TiCS article: an integrated neural system for self-consciousness.

February 27, 2019

Hyeong-dong Park and Olaf Blanke just published a new article proposing how a torso-centered neural system, integrating exteroceptive and interoceptive bodily signals, accounts for fundamental aspects of self-consciousness such asself-identification, self-location, as well as global unity and temporal continuity.

Abstract

Although recent studies on self-consciousness emphasized the importance of bodily processing and multisensory integration, such research has focused solely on bodily signals originating from outside of the body (i.e., exteroceptive bodily signals) or internal bodily signals from visceral organs (i.e., interoceptive bodily signals) and how each system contributes to self-consciousness, without much interaction between both approaches. Reviewing latest evidence on interoceptive bodily processing and the combination of exteroceptive and interoceptive bodily signals for self-consciousness, we propose an integrated neural system reconciling these two largely separated views and delineate how it accounts for fundamental aspects of self-consciousness such as self-identification and self-location, as well as itsexperienced global unity and temporal continuity.