How the body and brain process time

Abstract

Recent evidence from two independent meta-analyses reveals that subjective time is processed in the insular cortex alongside the supplementary motor area (SMA). The insula is suggested to function as the primary sensory interoceptive cortex which receives and processes signals from bodily organs and tissues. In this review, we highlight growing evidence from functional neuroimaging, electrophysiological and psychophysiological studies, as well as from neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric research, which indicate that subjective time judgments are rooted in both bodily and emotional aspects of the self. Highlighting the still underrepresented role of the insula in time perception, we propose that the perception of time passage and the judgment of duration rely on brain regions that support the interaction between the body and the external environment (SMA), as well as the processing of internal signals originating from the body (insula).