The article discusses the concept of interoceptive predictions in the brain, proposing a model called Embodied Predictive Interoception Coding (EPIC) that integrates anatomical models of corticocortical connections with Bayesian active inference principles. The EPIC model suggests that agranular visceromotor cortices contribute to interoception by issuing interoceptive predictions, which are then used to anticipate bodily states. The brain functions as an active inference generator, forming neural representations based on past experiences to create beliefs about the causes of sensory inputs. This process involves minimizing the difference between predicted and actual sensory input, which is achieved through three mechanisms: modifying predictions, altering body movements, or adjusting sensory attention. The article also explores how disruptions in interoceptive predictions could contribute to mental and physical illnesses. The EPIC model is based on the idea that the brain's interoceptive system includes agranular visceromotor cortices that send predictions to the body and transmit interoceptive predictions about the consequences of these predictions. These predictions are then processed in the supragranular layers of the insular cortex, where they initiate patterns of activity representing expected interoceptive sensations. The model also discusses how prediction errors are processed in agranular cortices, which are less sensitive to these errors than more granular cortices. This insensitivity may explain why interoceptive perception is largely a construction of beliefs based on past experiences rather than the actual state of the body. The article further explores the implications of the EPIC model for mental and physical illnesses, suggesting that aberrant interoceptive predictions may lead to chronic physical burdens and various mental and physical disorders, including depression. It also discusses the role of the interoceptive system in coordinating brain networks and how dysregulation within this system may contribute to physical illnesses. The model highlights the importance of understanding interoceptive predictions in the context of both normal physiological functions and pathological conditions, offering new insights into the neural basis of perception, cognition, and emotion. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for further research to validate the EPIC model and its implications for understanding and treating mental and physical illnesses.The article discusses the concept of interoceptive predictions in the brain, proposing a model called Embodied Predictive Interoception Coding (EPIC) that integrates anatomical models of corticocortical connections with Bayesian active inference principles. The EPIC model suggests that agranular visceromotor cortices contribute to interoception by issuing interoceptive predictions, which are then used to anticipate bodily states. The brain functions as an active inference generator, forming neural representations based on past experiences to create beliefs about the causes of sensory inputs. This process involves minimizing the difference between predicted and actual sensory input, which is achieved through three mechanisms: modifying predictions, altering body movements, or adjusting sensory attention. The article also explores how disruptions in interoceptive predictions could contribute to mental and physical illnesses. The EPIC model is based on the idea that the brain's interoceptive system includes agranular visceromotor cortices that send predictions to the body and transmit interoceptive predictions about the consequences of these predictions. These predictions are then processed in the supragranular layers of the insular cortex, where they initiate patterns of activity representing expected interoceptive sensations. The model also discusses how prediction errors are processed in agranular cortices, which are less sensitive to these errors than more granular cortices. This insensitivity may explain why interoceptive perception is largely a construction of beliefs based on past experiences rather than the actual state of the body. The article further explores the implications of the EPIC model for mental and physical illnesses, suggesting that aberrant interoceptive predictions may lead to chronic physical burdens and various mental and physical disorders, including depression. It also discusses the role of the interoceptive system in coordinating brain networks and how dysregulation within this system may contribute to physical illnesses. The model highlights the importance of understanding interoceptive predictions in the context of both normal physiological functions and pathological conditions, offering new insights into the neural basis of perception, cognition, and emotion. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for further research to validate the EPIC model and its implications for understanding and treating mental and physical illnesses.