TITLE:
Embodied Narrativity: From Etiological Movements to Intentional Actions
AUTHORS:
Hugo Mari, José Carlos Cavalheiro, Milton do Nascimento
KEYWORDS:
Narrativity, Self, Etiological Movements, Intentional Actions, Mental States, Cortical Activity
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.17 No.11,
November
9,
2026
ABSTRACT: This article addresses the relationship between etiological movements and intentional actions that shape the primordial narratives constituting our self-in-process, a self that takes form through bodily narratives that define our “body-in-the-world” (our “lived body”) within the configuration of our Umwelt (“lifeworld”). Our study, especially as regards processes that require further refinement, illustrates that bodily narratives are crucial for the formation of the self’s identity and social visibility, as these enable the exchange of experiences and desires among agents. Drawing on the formulations produced by Edelman and Gallese, we highlight that such narratives are most effectively grounded in and justified by brain states and mental states—specifically beliefs and desires—which drive the meaning-making processes necessary to maintain the organism’s homeostasis within its environment.