Understanding Interoception: The Key to Brain-Body Communication

This chapter explores the significance of interoception, the awareness of internal bodily states, and its connection to the vagus nerve. It highlights how enhancing this self-awareness can promote better physical health, mental clarity, and emotional regulation.

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Episode notes

This episode I describe how the organs of the body influence the function and health of our brain and how our brain controls our bodily organs. The conscious awareness of this brain-body dialogue is called interoception. I describe how two factors- mechanical forces (e.g., pressure, pain, volume, etc.) and chemical factors (e.g., gut acidity, microbiome diversity, etc.) combine to influence our moods, control inflammation, immune system, recovery from injury and more. I explain how specific actions of our lungs, heart, spleen, and diaphragm, control our brain via the vagus nerve and other neural pathways. I describe 11 science-supported protocols for enhancing brain-body health and the logic behind them.

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.