Interoception is your perception of the signals coming from within your own body. Your brain’s connect to everything in your body, and the communication is bi-directional. Being able to perceive the signals your body is sending you is an instinct you’re born with, and also a skill you can train through Meditation and mindfullness.
Better interoception is associated with lower levels of depression, lower Anxiety, better access to your Emotional Algorithms and the chance to recognize Emotional Decisions for what they are (note: this doesn’t mean “avoid them”), amongst other benefits (see: Day Trading Interoceptors). It makes intuitive sense that you understanding the signals your body is sending you would set you up for a better life.
People with poor interoception don’t have a good vocabulary for describing their inner state. They are “good”, or “bad”. They can’t go very far in describing how they feel. Those who have a better perception of and understanding of the signals coming from within can say they are feeling “energized” or “insecure”.
Improving Interroception
You can train your interroceptive abilities and actually make meaningful improvements.
Techniques:
- Meditation - particularly the kind with body scanning
- Naming your emotions, very descriptively
- Biofeedback training - guessing your heart rate, then checking
Interoception Test
There are a couple of ways, they both deal with your heart.
- Count your heartbeat, not using your hand.
- Estimate your heart rate, then check it.