Prof. Joseph Levine, M.D. is an emeritus associate professor in the Division of Psychiatry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben Gurion University in Israel. Prof. Levine is a certified psychiatrist with clinical experience in controlled trials of adult psychiatric disorders and in psychotherapy. He was awarded a NRSAD independent investigator grant for the study of Creatine Monohydrate in psychiatric disorders -- mainly Schizophrenia. He resides and treats patients in Tel Aviv and all of central Israel.
Conversation 65: Psychological sensitivity and the sensitivity channels
Greetings to our readers,
Psychological sensitivity refers to a person's heightened ability to perceive, experience, or respond to internal or external stimuli, especially those involving emotions, relationships, or social cues. This is a concept that can vary greatly between people and is influenced by personality, education, cultural factors and even biological predispositions.
Below are some dimensions of psychological sensitivity: [when we note that some of them demonstrate partial overlap].
Emotional sensitivity [sensitivity regarding emotional expression to an issue]: the ability to feel deep and intense emotions. It is possible to include in this also the ability to have a strong awareness of the emotional states of the person and others. This sensitivity is often associated with traits such as empathy and emotional intelligence.
Cognitive sensitivity: [see expansion below]. Increased awareness of nuances in information, such as language, tone or context, this includes sensitivity to criticism, feedback or ambiguous situations. This may correlate with reflective thinking or a tendency to overanalyze.
Interpersonal sensitivity: acute perception of social cues and non-verbal communication, such as body language or tone of voice. Often associated with a strong desire to maintain harmony and prevent conflict. can make people adept at navigating complex social dynamics, but can lead to vulnerability in challenging interactions.
Physiological sensitivity: the interrelationship between psychological states and physical sensations, such as a physical sensation affected by mental stress. This may include heightened sensory processing, such as being easily overwhelmed by bright lights, loud noises, or chaotic environments.
Cultural and contextual sensitivity: Awareness of how cultural or social norms shape interactions and emotional responses. Sensitivity to cultural differences or social injustices.
Illustration about increased sensitivity with the help of AI
Positive and challenging aspects:
Positive aspects: Psychological sensitivity can help foster deep connections, creativity and empathy. It is often useful for roles that require understanding and responding to the needs of others, such as counseling, teaching, or caregiving.
Challenging aspects: High sensitivity can also lead to stress, anxiety or burnout if not managed, especially in demanding environments.
Such sensitivities are measured or identified by:
Self-reports: questionnaires or personal assessments, such as the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) scale.
Clinical Observations: Insights gathered during therapy or psychological evaluations.
Neurological studies: the study of biological aspects, such as regarding sensory processing or neural responses to stimuli.
In the model we are developing, we note that the primary self [see previous conversations] also includes the seven individual sensitivity channels: these are individual sensitivity channels (ISC) that reflect our individual reactivity in response to stressors (both external and internal).
So far we have identified seven channels of sensitivity:
A) Sensitivity regarding a person's status and location (status channel)
B] Sensitivity to changes in norms (norm channel)
C] Sensitivity in relation to emotional attachment to others (attachment channel)
D] Threat sensitivity (threat channel)
E] Sensitivity to routine changes (routine channel)
F] Sensitivity to a decrease in the subjective energy level and the ability to act derived from it ( energy channel)
G] Increased sensitivity to internal sensations, known as interoceptive sensitivity (interoseptive channel)
[Here it can be argued that the interoceptive sensitivity contains the subjective energy channel, but since we attach great importance to the energy channel both evolutionary [especially in cold-blooded animals, but also in mammals], and survival, we chose to include the energy channel in the list as well].
We assume that a person reacts to possible triggers in a unique and specific way for him. This tendency is apparently innate and is part of the primary self of man. The same trigger that may have a profound effect on one person may leave another person with almost no effect at all. This means that each person will show sensitivity (or lack thereof) to issues such as changes in status, norms, routines, threats, introspective feelings and energy resources in a specific way for him.
We call these personal sensitivities – sensitivity channels. For example, if a person is sensitive to changes in his status and such changes are imposed on him by the social environment, there will be a high probability of a negative mental reaction when his status is adversely affected and conversely there will be a high probability of a positive mental reaction if his social and class status increases.
This would be true for a person with a high affinity for status change, but note that there may be rare cases where the elevation of status actually affects a person negatively. In such cases, the reaction can be expected to be the opposite compared to the previous description.
The channels of sensitivity can be seen as induced by specific innate traits, which result in psychological and behavioral reactions that characterize a person's response to various internal and environmental triggers. However, there may also be a certain influence of the environment on the design of these sensitivity channels.
The sensitivity channels can be divided into channels related to certain attitudes (status, norms, routine) and certain emotions (attachment, threat, introspective feelings and subjective energy).
Hypotheses about the evolutionary development of sensitivity channels.
Life began on Earth at least 3.5 to 4 billion years ago, and has been evolving ever since. In the beginning, all living things on Earth were simple single-celled organisms.
The first multicellular organisms evolved, and after that, Earth's biodiversity greatly increased.
In a very simple and concise sentence, evolution is a change in the characteristics of living beings over time.
The idea of evolution has been around for hundreds of years. In fact, it may even be traced back to the Greek philosopher Aristotle. However, the development and deepening of the idea of evolution is mainly associated with Charles Darwin. Darwin published a book on evolution in 1859 called "The Origin of Species". In the book, Darwin presented the theory of evolution through natural selection. He also presented ample evidence that evolution occurs.
Below: the book "The Origin of Species" by Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin and his book "The Expressions of Emotions in Man and Animals"
We note that evolution involves two interrelated phenomena: adaptation and differentiation. In adaptation, over time, species change their phenotypes in ways that allow them to succeed in their environment. In differentiation, over time, the number of species increases; That is, a single species can give birth to two or more species of offspring.
The development of the sensitivity channels.
It can be assumed that from an evolutionary point of view the energy and threat channels developed first because they were critical to the survival of the species, so that even primitive species that are not relatively developed demonstrate the existence of these channels. The status channel, on the other hand, apparently developed in social animals where the role within the group was of some importance.
In warm-blooded species [such as mammals] that are more developed we can follow the development of the attachment channel, which apparently increases with a longer breeding time of the offspring of a particular species. The norm channel is associated with evolution in a behavioral approach that responds to group norms, an approach that characterizes fairly developed species, the same can be said about the routine channel.
By the way, an interesting article related to the communication and evolution of this channel in higher mammals is by Broad and his friends:
Broad KD, Curley JP, Keverne EB. Mother-infant bonding and the evolution of mammalian social relationships. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2006 Dec 29;361(1476):2199-214.
Summary:
A wide variety of maternal, social, and sexual bonding strategies have been described among mammalian species, including humans. Many of the neural and hormonal mechanisms underlying the formation and maintenance of these relationships demonstrate a considerable degree of evolutionary conservation across a representative range of these species. However, there is also a considerable degree of diversity in both the way these mechanisms are activated and the resulting behavioral responses.
In most small brain mammals (including rodents), establishing a maternal or mate preference relationship requires personal identification by scent cues, and the activation of neural mechanisms that deal with social reward by these cues with sex-specific hormonal preparation.
With the evolutionary upscaling of the neocortex observed in monkeys in general and great apes in particular, there has been a corresponding increase in the complexity of social relationships and bonding strategies, along with a significant redundancy in hormonal preparation for motivationally driven maternal, social, and sexual bonding behaviors.
Thus, the use of olfactory recognition and the olfactory inputs to the areas of the brain dealing with social reward are no longer regulated, but personal recognition is based on the integration of multimodal sensory cues that require an expanded neocortex, especially the associative cortex. This liberation from the olfactory and hormonal factors of connection was replaced by the increasing importance of social learning required by life in a complex social world, and especially for humans, a world dominated by cultural heritage.
For those of you who are interested, we will now ask, what are the hypotheses about the brain structures and networks related to the sensitivity channels?
A. Sensitivity to attachment
Sensitivity to attachment involves brain networks that process social connections, emotional regulation and empathy. This sensitivity contributes to the ability to create and deepen emotional connections, but may also involve challenges.
Default Mode Network (DMN):
Includes the middle prefrontal cortex (mPFC), posterior cingulate gyrus, and parts of the parietal cortex.
Active during self-reflective thinking and while understanding the mental states of others.
Helps process social cues, thoughts about relationships, and feelings of security or insecurity.
Includes the amygdala, the temporal-parietal junction (TPJ) and the superior temporal sulcus (STS).
Enables the identification of emotional cues, facial expressions and theory of mind, critical to building a safe attachment.
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the insula:
ACC processes emotional responses to social rejection or loss.
The insula reflects emotional states of others and fosters empathy and emotional connection.
Oxytocin and dopamine networks:
Improves brain reward response during positive social interactions.
Contribute to a feeling of closeness and connection through the release of oxytocin.
Prefrontal cortex (PFC):
Helps regulate emotions and impulses.
Maintains a balance between closeness and independence and manages healthy relationships.
Unique function and challenges:
• Unique function: people with this sensitivity can create deep and meaningful connections. They focus on their own and others' emotional needs, and show a high sensitivity to social dynamics.
• Challenges: this sensitivity may lead to increased distress in situations of perceived rejection or insecurity, and increase emotional dependence on others.
B. Sensitivity to threat
This sensitivity includes a strong tendency to detect threats and formulate quick responses for self-defense. It is important for survival, but can cause anxiety and stress.
The salience network:
Includes the amygdala, insula and ACC.
Identifies and prioritizes threatening stimuli, while processing emotional responses to threats.
The limbic system:
The amygdala activates the "fight or flight" response and increases alertness to potential threats.
Increased sensitivity here can lead to hypervigilance.
involved in reflecting on past or future threats.
can lead to increased anxiety following repeated thoughts about dangers.
Prefrontal cortex (PFC):
Responsible for regulating the threat response of the amygdala.
When regulation is reduced, emotional responses may be stronger and more prolonged.
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis:
Releases stress hormones in response to threats, such as cortisol.
Activated more easily in people sensitive to threat.
Retina Operating System (RAS):
Increases attention to potential threats, leading to increased vigilance.
Unique function and challenges:
Unique function: enables quick identification of threats, improving survivability, and making quick decisions in dangerous situations.
Challenges: may cause hyperarousal, chronic anxiety, and avoidance of situations that are not necessarily dangerous.
C. Sensitivity to the subjective energy level
Sensitivity to subjective energy level refers to a special attunement to feelings of vitality, fatigue, or one's internal physical energy level. This sensitivity relies on brain networks involved in introspection, self-awareness and emotional regulation. The main networks involved include:
Focuses on the anterior insula and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).
The insula monitors signals related to internal states such as energy level, heart rate and muscle tension.
The ACC integrates these sensations to create an increased awareness of the physical energy state and helps maintain homeostasis.
includes the middle prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the posterior cingulate gyrus (PCC).
Involved in introspection and reflective thinking about energy sensations.
In energy sensitive individuals, the grid increases awareness of energy changes through focused reflective processing.
Includes the insula and amygdala, which detect significant changes in energy levels.
The network helps in determining the importance of the change (for example, a sudden drop in energy) and in drawing attention to situations that require action, such as rest or recovery.
The limbic system:
The amygdala adds emotional weight to internal feelings of energy, for example, feelings of frustration or anxiety that accompany fatigue.
The PFC, and specifically the ventrolateral region (vlPFC), is responsible for regulating and interpreting bodily sensations.
The network helps analyze energy sensations and decide how to act accordingly, for example by seeking rest when tired or maintaining activity in high energy situations.
Reticular Activating System (RAS):
Controls arousal and attention, and affects the level of physiological alertness.
In people who are sensitive to energy levels, this system directs the focus to subtleties of internal sensations, contributing to increased awareness of energy fluctuations.
Unique function and challenges
In people who are particularly attentive to their subjective energy level, these networks enable accurate monitoring of internal sensations, which helps maintain physical and emotional balance. However, heightened sensitivity may lead to overfocusing on small changes in energy, which may affect mood and ability to function effectively.
This sensitivity can contribute to self-care and a healthy life balance, but also cause distress in situations of fatigue or a feeling of lack of energy. Tools such as mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral therapy or lifestyle changes may help people deal with these feelings optimally.
D. Increased sensitivity to inner feelings,
Known as interoceptive sensitivity, it involves different brain and body systems responsible for monitoring, processing and responding to signals from internal organs. This hypersensitivity plays a role in conditions such as hypochondria, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome and functional disorders in the digestive system, where there is increased awareness and response to internal physical states. Here is a hypothesis about the main networks involved:
The central nervous system (CNS).
The insular cortex (Anterior Insula): The insula is essential for introspection, and integrates information from the body to create a conscious experience of internal states, such as heart rate, breathing, and gut feelings. Increased activity in the anterior insula is associated with increased sensitivity to visceral sensations and can increase subjective sensations such as discomfort, pain or anxiety.
Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC): This area is involved in emotional and cognitive responses to internal sensations. It processes the unpleasantness of visceral feelings, especially when these are associated with pain or discomfort. Increased ACC activation can increase emotional responses to these physical sensations.
Amygdala: Often involved in emotional processing and fear responses, the amygdala associates physical sensations with emotions such as anxiety or fear. This can increase sensitivity to visceral feelings, especially under stress or perceived threat, contributing to a more intense emotional response to internal sensations.
Prefrontal cortex (PFC): The PFC is responsible for higher order cognitive processing, and regulates the emotional response to visceral sensations. Downregulation of the PFC is associated with increased awareness and distress in response to these sensations, as it cannot sufficiently reduce the emotional responses driven by other brain regions.
Thalamus: acts as a relay for sensory information, channels visceral sensations to relevant brain areas. A highly sensitive thalamus can increase interoceptive signals, increasing awareness and perception of bodily sensations.
The peripheral nervous system (PNS).
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS): The autonomic nervous system, especially the vagus nerve, plays a key role in transmitting signals from internal organs to the brain. Increased vagal sensitivity may lead to increased awareness of changes in heart rate, breathing or gut feelings. The sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) branches of the sympathetic nervous system influence the intensity of visceral sensations, especially under stress.
The Enteric Nervous System (ENS): The enteric nervous system, sometimes called the "second brain", controls the function of the digestive system and communicates directly with the central nervous system through the gut-brain axis. Dysregulation here can increase sensitivity to internal gut sensations, such as bloating, cramping and discomfort.
Endocrine systems and stress responses: The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis: This system regulates the body's stress response. Dysregulation can lead to interoceptive sensitivity, as chronic stress can desensitize the brain and body to internal signals. Increased cortisol (the stress hormone) affects visceral sensitivity and can increase awareness of physical discomfort, especially under stress.
Neurotransmitters: Neurochemicals such as serotonin and dopamine play vital roles in regulating mood and body sensation. For example, serotonin has a strong effect on gut-brain communication and can affect how visceral sensations are processed, with lower levels often leading to heightened sensitivity.
Immune system and inflammatory response, cytokine activity: Immune signaling molecules called cytokines can affect interoceptive sensitivity. Inflammation can activate visceral sensory pathways, leading the body to be more responsive to internal sensations. This phenomenon is common in inflammatory conditions, where immune responses can increase pain or discomfort felt in internal organs.
Sensory receptors (Nociceptors) and Visceroceptors: The sensory receptors Nociceptors and Visceroceptors in internal organs detect pain, stretching or changes in chemical environments (such as acidity in the intestines). When they are sensitive, they transmit stronger or more frequent signals to the brain, leading to increased perception of internal states.
Under conditions with heightened visceral sensitivity, these systems engage in a feedback loop in which increased interoceptive awareness feeds emotional responses such as anxiety, which in turn increases sensitivity even further. The areas of the brain involved in emotional and sensory processing can reinforce each other, creating a cycle of heightened awareness and discomfort. Psychological factors such as stress, anxiety or trauma can also exacerbate this loop by affecting autonomic and hormonal responses.
Effective management of increased visceral sensitivity often involves therapeutic approaches such as mindfulness, biofeedback, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and sometimes medications, which aim to balance the interactions between sensory perception, emotional response, and regulatory control in these brain and body systems.
E1. sensitivity to moral norms
This sensitivity inspires people to act according to social and moral values, and sometimes involves an increased sense of responsibility towards others.
Default Network (DMN):
Allows perspective taking, moral judgment and thinking about moral consequences.
The Empathy Network:
Processes the emotions of others, and enables identification of the effects of actions on them.
The Salience Network:
Recognizes significant moral situations and activates emotional responses accordingly.
The vmPFC considers moral considerations, and the dlPFC aids self-control.
The limbic system:
The amygdala and hippocampus preserve emotional memories that relate to morality.
Mirror neuron system:
Supports social learning and encourages the internalization of moral norms.
Unique function and challenges:
Unique function: contributes to ethical judgment, social responsibility, and a deep emotional understanding of the impact of actions on others.
Challenges: May lead to increased guilt, high self-criticism, and moral pressure in complex situations.
E2. sensitivity to social norms
This sensitivity focuses on the ability to identify, understand and respond to social norms and expectations.
The main networks involved:
Default Network (DMN):
Helps to understand how actions align with social norms.
The social brain network:
Processes social feedback, such as facial expressions and tone of voice.
The salience network:
Prioritizes significant social cues and directs attention to them.
Prefrontal cortex (PFC):
Enables self-regulation, suppressing impulses and adapting behavior to norms.
The Empathy Network:
Encourages emotional understanding of others and social coordination.
Provides positive social reinforcements related to normative behavior.
Unique function and challenges:
Unique function: enables compliance with social expectations, strengthening interpersonal relationships, and receiving social support.
Challenges: May lead to fear of deviation from the norm or increased dependence on social approval.
F. sensitivity to social status
This sensitivity includes attention to cues related to social hierarchies, reputation, and status.
The main networks involved:
Default Network (DMN):
Supports social comparisons and understanding status in relation to others.
Reward network:
Processes status-related rewards, such as praise and social recognition.
The salience network:
Detects changes in status and directs attention to social feedback.
Enables strategic planning to improve or maintain social status.
The limbic system:
Processes status-related threats, such as social rejection.
Mirror neuron system:
Supports learning social hierarchies and adopting patterns of action suitable for high status.
Unique function and challenges:
Unique function: contributes to improving social status, creating social influence and maintaining hierarchical relationships.
Challenges: May trigger increased fear of loss of status, dependence on social recognition, and internal conflicts.
G. Sensitivity to the existence of a routine
This sensitivity focuses on the human tendency to routine actions, tasks and a sense of order. It involves brain networks that help regulate feelings of stability, predicting and dealing with changes in routine.
Default Mode Network (DMN):
Includes the middle prefrontal cortex (mPFC), posterior cingulate gyrus (PCC), and parietal regions.
Active in times of self-reflection and future planning.
Involved in maintaining a sense of continuity and examining existing routines against future needs.
Salience Network:
Includes the insula and the ACC.
Identifies significant changes in routine and draws attention to them to encourage adaptation to new situations.
Assists in prioritizing actions essential to maintaining a routine or dealing with abnormalities in it.
The dlPFC (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) is involved in cognitive planning and control.
Allows adaptation of existing routines to new situations, while maintaining self-control and balance.
Reward network:
Includes the nucleus accumbens and VTA, the ventral tegmentum area.
Provides a sense of satisfaction following the existence or preservation of a familiar routine.
Rewards for feeling stability or predictability, and helps in creating habits.
The amygdala and the TPJ (temporal-parietal junction) enable the understanding of social influences on routines.
Involved in interactions between personal routine and social or family expectations.
Reticular Activating System (RAS):
Directs attention to routine actions, while maintaining an appropriate level of arousal.
Assists in automatic operation of daily routines.
Unique function and challenges:
Unique function:
Sensitivity to routine allows creating order and organization, strengthening a sense of control, reducing uncertainty, and streamlining daily tasks.
Provides emotional and cognitive stability in a changing environment.
Challenges:
May cause difficulty in dealing with changes or deviations from routine.
People with high sensitivity to routine may experience anxiety, discomfort, or a sense of loss of control when their routine is violated.
Conclusion:
The existence of a routine is linked to complex brain networks that encourage a sense of stability, predictability and organization. However, too much sensitivity to routine can lead to difficulty adapting to unexpected changes. An understanding of the brain mechanisms involved can contribute to the development of tools to maintain a balance between routine and mental flexibility.
All these types of sensitivity allow adaptation to social and physiological situations, but may pose a challenge when they appear in an increased degree. A thorough understanding of the brain networks involved can help develop tools for effective management and improving the quality of life.
So much for this time about psychological sensitivity and the sensitivity channels.
Yours,
Dr. Igor Salganik and Prof. Joseph Levine
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