Sensory information does not only come from outside the body. We also need sensory information about the state of our body. We need to know if we are feeling dizzy or sick to our stomachs, or if our heart is beating fast. This tells us important information about our health but also tells us about our emotions. Part of the way that we know what we are feeling is through sensory information about our internal bodily states. In fact, there are neurons throughout the gastro-intestinal system—so many that it is sometimes called our second brain. The brain stem, somatosensory strip and insula (a cortical area on the inside of the cortex) are involved with processing sensory information from inside our body.