................................. 5

Preface.................................................................................................................................................. 6

Introduction.......................................................................................................................................... 9

The importance of body sensations............................................................................................ 9

A brief history of the scientific research on interoception........................................................ 10

Predictive processing................................................................................................................ 21

Structure of the book................................................................................................................ 25

Chapter 1. How did it start? An evolutionary approach to consciousness......................................... 27

The end of the paradise and its consequences.......................................................................... 27

The roots of subjectivity........................................................................................................... 31

Higher consciousness................................................................................................................ 35

Summary................................................................................................................................... 38

Take-home messages................................................................................................................ 38

Chapter 2. From the body to the brain: The biological background.................................................. 40

Homeostatic (afferent interoceptive) pathways........................................................................ 42

Somatosensory pathways.......................................................................................................... 48

Integration................................................................................................................................. 51

Affective aspects....................................................................................................................... 53

The origins of the self............................................................................................................... 56

A final word on body sensations............................................................................................... 61

Summary................................................................................................................................... 62

Take-home messages................................................................................................................ 62

Chapter 3. What can we sense? Individual differences in interoceptive accuracy............................ 63

General methodological considerations.................................................................................... 63

Early conditioning studies........................................................................................................ 66

Visceral modalities 1 Heartbeat............................................................................................. 69

Visceral modalities 2 Blood pressure.................................................................................... 78

Visceral modalities 3 Respiratory modalities........................................................................ 79

Visceral modalities 4 Gastric modalities............................................................................... 81

Visceral modalities 5 Intestinal modalities............................................................................ 84

Visceral modalities 6 Urinary system.................................................................................... 86

Visceral modalities 7 Sexual excitement............................................................................... 87

Visceral modalities 8 Other modalities.................................................................................. 88 Further homeostatic moda...