Abstract
Strigo and Craig connect interoception to homeostatic emotions and sympathovagal balance — body-state signals that steer feeling and regulation.
Strigo, I. A., & Craig, A. D. (2016). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 371(1708), 20160010. DOI
Key findings
- Homeostatic emotion — Feelings track allostatic error — what the body needs corrected.
- Interoceptive loop — Insular and related circuits integrate visceral signals into conscious state.
- Sympathovagal balance — Autonomic balance shapes distress tolerance and social state.
- Clinical edge — Chronic pain and anxiety show interoceptive distortion in this frame.
Limits
Review — bridges basic science and clinic; not one treatment protocol.
Application
When emotion feels purely mental — check body budget and autonomic balance first. See Inside Feedback.