The Sixth Sense Is More Than Just a Movie

You Should Know: You probably don’t think much about how your body keeps track of what’s going on inside, like your heartbeat or rate of breathing. But this inner awareness actually has a name: Interoception is how your brain keeps tabs on everything from blood flow to when your immune system needs to kick things into high gear. 

Going Deeper: Scientists are now taking a closer look at this hidden system. Nobel laureate Ardem Patapoutian and a team at Scripps Research and the Allen Institute just received a $14.2 million NIH grant to map it in detail. They want to understand how the brain communicates with the rest of the body and what happens when that connection breaks down, which may play a role in chronic pain or anxiety.

Takeaway: The more in tune you are with your interoception signals, the easier it becomes to catch what your body’s saying before things go off the rails. Slow, intentional breathing and mindfulness exercises are a great place to start strengthening this sense. 

Bottom Line: We might not feel this “sixth sense” directly, but it’s working all the time to keep us balanced, and scientists are finally giving it the attention it deserves.