introspection
n.n. the act of looking at your own thoughts and feelings to understand yourself better. It is like looking inside your mind to see what you are really thinking.
n. the process of examining one's own thoughts and feelings. Often used in psychological contexts to describe a cognitive process of self-reflection.
He spent the evening in deep introspection.
The therapist encouraged the patient to engage in daily introspection to identify the root of his anxiety.
While some view introspection as a necessary tool for personal growth, others argue that it can lead to rumination and a distorted perception of reality.
From Latin intrōspectiō, noun of action (with -iō) from past-participle (intrōspectus) stem of intrōspiciō (“to look into, look at, examine, observe attentively”), from intro- (“inward”) + speciō, spiciō (“to look at”). By surface analysis, introspect + -ion.