Per·i·car·di·um /ˌperəˈkärdēəm/ nounANATOMY
The membrane enclosing the heart, consisting of an outer fibrous layer and an inner double layer of serous membrane.
Interoception:
N. The perception of sensations from inside the body. Includes the perception of physical sensations related to internal organ function such as heart beat, respiration, satiety, as well as the autonomic nervous system activity related to emotions.
V. To sense the internal state of the body. This can be both conscious and non-conscious.
Yesterday I witnessed my state of being, at a very deep level. It came to me unannounced and unavoidable, upon rising towards waking consciousness from some level between sleeping and waking. I was perhaps one hour into my float session.
It was a simple sensation, much like any other tactile sensation such as running one’s hand between freshly folded bed sheets, or holding a fish with both hands in the water before removing the hook from its lip. What made this sensation a total game changer over the past 18 hours or so was the origin of it. It came from my heart, more accurately where my heart and my pericardium meet. I sensed the (mostly) smooth interface between the two.. the sheer strength of my heart flexing, the swaddle-like support of my pericardium enveloping it and giving it context in my greater web of fascia and wholistic vitality.
Within seconds of perceiving this, a cascade of emotion emerged. Without my two sons I would have inadequate metaphor to describe this emotion. It was of the same quality of absolute love, the unyielding will to care for and protect, understanding without judgement, pure presence and compassion. There is a saying some parents use to describe their children, and after becoming a father I came to appreciate it: my sons are like my own hearts outside of my body. For what seems like the very first time in all of my conscious life, that feeling was for myself, for my own heart inside my body. I’m 38 years young and old, and I could simultaneously feel the primordial strength as well as some tendrils and restrictions affecting me at this level. Better late than never.
Years ago I attended a series of seminars on consciousness-based wholistic healing. One of these courses was specifically about the relationship between the heart and the pericardium. The state of this relationship was shown primarily in the heart’s position within the pericardium and the amount of restriction and/or ease with which the heart could beat within it. We were shown in clinical, metaphorical, and consciousness-based terms how the relationship between these two organs is central to health and longevity. I also remember clearly how it was presented that one’s relationships with the people in their life is the primary dynamic affecting the relationship between the pericardium and the heart. While the exploration of this internal relationship can take on a very technical complexion, it can also be explored intuitively. I think most of us can relate to anecdotes of conditions of the heart being intimately related to someone’s ability to express and experience love. Nuff said there I think.
Since that experience (more accurately I guess, that “inperience”) yesterday, I’ve been at times aware of my pericardium ~ heart. Mostly so far I am nervous about it. Mostly in a good way. It seems to me that nervousness is a major factor affecting the ability of my heart ~ pericardium to be at ease. And it is clear to me that putting my awareness right here, with compassion, is my medicine. Thanks to yesterday’s float I have one more level of awareness available.
I guess what I’m attempting to convey, is the beautiful power of consciousness. They say that admitting there’s a problem is the first step to healing, I think it’s fair to add that acknowledging the miracle of simply existing as a human is a wellspring of its own. I first heard the term interoception in the context of floatation therapy, and I experience float tanks to be immensely helpful in gaining interoception. It occurs naturally when outside forces and distractions are put on pause for long enough to abide in one’s internal state of being. And in a float tank it happens in an extremely comfortable and safe place.
If this perspective & information is helpful to you and yours then I am deeply satisfied in sharing. If you’d like to talk about it feel free to comment below. Thank you for taking the time to read and be present. Have a lovely day :)
Sources:
Being a somewhat new term, a web search of the definition of interoception does not come up cut and dried. I put together the definition of interoception at the start of this blog from two sources. The verb is taken from Wikipedia, and the noun is from this article from PubMed Central. The article is definitely worth a read if you’re interested in further information.
I’ll leave you with an excerpt from the article:
“There is empirical evidence of the connection between interoceptive awareness and regulation of emotion (Craig, 2015). Such research links a lack of interoceptive awareness with emotion disorders (Paulus and Stein, 2010; Khalsa and Lapidus, 2016); and has opened new avenues for working with difficult to treat or intractable emotional disorders, such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD).”