Bodily sensations and the varieties of spatial bodily awareness

Abstract

This paper addresses the question of whether awareness of the spatial properties of our body is achieved through bodily sensations. We begin by analyzing our current understanding of the spatial dimension of bodily sensations. The notion of non-observational knowledge is introduced as the main objection to the idea that bodily sensations are the means by which we are aware of any spatial property of our body. We discuss two important philosophical criticisms of such a notion, as well as a series of empirical findings that could be interpreted as objections. We finish by considering an alternative explanation of our awareness of the spatial properties of our body.