Högskolan i Skövde

Interoception, the acknowledging, interpreting and integrating of internal bodily states, can be altered by the anticipation of threat, producing an interoceptive illusion, where perceived physiological arousal differs from actual bodily responses. This study aimed to replicate recent findings demonstrating such an illusion and examine whether its strength is associated with schizotypal traits and psychological general well-being. 35 healthy participants completed a heartbeat detection task while anticipating either painful or safe electrical stimulation, signaled by visual cues. Electrocardiography measured actual heart rate. As predicted, participants reported increased heartbeats under threat despite a slight physiological decrease, confirming the presence of an interoceptive illusion. Although no significant correlations were found between illusion strength and schizotypy or well-being, trends in the expected direction suggest potential links. Findings support predictive coding models of perception and highlight the role of top-down expectations in shaping interoceptive experience. Future research should explore these mechanisms in clinical populations and consider individual differences in prior experiences that might have influenced bodily perception.