WHAT IS EXTEROCEPTION – PROPRIOCEPTION – INTEROCEPTION – NOCICEPTION

These are all senses and information that is provided to the brain relative to feeling. They inform our brain and our brain responds with its primary directive in mind, survival of the individual.

Much of this happens behind the scenes, we can often be quite oblivious to the feedback from these sources. Some of us are simply more tuned in to our inner state, and with practice we can certainly improve our self-awareness, but we are all quite different. However the basic programming of our brain for survival is the same.

So sometimes understanding where our bodies’ responses come from, or why they are occurring, can greatly decrease our fear of what is happening to us when we do become aware of changes.

Exteroception is the feedback from external stimuli, from the 5 senses, touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. It informs our brains of our external environment so we are stimulated and can adapt appropriately.

Proprioception is the information from your joint mechanoreceptors relative to your body’s position in space – position, movement and force. It’s how we know we have lifted an arm without seeing it move, for example.

Interoception is the sense of the internal state of your body, for example being hungry, temperature, also emotional states like anxiety. It can go deeper than this, and is generally the answer to the question: “how do I feel?”

Nociception is the body’s alarm system, signals that are sent when the body detects a threat. Pain is the feeling that your brain interprets from these signals.

These are our extra special senses. All of our senses, how we experience the world around us, are processed in the 12 pairs of cranial nerves. And this is where so many things get confused or stuck.

Ah Cranial Nerves!!!! So Cranial nerves are the input, and what happens from the neck down is the output, but that’s a story all of its own.