We treat our bodies like taxis for our brains. We ignore them completely until the engine light comes on (pain or sickness).
But your body is talking to you all day long. That tightness in your chest? That’s anxiety. That heaviness in your gut? That’s dread. That warmth in your face? That’s shame.
This ability to feel the inside of your body is called Interoception. It is often called the “Eighth Sense.”
People with poor interoception struggle to regulate their emotions because they miss the early warning signs. They don’t realize they are getting angry until they are shouting. They don’t realize they are hungry until they are starving. Sensation Explorer helps you tune back into the frequency of your own biology.
The Science: The Insula
The part of the brain responsible for interoception is the Insula. In people with anxiety, depression, or eating disorders, the connection between the Insula and the conscious mind is often disrupted.
This tool uses Somatic Tracking. Instead of trying to “fix” the sensation (e.g., “I need this pain to go away”), you simply observe it with curiosity. Research shows that observing a sensation without judgment often reduces its intensity. It turns the volume down from a “scream” to a “conversation.”
The Game: Sensation Explorer
- The Scan: A visual avatar of a human body appears.
- The Search: The tool guides you to scan specific areas. “Focus on your left hand. Is it warm or cold? Is it heavy or light?”
- The Labeling: You don’t label emotions (“I’m anxious”). You label physics (“My chest feels tight,” “My stomach feels churning”).
- The Copyright: Sensation Explorer © PsychKit.org provides a visual interface for the classic “Body Scan” meditation, making it accessible for people who find closing their eyes difficult.
👉 Start Exploring: Sensation Explorer
Actionable Advice
- The “Weather Report”: Before you eat a meal or go into a meeting, do a 10-second weather report. What is the weather inside your body? Is it stormy? Foggy? Sunny?
- Hunger Cues: Practice asking your stomach, not your clock, if it is time to eat. Rate your hunger on a scale of 1-10 before every meal.
Safety & Disclaimer
- This tool is for somatic awareness.
- Trauma Warning: For survivors of physical or sexual trauma, the body can feel like an unsafe place. Tuning in might trigger flashbacks. If this happens, open your eyes and look around the room (external grounding) immediately. Go slow.