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Bridging interoception and time perspective: toward an embodied model of consciousness
Olga Klamut1, Simon Weissenberger2
1Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia.
Frontiers in Psychology
|April 20, 2026
Summary
Higher interoceptive awareness, the sense of internal body signals, is linked to better self-regulation. This connection is partly explained by how individuals perceive time, suggesting a mind-body link through temporal cognition.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Embodied Cognition
Background:
- Interoceptive awareness, sensing internal bodily signals, is crucial for consciousness and self-regulation.
- The cognitive mechanisms linking interoception to conscious experience are not fully understood.
- Time perspective, an individual's orientation towards past, present, and future, may be one such mechanism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between interoceptive awareness and somatic functioning.
- To explore the role of time perspective in mediating the link between interoception and self-regulation.
- To support a neurocognitive framework of embodied consciousness.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 152 adults completed validated measures of interoceptive awareness (MAIA) and time perspective (ZTPI).
- Participants also self-rated somatic experiences, including sleep quality and digestion.
- Statistical analyses were used to examine the associations between these variables.
Main Results:
- Higher interoceptive awareness correlated with more adaptive somatic functioning.
- A balanced time perspective partially mediated the relationship between interoceptive awareness and somatic functioning.
- These findings suggest interoception influences self-regulation via both autonomic and temporal cognitive processes.
Conclusions:
- Interoceptive awareness and temporal orientation interact to maintain psychological and physiological stability.
- This study provides evidence for a feedback loop grounding consciousness in the body and time.
- Findings suggest potential for mindfulness and time-oriented interventions to enhance embodied self-awareness.
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