Vibratory Stimuli to the Thoracoabdominal Region Elicit Stronger Fear Responses than Those to the Fingers

Abstract

Mechanical vibratory stimuli applied to the thoracoabdominal region enhance emotional experiences while watching movies. We hypothesized that these vibrations to the thoracoabdominal region stimulate the vagus nerves, which are distributed in the upper body organs, causing interoceptive sensations that influence emotions. To investigate this hypothesis, we compared the effects of vibratory stimuli on fear between the thoracoabdominal region and fingers, which have the highest tactile sensitivity in the body, while watching horror movies. The results showed that vibratory stimuli to the thoracoabdominal evoked greater subjective evaluations than those to the fingers and conditions without vibratory stimuli. Further, greater skin conductance responses were caused by the stimulation to the thoracoabdominal region than the no vibratory condition. These findings suggest that mechanical vibratory stimuli to the vagus nerve play a crucial role in shaping emotional experiences.