📋 What to expect
What is interoception?
Interoception is the ability to perceive, interpret, and regulate internal body signals: heart rate, breathing, digestive sensations, pain, temperature, hunger, fatigue. It is the 'sixth sense' that connects us to our body from within. Recent research shows that interoception plays a central role in emotional regulation, decision-making, and overall wellbeing. Interoceptive differences are frequently observed in autism, ADHD, alexithymia, anxiety disorders, and trauma.
Interoception and neurodivergence
Many neurodivergent people (autistic, ADHD, alexithymic) report interoceptive difficulties: not feeling hunger or satiety, difficulty identifying whether pain is strong or mild, not noticing fatigue until complete exhaustion, or conversely, hypersensitivity to internal sensations. These differences impact emotional regulation (emotions being partly bodily perceptions) and health behaviours (eating, sleep, pain management).
About the MAIA
This test uses the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA), developed by Mehling et al. (2012) at the University of California San Francisco. The MAIA evaluates 8 dimensions of interoception: body sensation awareness, attentional regulation, emotional awareness, self-regulation, body listening, trusting body signals, non-distracting, and non-worrying. It is the reference instrument in body awareness research.