Allostasis

Used in Farb et al. (2015) to name the motivational endpoint of interoceptive regulation. Emotional valence attached to the simulation-map (aversive/negative valence signaling deviation from adaptive ranges) motivates allostasis — physiological or behavioral change to restore homeostatic ranges.

Mostly automatic

Much allostasis proceeds through autonomic self-regulatory physiology, occurring internally without conscious choice (e.g., pupil/blood-vessel dilation in response to luminance or emotional relevance) — a form of physiological active-inference that Farb et al. note begins even before birth.

Not the whole story

Not all motivated behavior is allostatic. Hedonic and pragmatic goals (sensation-seeking to distract from low mood, self-caffeinating against fatigue, riding roller-coasters, spicy food) can deliberately sacrifice physiological balance to achieve other ends. Interoceptive regulation is therefore framed more broadly than homeostatic demand alone — as any action reshaping the sensory signals constituting the interoceptive simulation.