Neuroception

Do you recall your body reacting in a specific way, such as tensing up, but you are not sure why? There is likely a reason. For example, awhile back, I was pushing a full grocery cart to my car through an underground parking lot. All of the sudden, my cart stopped abruptly because one of its wheels locked onto a magnet strip on the pavement. Ouch! I slammed into the cart and hit my shin on the bottom metal rim. About two weeks later, there I was, walking along the same path to my car, with a loaded up grocery cart. I had totally forgotten about my previous run in with the grocery cart. I was thinking about other things entirely (on ‘autopilot’). Interestingly, a moment before my cart hit that same magnet strip on the pavement, by body tensed up as I instinctively pulled the cart back without cognitive awareness of what I was doing! It took me a second to recall getting hurt two weeks prior. This story demonstrates neuroception at work! I am grateful for my subconscious nervous system protecting me from harm.

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