Gut markers of bodily self-consciousness in men
A. Monti, G. Porciello, M. S. Panasiti, Salvatore Maria Aglioti
iScience September 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105061 (opens in new tab) via Semantic Scholar
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPatterns of stomach and bowel activity—measured by temperature, pressure, and pH—covary with specific facets of bodily self-consciousness, including feelings of body location, agency, and disembodiment. These results uncover the potential of minimally invasive probes to study the link between mental and gut states and show the significance of deep visceral organs in self-conscious perception.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Healthy men |
| Keywords | Medicine |
| Key finding | Specific patterns of stomach and bowel activity covary with specific facets of bodily self-consciousness. |
Abstract
Summary 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 combine an ingestible, minimally invasive capsule with surface electrogastrography to probe if gut physiology correlates with bodily self-consciousness in a sample of healthy men during a virtual bodily illusion. We discover that specific patterns of stomach and bowel activity (temperature, pressure, and pH) covary with specific facets of bodily self-consciousness (feelings of body location, agency, and disembodiment). These results uncover the hitherto untapped potential of minimally invasive probes to study the link between mental and gut states and show the significance of deep visceral organs in the self-conscious perception of ourselves as embodied beings.