Inner Sense

Discover your elusive “sixth sense”—your brain’s ability to perceive and interpret bodily sensations like hunger and thirst—and how to rewire your mind-body connection for optimal health.

Are you able to recognize your own heartbeat? What about thirst? In Inner Sense, science communicator Caroline Williams explains that some people are so insensitive to internal cues that they struggle to recognize basic needs like hunger or fatigue. While others only notice their body’s signals when they become overwhelming. This disconnect between the brain’s predictions and the body’s sensations can lead to mental and physical health challenges, from chronic fatigue, to anxiety, to eating disorders.

If this sounds like you—don’t worry. It’s not too late to tap into your interoceptive awareness. In this practical, science-backed book, you will learn …

- How to harness one of the most important functions of your body: its sixth sense, known to scientists as interoception.

- How the mind-body connection is a two-way street, with the brain and body in a constant flow of communication.

- How to perceive and interpret physical processes like heartbeat and breath.

- How to pick up on and respond to physical cues like hunger and thirst.

- How to identify emotions that express themselves physically such as panic or rage.

- How pain works in your body and in your brain.

- How internal sensations influence your thoughts and actions—and how to learn and harness interoceptive awareness.

Inner Sense delves into the fascinating field of interoception, speaking with doctors, scientists, and researchers about how our internal sensations influence our thoughts and actions—and how we can harness interoceptive awareness to improve health, relationships, and society as a whole. Williams explores cutting-edge interventions like mindfulness, biofeedback, targeted exercise, and even psychedelic therapy, which hold the potential to help us regulate emotions, reduce stress, and live better lives.

Caroline Williams is a highly regarded science journalist and podcaster and a regular contributor to the New Scientist and the Guardian. She is the author of Move, which was a New Scientist Book of the Year, and My Plastic Brain. She lives in the UK.