How well a person reads their own body signals may shape their consciousness and sense of time, according to new research published in Frontiers in Psychology.
The study, led by Olga Klamut from the Department of Psychiatry at Charles University in Czechia, found that people who are more aware of internal bodily cues tend to have a healthier relationship with time. That balance, in turn, connects to better sleep and digestion.
The findings point to a feedback loop between the body and the mind. Interoception, the ability to notice internal signals such as heartbeat, breathing, and digestion, does not work in isolation. It appears to interact with how people mentally orient themselves toward the past, present, and future.
Surveying how bodily awareness shapes temporal thinking
Klamut and colleagues surveyed 152 adults using two established psychological tools. One measured interoceptive awareness across dimensions, including self-regulation, attention, and bodily trust.
The other assessed time perspective and captured whether someone dwells on a painful past, feels helpless in the present, or leans toward future planning. Participants also self-rated their sleep and digestion quality.
Researchers found that people with stronger body awareness were more likely to show a balanced time perspective. Those who scored high on self-regulation and trust in their bodily sensations were less likely to be stuck in negative views of the past. They also reported better sleep.
The connection between body awareness and sleep did not appear to be direct alone. Time perspective played a mediating role.
New research shows body signals help shape consciousness and a person’s sense of time, revealing a feedback loop between bodily awareness and somatic well-being. pic.twitter.com/MrH4rcOttB
— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) April 6, 2026
People who were better at regulating attention toward their bodies tended to have more balanced temporal thinking, and that balance predicted better sleep quality. For digestion, a similar pattern emerged through reduced past-negative thinking.
Body signals ground consciousness in the flow of time
Klamut explained that interoceptive awareness seems to influence conscious self-regulation not only through automatic body processes, but also through how people think about time.
The body anchors a person in the present moment, while time perspective places that experience within a broader mental story of past and future.
Researchers noted that the anterior insula, a brain region involved in processing internal body signals, also plays a role in subjective time perception. This shared neural basis may partly explain why body awareness and temporal thinking are so closely linked.
Self-reported data limits how far findings can reach
The study relied on self-reported data from a predominantly female, non-clinical sample, which limits how broadly the findings can be applied. Researchers also caution that the cross-sectional design does not establish cause and effect.
Future work using brain imaging, heart rate monitoring, and longer-term follow-up could help confirm the mechanisms behind these associations.
Researchers suggest that interventions like mindfulness training and time perspective therapy could strengthen both body awareness and temporal balance, potentially improving sleep and overall well-being.
