The body mirroring thought

The relationship between thought transitions and fluctuations in autonomic nervous activity mediated by interoception

Bibliographic Data

ID20410960
AuthorsMai Sakuragi (0000-0001-8553-9897, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, corresponding author), Kazushi Shinagawa (0000-0002-4900-397X, Keio University), Yuri Terasawa (0000-0002-2812-0544, Keio University), Satoshi Umeda (0000-0002-7808-0958, Keio University)
Year2024
Volume125
Pages103770
Publication date2024-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueConsciousness and Cognition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1053-8100 • E-ISSN: 1090-2376
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.concog.2024.103770
PMID39423474
OpenAlexW4403482460
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited69

This study examined the relationship between bodily response and thought transition. • We extracted thought states that integrated thought content and contemplation. • In those with accurate interoception, thought transitions vary with bodily responses. Our thought states change without intention. This study verified that the transition of thought states varies with fluctuations in autonomic nervous activity, and that this effect is modulated by interoceptive accuracy. The participants completed the heartbeat counting task (HCT) and vigilance task. We assessed the participants’ interoceptive accuracy based on their performance on the HCT. The vigilance task is a simple attention task, and during this task, we asked the participants to report the content and contemplation of their thoughts. Consequently, participants with accurate interoception were more likely to remain in a highly contemplative thought state when parasympathetic activity was suppressed. In contrast, the dominance of parasympathetic activity facilitated transitions to different thought states or experiences of less contemplative thought states in them. The results suggest that even subtle changes in bodily responses at rest can affect thought transitions in people with accurate interoception

Autonomic nervous system · Cognitive psychology · Interoception · Mirroring · Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes · Medicine · Mind wandering and attention · Neuroscience · Psychology · Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments · Social Psychology

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