The Impact of Interoception on Memory

Abstract

Using interoception as a keyword, this chapter has summarized how changes in the internal physical state are encoded and how the processing of interoceptive information affects the memory of episodes and events. Interoceptive information processing is discussed frequently in the context of emotion in psychology. On the other hand, research studies and literature that have examined its relation to episodic memory are rare. However, changes in the internal physical state exist at the foundation of various concepts that have examined its relationship with memory. To understand the relationship more precisely, we focused on the following issues in this chapter: emotional arousal and bodily responses; effects of bodily responses on memory encoding; judgment related to memories and bodily response; and insular cortex and memory consolidation. Throughout the chapter, we presented the possibility that change in the physical state itself plays a role in latently supporting the encoding and recollection process.