Embodied: The psychology of physical sensation

by Christopher Eccleston

Overview

We grow up thinking there are five senses, but we forget about the ten neglected senses of the body that both enable and limit our experience. Embodied explores the psychology of physical sensation in ten chapters: balance, movement, pressure (acting in gravity), breathing, fatigue, pain, itch, temperature, appetite, and expulsion (the senses of physical matter leaving the body). For each sense, two people are interviewed who live with extreme experiences of the sense being investigated; their stories bring to life how far physical sensations matter to us and how much they define what is possible in our life. How physical sensation shapes behavior and how behavior is shaped by sensation are examined. A final chapter presents a theory of what is common across the ten senses: of how we deal with being urged to act, and what happens when extreme sensation is inescapable.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780191043796
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	11/26/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	280
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Christopher Eccleston is Professor Psychology at the University of Bath in the UK where he directs the Centre for Pain Research.

Table of Contents

1. The ten neglected senses
2. Balance
3. Movement
4. Pressure
5. Breathing
6. Fatigue
7. Pain
8. Itch
9. Temperature
10. Appetite
11. Expulsion
12. Embodied and embedded

Editorial Reviews

"Psychology is deeply intertwined with our bodily existence, yet this fact is poorly acknowledged. Embodied describes ten bodily sensations that are hardly discussed in introductory psychology textbooks. Each chapter guides the reader through the fascinating world within the skin, integrating sound scientific knowledge about bodily sensation with everyday experiences and stories of when things go awry. The book is at once instructive and entertaining, and guarantees a fresh insight. It is a delightful read."

— Omer Van den Bergh, Professor of Psychology, University of Leuven

"An excellent, comprehensive, and thought-provoking investigation of the psychology of the human body. With real-life stories that illustrate the extremes of physical sensations, this is a must read for anyone interested in understanding the mindbody connection."

— Emily Law, Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine,
University of Washington School of Medicine & Seattle Children's Hospital

"I recommend this thought-provoking book to all."

— Dr. Susie Lord, Clinical Lead, Childrens Complex Pain Service, John Hunter Childrens Hospital, Australia; The Australian Pain Society

From the Publisher