Snapshot · Huberman Lab
Von Economo neurons in the posterior insula appear to be uniquely enriched in humans and integrate body awareness, pain, and motivational drives to help override discomfort.
Where this was said
At 6:18 · chapter starts 4:41
The episode takes its most surprising turn as Huberman describes the insular cortex and its two functional zones: the anterior insula, concerned with smell and approach/avoid responses to external stimuli, and the posterior insula, which tracks the body's internal landscape — organ pain, pleasure, temperature, discomfort. [1] — Andrew Huberman "Deep in the posterior insula sit von Economo neurons — large, rare cells apparently unique to humans that wire together body awareness, pai…" 04:30 Housed in the posterior insula are von Economo neurons, exceptionally large cells that Huberman argues 99.9% of neuroscientists have never heard of, and which appear to be uniquely enriched in humans. These neurons integrate body sensation, pain, and motivational context — crucially, they can assess whether pain is meaningful (a signal to stop) or purposeful (part of an intentional practice), and they connect to brain circuits that can dial down sympathetic activation and dial up parasympathetic calm. This is the neural substrate of 'relaxing into the stretch': the von Economo neurons can override the spindle reflex, allowing a practitioner to consciously deepen a stretch beyond what the reflex would normally permit. Huberman extends this to the monosynaptic stretch reflex — the automatic withdrawal from a sharp object underfoot — showing how upper motor neurons, the insula, and von Economo neurons together enable humans to override even hardwired reflexes when survival or strong motivation demands it. The chapter closes with a powerful evolutionary observation: this capacity for conscious overriding of reflexes may be one of the features of our neurobiology that most distinguishes us from other animals.
The insular cortex is divided into two functional zones: the front processes sensory information like smell, while the posterior insula tracks the internal body — pain, pleasure, organ sensation. It batches all of this into a simple yum/yuck signal that shapes our motivation to continue or withdraw from any physical experience, including stretching.
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