interoceptive

[in-tuh-roh-sep-tiv]

adjective

Physiology.

1. pertaining to interoceptors, the stimuli acting upon them, or the nerve impulses initiated by them.

Word History and Origins

Origin of interoceptive¹

First recorded in 1905–10; interocept(or) + -ive

Example Sentences

Because interoceptive signals originate deep within the body and are often processed unconsciously, scientists often describe this system as our "hidden sixth sense."

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This area of the brainstem receives interoceptive input, or signals from the body about its internal state, like hunger, pain and fullness.

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Although the study used only subjective reports and didn't measure objective physiological changes in the body, the data suggest that art perception is an interoceptive process: it involves awareness of the body's internal state.

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Just as touch, taste, and smell help us encode sensory information about the outside world, our interoceptive senses alert us to what’s going on inside our bodies.

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Fundamental questions remain about how interoceptive experiences arise—and for whom.

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