Interoceptive Exposure

One of the really exciting areas of pain science research is interoception. Interoception is defined as the perception of sensations from inside the body and includes the perception of physical sensations related to internal organ function such as heart beat, respiration, satiety, as well as the autonomic nervous system activity related to emotions. 

We know that people with better interoceptive ability tend to suffer from less chronic pain, they tend to be more in touch with their own emotions as well as the emotions of others and, weirdly, they tend to have a better perception of time. In short, good interoception is associated with all sorts of markers for overall wellness. We have also seen in the research that improving interoception can make a big difference for people in pain. The pilot study cited in the video and pdf on this page are really excitng evidence in general, but expecially for me as my gig is mindfulness. 

The interoceptive task outlined in the materials could not be simpler. I suggest that you write the instructions somewhere that you can refer to them with ease such as in your phone’s notepad. You can do this task 10 to 30+ times a day! The big catch is that you MUST remain equanimous. In other words, don’t get sucked into THINKING about the pain. Just feel it according to the 4 criteria and move on. From my own experience and the experience of many of my clients, this task is transformative. Good luck!

Please note: There is a pdf below if you prefer to have your instructions in print.