In this eye‑opening installment of the Autonomic Homeostasis Activation Podcast, Tom Pals and Ruth Lorensson peel back the layers of a sense most of us never knew we had—interoception, the brain’s moment‑to‑moment read‑out of everything happening inside the body. Moving beyond Aristotle’s famous “five senses,” Tom explains why modern neuroscience recognizes at least 21 human senses and argues that interoception is the one that lets us feel all the others.
Together they explore:
- Pain as a homeostatic emotion – drawing on A.D. (Bud) Craig’s groundbreaking work to show how pain isn’t just a warning siren but a built‑in motivation to heal, rest, and restore balance.
- The sympathetic vs. parasympathetic nervous systems, and how our mind‑jerk reactions can flip pain from a helpful signal into runaway anxiety, anger, or depression.
- Real‑life stories—from Ruth’s post‑spine‑surgery recovery to lived battles with hypochondria—illustrating how re‑interpreting internal sensations can turn distress into a path toward wellness.
- Practical tips for “letting the brain inform the mind”: noticing bodily cues without judgment, shifting from threat mode to curiosity, and partnering with the body’s natural drive toward equilibrium.
Whether you’re a clinician, a bio‑hacker, or simply tired of being ruled by aches, twitches, and racing thoughts, this conversation will change how you feel about…well, how you feel. Tune in and discover how activating interoception can unlock true mind‑body‑spirit homeostasis.
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