Heartfelt Self: Cardio-Visual Integration Affects Self-Face Recognition and Interoceptive Cortical Processing
Open accessAbstract
The sense of body-ownership relies on the representation of both interoceptive and exteroceptive signals coming from one's body. However, it remains unknown how the integration of bodily signals coming from "outside" and "inside" the body is instantiated in the brain. Here, we used a modified version of the Enfacement Illusion to investigate whether the integration of visual and cardiac information can alter self-face recognition (Experiment 1) and neural responses to heartbeats (Experiment 2). We projected a pulsing shade, that was synchronous or asynchronous with the participant's heartbeat, onto a picture depicting the participant's face morphed with the face of an unfamiliar other. Results revealed that synchronous (vs. asynchronous) cardio-visual stimulation led to increased self-identification with the other's face (Experiment 1), while during stimulation, synchronicity modulated the amplitude of the Heartbeat Evoked Potential, an electrophysiological index of cortical interoceptive processing (Experiment 2). Importantly, the magnitude of the illusion-related effects was dependent on, and increased linearly, with the participants' Interoceptive Accuracy. These results provide the first direct neural evidence for the integration of interoceptive and exteroceptive signals in bodily self-awareness.
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HERs reflect self-relatedness during mind-wandering, the strength of body ownership during bodily illusions and self-other distinction in mental imagery, and contribute to the stability of decisions based on subjective preferences.
“HERs do reflect self-relatedness during mind-wandering 84,85 , the strength of body ownership during bodily illusions 44,86 and self-other distinction in mental imagery 87 , and contribute to the stability of decisions based on subjective preferences 83 .”
From Interoceptive rhythms in the brain (2023) · cites this paper as [44]
The Results (section 542, lines 447–450) report that synchronous cardio-visual stimulation changed both subjective enfacement reports and heartbeat-evoked potential (HEP) amplitude. But the same section (lines 440–443) says HEP changes did not predict subjective enfacement reports, so this paper does not establish that heartbeat-evoked responses reflect the strength of ownership during the illusion. The other parts of the citing sentence are attached to different citations and are not assessed here. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSuch illusions arise from congruent or incongruent visuo-tactile stimulation but are also further modulated by the visual illumination of the virtual body in synchrony with heartbeats or respiration.
“Such illusions arise from congruent or incongruent visuo-tactile stimulation 216 but are also further modulated by the visual illumination of the virtual body in synchrony with heartbeats 43-45 or respiration 149,150 .”
From Interoceptive rhythms in the brain (2023) · cites this paper as [44]
The Abstract and methods passage (section 40) describe heartbeat-synchronized changes in the illumination of a pictured face and upper torso, and the Abstract reports an effect on the enfacement illusion. The paper also reports earlier findings involving a virtual hand, but its own experiment did not illuminate a virtual body; that specificity is not supported for this study. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSense of body ownership in bodily illusions is enhanced when the virtual hand, face or body is illuminated synchronously with the participant's own heartbeats.
“The sense of body ownership in bodily illusions is enhanced when the virtual hand 43 , face 44 or body 45 is illuminated synchronously with the participant's own heartbeats,”
From Interoceptive rhythms in the brain (2023) · cites this paper as [44]
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- Authors
- Sel, A., Azevedo, R. T., & Tsakiris, M.
- Affiliations
- Royal Holloway University of London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Sel, Alejandra
- Venue
- Cerebral Cortex
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2016-10-06
- Volume
- 27
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 5144-5155
- ISSN
- 1047-3211 (ISSN-L)
- 1460-2199
- OpenAlex
- W2528691282
- Cited by
- 111
- References
- 18
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 5.30
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- doi.org
- Locations
- Cerebral Cortex (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Open Access at Essex (University of Essex) (acceptedVersion)
- Kent Academic Repository (University of Kent) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Human-Computer Interaction › Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Keywords
- body ownership, self-face recognition, interoception, enfacement illusion, heartbeat-evoked potentials, interoceptive accuracy, body awareness, multisensory integration
- MeSH terms
- Facial Recognition, Analysis of Variance, Body Image, Brain, Electrocardiography, Electroencephalography, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Male, Optical Illusions, Photic Stimulation, Psychophysics, Surveys and Questionnaires, Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted, Recognition, Psychology, Young Adult
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