Gut Feelings and Racing Hearts

Catalog description

Why does your stomach twist before a big exam? How can a racing heart make you feel anxious—or how can anxiety make your heart race? This seminar investigates the brain- body communication that gives rise to “gut feelings”, focusing on interoception (perception of internal bodily state) and autonomic control (regulation of those states). We will explore how the nervous system senses, integrates, and regulates signals from the body, how bodily states influence the mind, and what happens when this communication goes awry. We will also explore how to hack interoception to improve mental and physical health. Class sessions will center on lectures and discussions of primary and current research. Students will be required to orally present journal articles and participate in discussions.