The present study examined whether the intensity of bodily sensations during aversive film exposure predicted subsequent intrusive memories and whether interoceptive awareness moderated this relationship. Identifying early predictors of intrusive memories may help improve PTSD prevention and intervention. Using a prospective observational design, 103 participants completed the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, version 2 (MAIA 2; Mehling et al., 2018) before watching eight aversive film clips. After each clip, participants used InteroMap (Desmedt et al., 2025), a digital body-mapping tool that allows users to indicate the intensity and valence of bodily sensations on a two-dimensional human figure. 

Film-related intrusive memories were recorded for three consecutive days in a digital diary. Intrusion frequency and distress were analyzed. Higher bodily sensation intensity did not significantly predict intrusion frequency, but did predict greater intrusion-related distress. MAIA-2 Attention Regulation did not moderate the relationship between bodily sensation intensity and either intrusion outcome. Exploratory analyses of other MAIA-2 subscales and the total score also provided no robust evidence of moderation after correction for multiple testing. These findings suggest that peritraumatic bodily sensations may be more relevant to the emotional impact of later intrusions than to their occurrence. In a clinical context, the early assessment of bodily arousal may help identify individuals who are more likely to experience distressing intrusions, although the present design does not establish that modifying bodily awareness or attention would reduce later distress.