Abstract
Bodily self-consciousness, the state of mind that allows humans to be aware of their own body, forms the backdrop for almost every human experience, yet its underpinnings remain elusive. Here we use an ingestible, minimally invasive capsule and surface electrogastrography to probe if gut physiology correlates with bodily self-consciousness during a virtual bodily illusion. We discover that specific patterns of stomach and large intestine activity (temperature, pressure, pH, and gastric peak frequency) covary with specific facets of bodily self-consciousness (feelings of body ownership, agency, location, and disembodiment). Furthermore, we show that the link between gastro-intestinal parameters and bodily self-consciousness is often moderated by individual levels of interoception. These results reveal a deep visceral pathway to the self-conscious perception of ourselves as embodied beings.
One sentence summary A pill measuring stomach and bowel activity reveals that being aware of one’s own body is also a gut feeling.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.