What is Anterior insula?
The anterior insula is a cortical region that integrates bodily signals with emotional awareness, playing a central role in interoception (sensing internal body states), empathy, and subjective feeling states.
How it works
Craig (2009) proposed that the anterior insula generates conscious awareness of bodily states: heartbeat, gut feelings, temperature, pain, and the overall sense of how the body feels. This interoceptive awareness is the foundation of emotional experience (feelings are partly the brain’s interpretation of body states) and empathy (understanding others’ emotions by simulating their body states). The anterior insula also contributes to the sense of time and the awareness of the present moment.
Applied example
When a person says they have a ‘gut feeling’ that something is wrong, the anterior insula is literally processing signals from the gut and other visceral organs, creating a conscious feeling that integrates body-level information the person cannot consciously analyze.
Why it matters
The anterior insula is the bridge between body and mind, transforming raw physiological signals into the conscious feelings that guide intuitive decision-making and social understanding.
