Cross-cultural differences in somatic awareness and interoceptive accuracy: a review of the literature and directions for future research.
Christine Ma‐Kellams
Frontiers in Psychology December 3, 2014 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01379 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Culture Somatization Interoception Somatic awareness |
| Key findings | The review reports a paradox: non-Western cultures consistently exhibit heightened somatic focus and awareness across contexts, while also showing less interoceptive accuracy in laboratory studies. It discusses cultural schemas and epistemologies as proposed mechanisms and examines contemplative practices as possible interventions for bodily awareness, with consequences for somatization, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and anxiety disorders. |
Abstract
This review examines cross-cultural differences in interoception and the role of culturally bound epistemologies, historical traditions, and contemplative practices to assess four aspects of culture and interoception: (1) the extent to which members from Western and non-Western cultural groups exhibit differential levels of interoceptive accuracy and somatic awareness; (2) the mechanistic origins that can explain these cultural differences, (3) culturally bound behavioral practices that have been empirically shown to affect interoception, and (4) consequences for culturally bound psychopathologies. The following outlines the scope of the scientific review. Part 1 reviews studies on cultural variation in spontaneous somatic word use, linguistic expressions, traditional medical practices, and empirical laboratory studies to assess the evidence for cultural differences in somatic processes. Integration of these findings suggests a startling paradox: on the one hand, non-Western cultures consistently exhibit heightened somatic focus and awareness across a variety of contexts; on the other hand, non-Western cultures also exhibit less interoceptive accuracy in laboratory studies. Part 2 discusses the various mechanistic explanations that have been proposed to explain these cultural differences in somatic awareness and interoceptive accuracy, focusing on cultural schemas and epistemologies. Part 3 addresses the behavioral and contemplative practices that have been proposed as possible "interventions," or methods of cultivating bodily awareness and perceptual accuracy. Finally, Part 4 reviews the consequences of interoception for psychopathology, including somatization, body dysmorphia, eating disorders, and anxiety disorders.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
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- Applying the S-ART Framework to Yoga: Exploring the Self-Regulatory Action of Yoga Practice in Two Culturally Diverse Samples. Frontiers in Psychology 2021
- Cultural Differences in Interoceptive Accuracy: Comparison Between Japan and Europe1 Japanese psychological research August 30, 2023
- San trance dance: embodied experience and neurological mechanisms Religion, Brain & Behavior October 24, 2022
- Ontology of inner-body sensations in the focus of fundamental and applied research Семиотические исследования October 27, 2025
and 2 more in the library
Cites 6
- Interoception, contemplative practice, and health Frontiers in Psychology June 9, 2015
- Interoceptive awareness in experienced meditators Psychophysiology May 22, 2008
- Differential changes in self-reported aspects of interoceptive awareness through 3 months of contemplative training Frontiers in Psychology January 6, 2015
- Systematic review of the efficacy of meditation techniques as treatments for medical illness. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine October 2006
- Panic disorder in African-Americans: symptomatology and isolated sleep paralysis. Culture, medicine and psychiatry June 2002
and 1 more in the library