Abstract:

 

Visceral organs such as the heart and the stomach constantly send information up to the neocortex, thus potentially taking an active part in shaping brain dynamics. In addition, we develop and test hypothesis that the brain uses visceral inputs to create a subject-centered reference frame, from which the first person perspective inherent to conscious experience can develop. I will present recent evidence, gathered using MEG but also intracranial EEG, unit recordings, and fMRI, that visceral inputs contribute to shaping brain dynamics and play a role in subjective experience.