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Yang H, Herbelin B, Ngo C, Vuarnesson L, Blanke O. Meditation in the third-person perspective modulates minimal self and heartbeat-evoked potentials. Neuroimage 2025; 314:121265. [PMID: 40368057 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2024] [Revised: 05/07/2025] [Accepted: 05/09/2025] [Indexed: 05/16/2025] Open
Abstract
Experienced meditation practitioners often report altered states of their sense of self, including decentering and distancing the self from the body and one's current concerns. Altered states of the sense of self, such as disembodiment and distancing of the self from the body, have also been induced experimentally using virtual reality (VR) and linked neurally to heartbeat-evoked potentials (HEPs). Whereas studies investigated the related neural correlates of such decentering during meditation, none experimentally modulated the sense of self during meditation practice using VR nor determined the potentially associated behavioral changes of the sense of self. Here we determined HEPs and behavioral measures in 23 participants who performed a guided meditation in VR, either from a third-person (3PP) or first-person perspective (1PP) to modulate the sense of self. In the 3PP-vs-1PP meditation condition, we report immediate effects including stronger sensations of detachment and disconnection, reduced salience of the perceived body boundary, and reduced self-identification with the body. HEP analysis revealed a more negative HEP amplitude in the 3PP condition, associated with activation of the posterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex. Leveraging a new VR-supported meditation platform and methods, these data link the sense of self in meditation practice to the neuroscience of the bodily self, based on short-term subjective, behavioral, and neural changes. The study provides a foundation for future research on whether manipulating the minimal self in VR can aid in cultivating self-transcendent experiences reported by experienced meditators and whether integrating this manipulation facilitates the cultivation of long-term changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Yang
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Neuro-X Institute and Brain-Mind Institute, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Herbelin
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Neuro-X Institute and Brain-Mind Institute, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Chuong Ngo
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Neuro-X Institute and Brain-Mind Institute, Geneva, Switzerland; All Here SA, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Loup Vuarnesson
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Neuro-X Institute and Brain-Mind Institute, Geneva, Switzerland; All Here SA, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Olaf Blanke
- Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Neuro-X Institute and Brain-Mind Institute, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Neurosurgery, Geneva University Hospital, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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Lamas-Morales P, Hijar-Aguinaga R, Garcia-Campayo J. Deconstructive meditations and psychotherapy: Transforming the perception of the self. World J Psychiatry 2025; 15:107505. [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v15.i6.107505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2025] [Revised: 04/08/2025] [Accepted: 05/16/2025] [Indexed: 05/29/2025] Open
Abstract
Selfishness, understood as excessive focus on the self, appears to be a predominant feature of contemporary culture. While the degree of self-focus is adaptive for survival and decision-making, self-rigidity has been associated with significant psychological, interpersonal, and social costs. Throughout history, philosophers, religious leaders, and social activists have promoted a “hypo-egoic” way of being, characterized by reduced self-fixation and greater openness to others. However, a key question arises: How can one cultivate a more flexible and interdependent perspective on the self? Deconstructive meditations are a group of contemplative practices that aim to dismantle self-rigidity by exploring perception, cognition, and emotion. Their central mechanism is self-inquiry, an experiential process that involves directly observing patterns of the self, questioning the solidity of identity, and developing new ways to relate to experience. From the perspective of contemplative neuroscience, these practices have been shown to reduce self-narrative identification and promote psychological flexibility. Despite their potential, empirical research on deconstructive meditations remains limited and requires further investigation. This article reviews the essential findings on practices, their connection to psychotherapy, and their potential therapeutic applications. Finally, their clinical implications are discussed along with future research directions to validate their impact on mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Javier Garcia-Campayo
- Department of Psychiatry, Miguel Servet Hospital, Aragon Institute for Health Research (IIS Aragón), Department of Medicine, Psychiatry and Dermatology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50009, Aragón, Spain
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Atad DA, Mediano PA, Rosas FE, Berkovich-Ohana A. Meditation and complexity: a review and synthesis of evidence. Neurosci Conscious 2025; 2025:niaf013. [PMID: 40438122 PMCID: PMC12118461 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niaf013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Revised: 02/19/2025] [Accepted: 04/14/2025] [Indexed: 06/01/2025] Open
Abstract
Recent years have seen growing interest in the use of metrics inspired by complexity science for the study of consciousness. Work in this field has shown remarkable results in discerning conscious from unconscious states, and in characterizing states of altered conscious experience following psychedelic intake as involving enhanced complexity. Here, we study the relationship between complexity and a different kind of altered state of consciousness: meditation. We provide a scoping review of the growing literature studying the complexity of neural activity in meditation, disentangling different families of measures, short-term (state) from long-term (trait) effects, and meditation styles. Beyond families of measures used, our review uncovers a convergence toward identifying higher complexity during the meditative state when compared to waking rest or mind-wandering and decreased baseline complexity as a trait following regular meditation practice. In doing so, this review contributes to guide current debates and provides a framework for understanding the complexity of neural activity in meditation, while suggesting practical guidelines for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Atad
- Edmond Safra Brain Research Center, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
- Faculty of Education, Department of Counseling and Human Development, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
| | - Pedro A.M Mediano
- Department of Computing, Imperial College London, 180 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, London SW7 2RH, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Site, Downing Place, London, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - Fernando E Rosas
- Sussex AI and Centre for Consciousness Science, Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton BN19RH, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Psychedelic Research, Department of Brain Science, Imperial College London, 180 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, London SW7 2RH, United Kingdom
- Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, University of Oxford, London, Oxford OX39BX, United Kingdom
- Centre for Complexity Science, Imperial College London, 180 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, London SW7 2RH, United Kingdom
| | - Aviva Berkovich-Ohana
- Edmond Safra Brain Research Center, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
- Faculty of Education, Department of Counseling and Human Development, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
- Faculty of Education, Department of Learning and Instructional Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
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Troncoso A, Zepeda A, Soto V, Riquelme E, Fuentealba S, Andreu C, Cebolla A, Martínez-Pernía D. From disconnection to compassion: a phenomenological exploration of embodied empathy in a face-to-face interaction. Front Psychol 2025; 16:1522701. [PMID: 40417031 PMCID: PMC12098353 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1522701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2025] [Indexed: 05/27/2025] Open
Abstract
Background Research has advanced in revealing psychological and brain mechanisms in empathy-compassion experience. However, much of this research has been constrained by using non-ecologically valid, non-interactive experimental paradigms, as well as a lack of in-depth investigation into participants' subjective experiences. Objective This study aims to bridge these gaps by examining subjective experiences within an interactive setting. Methods Forty-two participants engaged in a 90-s, face-to-face interaction with an actor simulating a person with (Alzheimer's) dementia. The actor's performance in the interaction followed a validated emotion-inducing narrative about his fear of forgetting their family memories. Subsequently, micro-phenomenological interviews explored participants' embodied experiences. Data underwent iterative inter-coder processing, and both qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted. Qualitative analysis focused on temporal dynamics and multilayered dimensions (bodily, affective, attentional, motivational, and relational), while quantitative analysis assessed Bayes's correlation between phenomenological dimensions and structures of experience, alongside exploratory correlations with empathy-compassion trait questionnaires. Results The participants initially connect with the actor's suffering in their own bodies, leading to an intensified sensation of anguish as the actor vividly describes the fear of forgetting his wife. After, four main experiential ways of navigating the anguish were identified: (1) Relational Disengagement, characterized by detachment from others' suffering, reduced anguish intensity, and a cold interaffective space; (2) Persistent Angst, characterized by ongoing distress; (3) Anguish Anchoring, characterized by a reactive willingness to alleviate suffering, intense bodily sensations, fluctuating presence, and a less warm, more distant interaffective space; and (4) Compassionate Balanced Support, characterized by a felt presence within a warm interaffective space, motivating balanced support for others. These graded experiences were positively correlated with the 'empathic concern' trait assessed by the Interpersonal Reactivity Index scale. Conclusion This study suggests a shift in empathy research by proposing moving from a traditional binary view (distress and compassion) to a nuanced framework identifying four distinct and holistic embodied experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Troncoso
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Antonia Zepeda
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Vicente Soto
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ellen Riquelme
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sissi Fuentealba
- Laboratorio de Cognición y Comportamiento Sensoriomotor, Departamento de Kinesiología, Universidad Metropolitana de las Ciencias de la Educación, Santiago, Chile
| | - Catherine Andreu
- Intangible Realities Laboratory, Centro Singular de Investigación en Tecnoloxías Intelixentes, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Ausiàs Cebolla
- Department of Personality, Evaluation, and Psychological Treatments, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
- CIBER of Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Martínez-Pernía
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
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David J, Berkovich-Ohana A, Dor-Ziderman Y. Embracing change: impermanence acceptance mediates differences in death processing between long-term ayahuasca users and non-users. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2025:10.1007/s00213-025-06792-0. [PMID: 40268786 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-025-06792-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2025] [Indexed: 04/25/2025]
Abstract
RATIONALE The human psyche's interaction with death fundamentally shapes cognition, emotions, and behavior in both individuals and society. Death-related psychological phenomena have been shown to be influenced by psychedelic interventions. However, the literature lacks a comprehensive assessment of death-related processes in non-clinical settings, the mechanisms underlying long-term changes, and particularly the effects of ayahuasca on these dimensions. OBJECTIVES This cross-sectional study investigates death processing, potential mechanisms of change, and their predictors in ayahuasca veterans (N = 54) compared to non-users (N = 53). METHODS A battery of questionnaires and behavioral assessments were used to evaluate different aspects of death processing in both ayahuasca veterans and non-users. These assessments measured death fear and anxiety, death-acceptance, death-avoidant behaviors, and the accessibility of death-related thoughts. Mediators tested included personality traits, beliefs about the afterlife, trait mindfulness, and the concept of impermanence. RESULTS The findings demonstrated lower levels of death anxiety, avoidant behavior, and fear of death, as well as greater death acceptance in ayahuasca veterans. Mediation analyses revealed that group differences were not due to demographics, personality, trait mindfulness, ontological beliefs, or impermanence awareness, but rather to impermanence acceptance. Finally, within the ayahuasca group, lifetime ego dissolution experiences predicted the degree of impermanence acceptance. CONCLUSIONS These findings reveal significant, multi-dimensional differences in death processing between ayahuasca and non-psychedelic users. Impermanence acceptance emerged as the key mechanism of change. Additionally, the results highlight the role of acute ayahuasca experiences in producing lasting effects. Future interventions may focus on promoting impermanence acceptance as a strategy for managing existential fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan David
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
- Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
- School of Therapy, Counseling, and Human Development, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Aviva Berkovich-Ohana
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- School of Therapy, Counseling, and Human Development, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yair Dor-Ziderman
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
- Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
- School of Therapy, Counseling, and Human Development, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
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Bauer CCC, Atad DA, Farb N, Brewer JA. From Confound to Clinical Tool: Mindfulness and the Observer Effect in Research and Therapy. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2025; 10:402-410. [PMID: 39894252 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2025.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2024] [Revised: 01/19/2025] [Accepted: 01/24/2025] [Indexed: 02/04/2025]
Abstract
The observer effect (OE), the idea that observing a phenomenon changes it, has important implications across scientific disciplines involving measurement and observation. While often viewed as a confounding variable to control for, this paper argues that the OE should be seriously accounted for, explored, and systematically leveraged in research and clinical settings. Specifically, mindfulness practices that cultivate present-moment, nonjudgmental awareness are proposed as a platform to account for, explore, and intentionally harness the OE. In research contexts, mindfulness training may allow participants to provide more precise self-reports by minimizing reactive biases that perturb the observed phenomena. Empirical evidence suggests that mindfulness enhances interoceptive awareness and reduces automatic judgment, potentially increasing measurement sensitivity, specificity, and validity. Clinically, psychotherapies often aim to make unconscious patterns explicitly observable to the client, capitalizing on the transformative potential of observation. Mindfulness directly cultivates this capacity for meta-awareness, allowing individuals to decenter from rigid cognitive-emotional patterns fueling psychopathology. Rather than avoiding unpleasant experiences such as cravings or anxiety, mindfulness guides individuals to simply observe these phenomena, reducing identification and reactivity. Mindfulness practices may leverage components of the OE, facilitating lasting psychological change. To further study the OE, developing an OE index to code observer influence is proposed. Overall, this paper highlights the ubiquity of the OE and advocates developing methods to intentionally account for and apply observer influences across research and therapeutic contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemens C C Bauer
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Center for Precision Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
| | - Daniel A Atad
- Department of Counseling and Human Development, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Edmond Safra Brain Research Center, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Norman Farb
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - Judson A Brewer
- School of Public Health and School of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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Lutz A, Abdoun O, Dor-Ziderman Y, Trautwein FM, Berkovich-Ohana A. An Overview of Neurophenomenological Approaches to Meditation and Their Relevance to Clinical Research. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2025; 10:411-424. [PMID: 39579982 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Revised: 10/10/2024] [Accepted: 11/14/2024] [Indexed: 11/25/2024]
Abstract
There is a renewed interest in taking phenomenology seriously in consciousness research, contemporary psychiatry, and neurocomputation. The neurophenomenology research program, pioneered by Varela, rigorously examines subjective experience using first-person methodologies, inspired by phenomenology and contemplative practices. This review explores recent advancements in neurophenomenological approaches, particularly their application to meditation practices and potential clinical research translations. First, we examine innovative multidimensional phenomenological assessment tools designed to capture subtle, dynamic shifts in experiential content and structures of consciousness during meditation. These experience sampling approaches enable shedding new light on the mechanisms and dynamic trajectories of meditation practice and retreat. Second, we highlight how empirical studies in neurophenomenology leverage the expertise of experienced meditators to deconstruct aversive and self-related processes, providing detailed first-person reports that guide researchers in identifying novel behavioral and neurodynamic markers associated with pain regulation, self-dissolution, and acceptance of mortality. Finally, we discuss a recent framework, deep computational neurophenomenology, that updates the theoretical ambitions of neurophenomenology to naturalize phenomenology. This framework uses the formalism of deep parametric active inference, where parametric depth refers to a property of generative models that can form beliefs about the parameters of their own modeling process. Collectively, these methodological innovations, centered around rigorous first-person investigation, highlight the potential of epistemologically beneficial mutual constraints among phenomenological, computational, and neurophysiological domains. This could contribute to an integrated understanding of the biological basis of mental illness, its treatment, and its tight connections to the lived experience of the patient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Lutz
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, EDUWELL, Bron, France; Monash Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Oussama Abdoun
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, EDUWELL, Bron, France
| | - Yair Dor-Ziderman
- Edmond Safra Brain Research Center, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Fynn-Mathis Trautwein
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Aviva Berkovich-Ohana
- Edmond Safra Brain Research Center, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; School of Therapy, Counseling and Human Development, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel; Department of Learning and Instructional Sciences, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
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Kaiser N, Avendano-Diaz JC. The ConNECT approach: toward a comprehensive understanding of meaningful interpersonal moments in psychotherapy and beyond. Front Hum Neurosci 2025; 19:1549203. [PMID: 40177164 PMCID: PMC11961974 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1549203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2025] [Indexed: 04/05/2025] Open
Abstract
Relational neuroscience struggles to capture the complex dynamics of shared interpersonal moments, leading to gaps in understanding whether and how interdependencies between interacting persons translate into something meaningful. Current neuroscientific research often focuses on motor synchronization and cognition rather than the implicit relational qualities central to psychotherapy. We argue that this disconnect stems from an over-reliance on simplified quantitative methods, a failure to centralize experiential factors, and the lack of Convergence research. Drawing on emerging frameworks such as 4E cognition (embodied, enacted, extended, and embedded) and MoBI (Mobile Brain/Body Imaging), we advocate for integrating subjective and experiential elements with neural data. We propose focusing on "qualities" in multi-brain neuroscience-moving beyond binary or linear scales-to better capture the subtleties of relational moments. Finally, we emphasize the importance of convergence research across disciplines to better understand what interpresence holds. If psychotherapeutic knowledge is used to guide neuroscientists in what to look for, this multi-disciplinary approach holds promise for advancing the study of psychotherapy's relational processes, offering new insights into the neurobiology of meaningful moments in therapy and elsewhere. We propose ConNECT (Convergence research including Neuroscience and Experiences, Capturing meaningful dynamics with Therapists' knowledge) as the path forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niclas Kaiser
- Department of Psychology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
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Dor-Ziderman Y, Schweitzer Y, Nave O, Trautwein FM, Fulder S, Lutz A, Goldstein A, Berkovich-Ohana A. Training the embodied self in its impermanence: meditators evidence neurophysiological markers of death acceptance. Neurosci Conscious 2025; 2025:niaf002. [PMID: 40041745 PMCID: PMC11879107 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niaf002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 12/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2025] [Indexed: 05/29/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human predictive capacity underlies its adaptive strength but also the potential for existential terror. Grounded in the predictive processing framework of brain function, we recently showed using a magnetoencephalogram visual mismatch-response (vMMR) paradigm that prediction-based self-specific neural mechanisms shield the self from existential threat-at the level of perception-by attributing death to the 'other' (nonself). Here we test the preregistered hypothesis that insight meditation grounded on mindful awareness is associated with a reduction in the brain's defensiveness toward mortality. In addition, we examine whether these neurophysiological markers of death-denial are associated with the phenomenology of meditative self-dissolution (embodied training in impermanence). METHODS Thirty-eight meditators pooled from a previous project investigating self-dissolution neurophenomenology underwent the vMMR task, as well as self-report measures of mental health, and afterlife beliefs. Results were associated with the previously-reported phenomenological dimensions of self-dissolution. RESULTS Meditators' brains responded to the coupling of death and self-stimuli in a manner indicating acceptance rather than denial, corresponding to increased self-reported well-being. Additionally, degree of death acceptance predicted positively valenced meditation-induced self-dissolution experiences, thus shedding light on possible mechanisms underlying wholesome vs. pathological disruptions to self-consciousness. CONCLUSIONS The findings provide empirical support for the hypothesis that the neural mechanisms underlying the human tendency to avoid death are not hard-wired but are amenable to mental training, one which is linked with meditating on the experience of the embodied self's impermanence. The results also highlight the importance of assessing and addressing mortality concerns when implementing psychopharmacological or contemplative interventions with the potential of inducing radical disruptions to self-consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yair Dor-Ziderman
- Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
- School of Therapy Counseling and Human Development, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
| | - Yoav Schweitzer
- Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
- School of Therapy Counseling and Human Development, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
| | - Ohad Nave
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190501, Israel
| | - Fynn-Mathis Trautwein
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau 79104, Germany
| | - Stephen Fulder
- The Israel Insight Society (Tovana), Kibbutz Ein-Dor 1933500, Israel
| | - Antoine Lutz
- Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, Eduwell, Bron F-69500, France
| | - Abraham Goldstein
- Department of Psychology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5920002, Israel
- Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5920002, Israel
| | - Aviva Berkovich-Ohana
- Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
- Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
- School of Therapy Counseling and Human Development, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3103301, Israel
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Schweitzer Y, Trautwein FM, Dor-Ziderman Y, Nave O, David J, Fulder S, Berkovich-Ohana A. Meditation-Induced Self-Boundary Flexibility and Prosociality: A MEG and Behavioral Measures Study. Brain Sci 2024; 14:1181. [PMID: 39766380 PMCID: PMC11674705 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14121181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2024] [Revised: 11/06/2024] [Accepted: 11/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the last decade, empirical studies on the beneficial effects of meditation on prosocial capacities have accumulated, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Buddhist sources state that liberating oneself from a fixed view of the self by gaining access to its transitory and malleable nature leads to increased compassion and other prosocial traits. These, however, have not yet been empirically tested. METHODS The current study aims at filling this gap by first examining whether 44 long term meditators differ from 53 controls in prosocial capacities on different levels of the socio-cognitive hierarchy, and second by examining whether these are associated with meditation-induced 'selfless' states, operationalized here as the sense of boundary (SB) flexibility. We capitalize on our previous work on the neurophenomenology of mindfulness-induced SB dissolution, which yielded a neural index of SB-flexibility, solely for the meditators, and examine its correlations with a battery of validated behavioral prosociality tasks. RESULTS Our findings reveal enhanced low-level prosocial processes in meditators, including enhanced emotion recognition and reduced outgroup bias. We show the stability of SB flexibility over a year, demonstrating consistent high beta deactivation. The neural index of SB flexibility negatively correlates with recognizing negative emotions, suggesting a link to reduced social threat perception. CONCLUSIONS These results connect the neural correlates of SB flexibility to prosociality, supported by stable high beta deactivations. We expect the results to raise awareness regarding the prosocial potential of flexing one's self-boundaries through meditation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoav Schweitzer
- Edmond Safra Brain Research Center, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (Y.S.); (Y.D.-Z.); (J.D.)
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- Department of Counseling and Human Development, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel;
- Department of Psychology and Social Work, Tel-Hai Academic College, Qiryat Shemona 1220800, Israel
| | - Fynn-Mathis Trautwein
- Edmond Safra Brain Research Center, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (Y.S.); (Y.D.-Z.); (J.D.)
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Yair Dor-Ziderman
- Edmond Safra Brain Research Center, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (Y.S.); (Y.D.-Z.); (J.D.)
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- Department of Counseling and Human Development, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel;
| | - Ohad Nave
- Department of Counseling and Human Development, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel;
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190501, Israel
| | - Jonathan David
- Edmond Safra Brain Research Center, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (Y.S.); (Y.D.-Z.); (J.D.)
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- Department of Counseling and Human Development, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel;
| | - Stephen Fulder
- The Israel Insight Society (Tovana), Kibbutz Ein-Dor, R.D. Izrael 1933500, Israel;
| | - Aviva Berkovich-Ohana
- Edmond Safra Brain Research Center, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel; (Y.S.); (Y.D.-Z.); (J.D.)
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- Department of Counseling and Human Development, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel;
- Department of Learning and Instructional Sciences, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
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11
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Gibson JE. Meditation and interoception: a conceptual framework for the narrative and experiential self. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1393969. [PMID: 39478794 PMCID: PMC11521916 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1393969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 09/09/2024] [Indexed: 11/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The concept of the self is complex and there is no consensus on what the self is. However, there are emerging patterns in the literature that point to two different selves, the narrative and experiential self. The narrative self refers to a conceptual or representational knowledge of the self that extends across time and manifests in self-reflection and personality assessments. The experiential self refers to first-person perception, moment-to-moment awareness, embodiment, and a sense of agency. These two selves are reliably linked to two distinct neural circuits, the default mode network (DMN) and the insula and salience network (SN). One of the consistent themes in the meditative and mindfulness literature is a change in the perspective of the self. In this paper, I will review how meditation alters those neural circuits providing a plausible mechanism that can explain the changes in the self. I also propose a rudimentary conceptual framework to account for some of the mixed results found throughout meditation literature.
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Carroll T. The Psychedelic Renaissance: A Catholic Perspective. LINACRE QUARTERLY 2024:00243639241274818. [PMID: 39544399 PMCID: PMC11559537 DOI: 10.1177/00243639241274818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2024]
Abstract
After being outlawed in 1970, psychedelics have reemerged in the consciousness of Western society in the form of the so-called psychedelic renaissance. This has led to widespread interest in psychedelic compounds being used for recreation, treatment of mental illness and addiction, and even the so-called "enhancement" of individuals and society. This renewed interest in psychedelics has resulted in seemingly endless publications in both the popular and the academic press, including authors from fields as diverse as philosophy, theology, pharmacology, neuroscience, and clinical medicine. A common thread in this developing literature is the claim that psychedelic compounds mediate their reported benefits by inducing the so-called psychedelic mystical experience (PME). The nature of PME is hotly debated, with some claiming that it is entirely psychological and others proposing that it involves contact with extramental reality. This raises a number of important questions for Catholics, especially whether PME should be considered properly "mystical," how PME compares with traditionally understood Catholic mysticism, and whether, and if so under what conditions, psychedelics could be licitly used by the Catholic faithful. This paper is an attempt to begin the process of reconciling empiric scientific data regarding psychedelics generally, and PME specifically, with Catholic philosophical and theological considerations, with the goal of both providing recommendations regarding the licitness of the use of psychedelic compounds and inviting conversation about this important and challenging topic. Summary Over the past 20 years, there has been a renewed interest in of psychedelics. Many articles have been published extoling the benefits of psychedelics, including for the treatment of mental illness and addiction, recreation, and "enhancement" of individuals and society. A common claim is that the benefits of psychedelics are a result of the psychedelic mystical experience (PME). This paper considers both the use of psychedelics and PME from the perspective of Catholic theology, provides recommendations about their use for the Catholic faithful, and invites further conversation about this important and challenging topic. Short Summary This paper considers challenges posed by psychedelics, considers licitness of use, and calls for further discussion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Carroll
- Department of Medicine, University of Rochester Medicine, Rochester, NY, USA
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13
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Ventura B, Çatal Y, Wolman A, Buccellato A, Cooper AC, Northoff G. Intrinsic neural timescales exhibit different lengths in distinct meditation techniques. Neuroimage 2024; 297:120745. [PMID: 39069224 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 07/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Meditation encompasses a range of practices employing diverse induction techniques, each characterized by a distinct attentional focus. In Mantra meditation, for instance, practitioners direct their attention narrowly to a given sentence that is recursively repeated, while other forms of meditation such as Shoonya meditation are induced by a wider attentional focus. Here we aimed to identify the neural underpinnings and correlates associated with this spectrum of distinct attentional foci. To accomplish this, we used EEG data to estimate the brain's intrinsic neural timescales (INTs), that is, its temporal windows of activity, by calculating the Autocorrelation Window (ACW) of the EEG signal. The autocorrelation function measures the similarity of a timeseries with a time-lagged version of itself by correlating the signal with itself on different time lags, consequently providing an estimation of INTs length. Therefore, through using the ACW metric, our objective was to explore whether there is a correspondence between the length of the brain's temporal windows of activity and the width of the attentional scope during various meditation techniques. This was performed on three groups of highly proficient practitioners belonging to different meditation traditions, as well as a meditation-naïve control group. Our results indicated that practices with a wider attentional focus, like Shoonya meditation, exhibit longer ACW durations compared to practices requiring a narrower attentional focus, such as Mantra meditation or body-scanning Vipassana meditation. Together, we demonstrated that distinct meditation techniques with varying widths of attentional foci exhibit unique durations in their brain's INTs. This may suggest that the width of the attentional scope during meditation relates and corresponds to the width of the brain's temporal windows in its neural activity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Our research uncovered the neural mechanisms that underpin the attentional foci in various meditation techniques. We revealed that distinct meditation induction techniques, featured by their range of attentional widths, are characterized by varying lengths of intrinsic neural timescales (INTs) within the brain, as measured by the Autocorrelation Window function. This finding may bridge the gap between the width of attentional windows (subjective) and the width of the temporal windows in the brain's neural activity (objective) during different meditation techniques, offering a new understanding of how cognitive and neural processes are related to each other. This work holds significant implications, especially in the context of the increasing use of meditation in mental health and well-being interventions. By elucidating the distinct neural foundations of different meditation techniques, our research aims to pave the way for developing more tailored and effective meditation-based treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Ventura
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa K1N 6N5, ON, Canada.
| | - Yasir Çatal
- The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research & University of Ottawa, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 145 Carling Avenue, Rm. 6435, Ottawa K1Z 7K4, ON, Canada.
| | - Angelika Wolman
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa K1N 6N5, ON, Canada.
| | - Andrea Buccellato
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Via Orus 2/B, Padova 35129, Italy; Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia, 8, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Austin Clinton Cooper
- Integrated Program of Neuroscience, Room 302, Irving Ludmer Building, 1033 Pine Avenue W., McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada.
| | - Georg Northoff
- The Royal's Institute of Mental Health Research & University of Ottawa, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Centre for Neural Dynamics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 145 Carling Avenue, Rm. 6435, Ottawa K1Z 7K4, ON, Canada.
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14
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Trautwein FM, Schweitzer Y, Dor-Ziderman Y, Nave O, Ataria Y, Fulder S, Berkovich-Ohana A. Suspending the Embodied Self in Meditation Attenuates Beta Oscillations in the Posterior Medial Cortex. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1182232024. [PMID: 38760162 PMCID: PMC11211716 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1182-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Human experience is imbued by the sense of being an embodied agent. The investigation of such basic self-consciousness has been hampered by the difficulty of comprehensively modulating it in the laboratory while reliably capturing ensuing subjective changes. The present preregistered study fills this gap by combining advanced meditative states with principled phenomenological interviews: 46 long-term meditators (19 female, 27 male) were instructed to modulate and attenuate their embodied self-experience during magnetoencephalographic monitoring. Results showed frequency-specific (high-beta band) activity reductions in frontoparietal and posterior medial cortices (PMC). Importantly, PMC reductions were driven by a subgroup describing radical embodied self-disruptions, including suspension of agency and dissolution of a localized first-person perspective. Neural changes were correlated with lifetime meditation and interview-derived experiential changes, but not with classical self-reports. The results demonstrate the potential of integrating in-depth first-person methods into neuroscientific experiments. Furthermore, they highlight neural oscillations in the PMC as a central process supporting the embodied sense of self.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fynn-Mathis Trautwein
- Edmond Safra Brain Research Center, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau 79104, Germany
| | - Yoav Schweitzer
- Edmond Safra Brain Research Center, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- Department of Learning, Instruction and Teacher Education, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Yair Dor-Ziderman
- Edmond Safra Brain Research Center, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Ohad Nave
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190501, Israel
| | - Yochai Ataria
- Psychology Department, Tel-Hai Academic College, Qiryat Shemona 1220800, Israel
| | - Stephen Fulder
- The Israel Insight Society (Tovana), R.D. Izrael 1933500, Israel
| | - Aviva Berkovich-Ohana
- Edmond Safra Brain Research Center, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- Department of Learning, Instruction and Teacher Education, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
- Department of Counseling and Human Development, Faculty of Education, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
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15
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Costa RM. Silence between words: Is solitude important for relatedness? PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2024; 287:153-190. [PMID: 39097352 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2024.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
Chronic loneliness is a risk factor for physical and health problems, in part due to dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system. In contrast, temporary moments of positive solitude (passing good times alone and not feeling lonely) appear to have positive effects on mental health, social life, and creativity, and seems to be a buffer against loneliness. Herein, three ways of how solitude may have positive effects on health and relatedness are discussed, namely effects on enhancement of mind-wandering, interoceptive awareness, and spirituality. Solitude may facilitate (1) activation of the default mode network (DMN) underlying mind-wandering including daydreaming about other people; (2) activation of brain areas supporting interoceptive awareness; (3) deactivation of prefrontal cortex, or deactivation and decreased connectivity of the DMN, giving raise to susceptibility to spiritual experiences. The capacity to handle and enjoy solitude is a developmental process that may be difficult for many persons. Craving for social connections and external stimulation with digital technologies (e.g., internet, smartphones, social media) might be interfering with the development of the capacity for solitude and thereby increasing loneliness; this might be partly due to impaired interoceptive awareness and impaired functional mind-wandering (common in solitude). Congruently, overuse of digital technologies was associated with reduced activity, and reduced gray matter volume and density, in brain areas supporting interoceptive awareness, as well as with decreased connectivity of the DMN supporting creative insights. Solitude has been a relatively dismissed topic in neuroscience and health sciences, but a growing number of studies is highlighting its importance for well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Miguel Costa
- William James Center for Research, Ispa-Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal.
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16
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Canby NK, Lindahl J, Britton WB, Córdova JV. Clarifying and measuring the characteristics of experiences that involve a loss of self or a dissolution of its boundaries. Conscious Cogn 2024; 119:103655. [PMID: 38346364 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2024.103655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Mystical experience, non-dual awareness, selflessness, self-transcendent experience, and ego-dissolution have become increasingly prominent constructs in meditation and psychedelic research. However, these constructs and their measures tend to be highly overlapping, imprecise, and poorly integrated with similar pathological experiences. The present study seeks to clarify the common factors involved in the characteristics of these experiences using precise distinctions across an array of experience contexts (including meditation, psychedelics, and psychopathology). Participants (N = 386) completed an online survey about an experience that involved either a dissolution of self-boundaries or a loss of selfhood. Confirmatory factor analyses resulted in 16 experience characteristics, including multiple types of changes in sense of self, co-occurring phenomenology, and cognitive and affective responses. Qualitative thematic analysis provided rich descriptions of experience characteristics. Taken together, results lead to a more specific measurement model and descriptive account of experiences involving a loss of self or self-boundary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas K Canby
- Department of Psychology, Clark University, 950 Main St., Worcester, MA 01610, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Jared Lindahl
- Department of Religious Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Willoughby B Britton
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - James V Córdova
- Department of Psychology, Clark University, 950 Main St., Worcester, MA 01610, USA
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17
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Fields C, Glazebrook JF, Levin M. Principled Limitations on Self-Representation for Generic Physical Systems. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 26:194. [PMID: 38539706 PMCID: PMC10969210 DOI: 10.3390/e26030194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 11/11/2024]
Abstract
The ideas of self-observation and self-representation, and the concomitant idea of self-control, pervade both the cognitive and life sciences, arising in domains as diverse as immunology and robotics. Here, we ask in a very general way whether, and to what extent, these ideas make sense. Using a generic model of physical interactions, we prove a theorem and several corollaries that severely restrict applicable notions of self-observation, self-representation, and self-control. We show, in particular, that adding observational, representational, or control capabilities to a meta-level component of a system cannot, even in principle, lead to a complete meta-level representation of the system as a whole. We conclude that self-representation can at best be heuristic, and that self models cannot, in general, be empirically tested by the systems that implement them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Fields
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA;
| | - James F. Glazebrook
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL 61920, USA;
- Adjunct Faculty, Department of Mathematics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Michael Levin
- Allen Discovery Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA;
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18
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Alphonsus E, Fellin LC, Thoma S, Galbusera L. They have taken out my spinal cord: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of self-boundary in psychotic experience within a sociocentric culture. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1215412. [PMID: 37559921 PMCID: PMC10408453 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1215412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In the tradition of phenomenological psychiatry, schizophrenia is described as a disturbance of the minimal self, i.e. the most basic form of self-awareness. This disturbance of the minimal self at the individual level is assumed to precede the intersubjective disturbances such as boundary weakening. However, the role of intersubjective disturbances in the emergence and recovery of schizophrenic experience still remains an open question. This phenomenological study focuses on how encounters with others shape self-experience during from psychosis by analyzing this process from the perspective of cultural differences, which in current research is especially under-researched. While most phenomenological accounts are based on first person-accounts from Western, individualist cultures where the self is conceived and experienced as separate to others, the present study qualitatively investigates psychotic experiences of patients from Jaffna, Sri Lanka. METHOD Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three participants with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or first episode psychosis. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Eight group experiential themes were identified across interviews. RESULTS The data suggest that intersubjective processes of boundary weakening such as invasiveness and hyperattunement may shape minimal self-experience and more specifically contribute to a mistrust of the own senses and to hyper-reflexivity. Interestingly, boundary weakening yields pervasive emotions and can be experienced as a threat to the whole social unit. On the one hand, the strengthening of self-other-boundary was achieved through opposition, closedness and withdrawal from others. On the other hand, this study suggests that the re-opening of self-other-boundaries in response to the crisis may help establish connectedness and may lead to recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Alphonsus
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Lisa C. Fellin
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Samuel Thoma
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Brandenburg Medical School, Brandenburg, Germany
| | - Laura Galbusera
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Brandenburg Medical School, Brandenburg, Germany
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19
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Troncoso A, Soto V, Gomila A, Martínez-Pernía D. Moving beyond the lab: investigating empathy through the Empirical 5E approach. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1119469. [PMID: 37519389 PMCID: PMC10374225 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1119469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Empathy is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that plays a crucial role in human social interactions. Recent developments in social neuroscience have provided valuable insights into the neural underpinnings and bodily mechanisms underlying empathy. This methodology often prioritizes precision, replicability, internal validity, and confound control. However, fully understanding the complexity of empathy seems unattainable by solely relying on artificial and controlled laboratory settings, while overlooking a comprehensive view of empathy through an ecological experimental approach. In this article, we propose articulating an integrative theoretical and methodological framework based on the 5E approach (the "E"s stand for embodied, embedded, enacted, emotional, and extended perspectives of empathy), highlighting the relevance of studying empathy as an active interaction between embodied agents, embedded in a shared real-world environment. In addition, we illustrate how a novel multimodal approach including mobile brain and body imaging (MoBi) combined with phenomenological methods, and the implementation of interactive paradigms in a natural context, are adequate procedures to study empathy from the 5E approach. In doing so, we present the Empirical 5E approach (E5E) as an integrative scientific framework to bridge brain/body and phenomenological attributes in an interbody interactive setting. Progressing toward an E5E approach can be crucial to understanding empathy in accordance with the complexity of how it is experienced in the real world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Troncoso
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Adolfo Ibáñez University, Santiago, Chile
| | - Vicente Soto
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Adolfo Ibáñez University, Santiago, Chile
| | - Antoni Gomila
- Department of Psychology, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - David Martínez-Pernía
- Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Adolfo Ibáñez University, Santiago, Chile
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Pintimalli A, Glicksohn J, Marson F, Di Giuseppe T, Ben-Soussan TD. Change in Time Perception Following the Place of Pre-Existence Technique. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3509. [PMID: 36834202 PMCID: PMC9962325 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Time perception is closely related to spatial and bodily perception, yet little is known about how this interrelationship is impacted by meditation and biological sex. To examine this, we studied the effects of a stepwise application of three meditation techniques, from focused attention, to open monitoring to non-dual meditation, encompassed in the Place of Pre-Existence technique (PPEt) on the subjective perception of time, space and body using a pre-post research design. A total of 280 participants (mean age = 47.09 years; SD = 10.13; 127:153 males to females) completed the Subjective Time, Self, Space inventory before and after PPEt. Following PPEt, participants perceived time passing as slowing down, while time intensity, relaxation, 'awareness of space' and 'awareness of body' increased, suggesting heightened mindfulness to these constructs following the training. Awareness of space revealed to be modulated by biological sex and meditation expertise, with males showing a decrease of spatial awareness as a function of meditation expertise while females showed an opposite pattern. The speed and intensity of the experience of time both correlated with body and space awareness. In line with previous studies demonstrating a connection between relaxation and perception of time, a significant correlation was found between relaxation and the subjective experience of the intensity of time. The current results are discussed in the context of the embodied experience of time, and the Sphere Model of Consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Pintimalli
- Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Patrizio Paoletti Foundation for Development and Communication, 06081 Assisi, Italy
| | - Joseph Glicksohn
- Department of Criminology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
- The Leslie and Susan Gonda (Goldschmied) Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 5290002, Israel
| | - Fabio Marson
- Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Patrizio Paoletti Foundation for Development and Communication, 06081 Assisi, Italy
- Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Tania Di Giuseppe
- Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Patrizio Paoletti Foundation for Development and Communication, 06081 Assisi, Italy
| | - Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan
- Research Institute for Neuroscience, Education and Didactics, Patrizio Paoletti Foundation for Development and Communication, 06081 Assisi, Italy
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Martínez-Pernía D, Cea I, Troncoso A, Blanco K, Calderón Vergara J, Baquedano C, Araya-Veliz C, Useros-Olmo A, Huepe D, Carrera V, Mack Silva V, Vergara M. "I am feeling tension in my whole body": An experimental phenomenological study of empathy for pain. Front Psychol 2023; 13:999227. [PMID: 36687843 PMCID: PMC9845790 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.999227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Traditionally, empathy has been studied from two main perspectives: the theory-theory approach and the simulation theory approach. These theories claim that social emotions are fundamentally constituted by mind states in the brain. In contrast, classical phenomenology and recent research based on the enactive theories consider empathy as the basic process of contacting others' emotional experiences through direct bodily perception and sensation. Objective This study aims to enrich the knowledge of the empathic experience of pain using an experimental phenomenological method. Materials and methods Implementing an experimental paradigm used in affective neuroscience, we exposed 28 healthy adults to a video of sportspersons suffering physical accidents while practicing extreme sports. Immediately after watching the video, each participant underwent a phenomenological interview to gather data on embodied, multi-layered dimensions (bodily sensations, emotions, and motivations) and temporal aspects of empathic experience. We also performed quantitative analyses of the phenomenological categories. Results Experiential access to the other person's painful experience involves four main themes. Bodily resonance: participants felt a multiplicity of bodily, affective, and kinesthetic sensations in coordination with the sportsperson's bodily actions. Attentional focus: some participants centered their attention more on their own personal discomfort and sensations of rejection, while others on the pain and suffering experienced by the sportspersons. Kinesthetic motivation: some participants experienced the feeling in their bodies to avoid or escape from watching the video, while others experienced the need to help the sportspersons avoid suffering any injury while practicing extreme sports. The temporality of experience: participants witnessed temporal fluctuations in their experiences, bringing intensity changes in their bodily resonance, attentional focus, and kinesthetic motivation. Finally, two experiential structures were found: one structure is self-centered empathic experience, characterized by bodily resonance, attentional focus centered on the participant's own experience of seeing the sportsperson suffering, and self-protective kinesthetic motivation; the other structure is other-centered empathic experience, characterized by bodily resonance, attentional focus centered on the sportsperson, and prosocial kinesthetic motivation to help them. Discussion We show how phenomenological data may contribute to comprehending empathy for pain in social neuroscience. In addition, we address the phenomenological aspect of the enactive approach to the three dimensions of an embodiment of human consciousness, especially the intersubjective dimension. Also, based on our results, we suggest an extension of the enactive theory of non-interactive social experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Martínez-Pernía
- School of Psychology, Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile,Faculty of Medicine, Geroscience Center for Brain Health and Metabolism (GERO), University of Chile, Santiago, Chile,Faculty of Medicine, Memory and Neuropsychiatric Clinic (CMYN), Neurology Service, Hospital del Salvador, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile,*Correspondence: David Martínez-Pernía,
| | - Ignacio Cea
- School of Psychology, Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile,Philosophy Department, Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities, Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alejandro Troncoso
- School of Psychology, Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Kevin Blanco
- School of Psychology, Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jorge Calderón Vergara
- School of Psychology, Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Constanza Baquedano
- School of Psychology, Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Ana Useros-Olmo
- Unidad de Daño Cerebral, Hospital Beata María Ana, Madrid, Spain,Departamento de Fisioterapia and Motion in Brains Research Group, Institute of Neuroscience and Sciences of the Movement (INCIMOV), Centro Superior de Estudios Universitarios La Salle, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Huepe
- School of Psychology, Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Valentina Carrera
- School of Psychology, Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Victoria Mack Silva
- School of Psychology, Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mayte Vergara
- School of Psychology, Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile
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22
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Ekman E, Koenig CJ, Daubenmier J, Dickson KG, Simmons V, Braun A, Goldin P. Transforming adversity into an ally: A qualitative study of “feeding your demons” meditation. Front Psychol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.806500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Contemplative science has made great strides in the empirical investigation of meditation practices, such as how mindfulness, compassion, and mantra practices impact health and well-being. However, meditation practices from the Vajrayana Buddhist tradition that use mental imagery to transform distressing beliefs and emotions have been little explored. We examined the “Feeding Your Demons” meditation, a secular adaptation of the traditional Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhist meditation practice of Chöd (“Severance”) in a pilot, randomized controlled trial in which 61 community adults from the U.S. with prior meditation experience and moderate levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms (70% female)were randomly assigned to one month (15 meditation sessions) of “Feeding Your Demons” practice or a waitlist control group. Written diary entries were collected immediately after each meditation session. We used an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis approach to examine qualitative responses to two questions which probed (1) how participants made meaning of each meditation session and (2) how they thought it may impact their future thoughts and intentions for action. Five major themes were identified based on 20 codes developed through an inductive review of written responses across all participants. The themes included an enhanced sense of self-worth and confidence, empathy for the “demon” or rejected parts of oneself, increased self-awareness, an active-oriented “fierce” self-compassion, and an acceptance form of self-compassion. Overall, participants expressed an ability to reframe, or transform, their relationship to distressing thoughts, emotions, and experiences as they gained personal insights, self-compassion, and acceptance through the meditation process which in turn shaped their future intentions for action in the world. This research suggests that a secular form of a Vajrayana Buddhist practice may be beneficial for Western meditation practitioners with no prior training in Vajrayana Buddhism. Future research is warranted to understand its longer-term impacts on health and well-being.
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23
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Linares Gutiérrez D, Schmidt S, Meissner K, Wittmann M. Changes in Subjective Time and Self during Meditation. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11081116. [PMID: 35892973 PMCID: PMC9330740 DOI: 10.3390/biology11081116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Meditation induces an altered state of consciousness, which is often described by meditators as being in the present moment and losing one’s sense of time and self. Few studies have assessed these experiences. We invited 22 experienced meditators to participate in two experimental sessions lasting 20 min each (1) to meditate and (2) to read a story as a control condition. We measured their heart and breathing rates during these two sessions and conducted a metronome task before and after each session. In this task, participants had to group metronome beats into perceptual units, a measure of the duration of the present moment. In comparison to the reading condition, the heart and breathing rates showed a mix of increased as well as decreased bodily activity in the meditation condition. In the meditation condition, participants subjectively perceived their body boundaries less strongly, paid less attention to time, and felt time pass more quickly compared to the control condition. No differences between conditions were apparent for the metronome task. This study is the first to show how the sense of self and time are relatively diminished during meditation. Abstract This study examined the effects of meditative states in experienced meditators on present-moment awareness, subjective time, and self-awareness while assessing meditation-induced changes in heart-rate variability and breathing rate. A sample of 22 experienced meditators who practiced meditation techniques stressing awareness of the present moment (average 20 years of practice) filled out subjective scales pertaining to sense of time and the bodily self and accomplished a metronome task as an operationalization of present-moment awareness before and after a 20 min meditation session (experimental condition) and a 20 min reading session (control condition) according to a within-subject design. A mixed pattern of increased sympathetic and parasympathetic activity was found during meditation regarding heart-rate measures. Breathing intervals were prolonged during meditation. Participants perceived their body boundaries as less salient during meditation than while reading the story; they also felt time passed more quickly and they paid less attention to time during meditation. No significant differences between conditions became apparent for the metronome task. This is probably the first quantitative study to show how the experience of time during a meditation session is altered together with the sense of the bodily self.
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Affiliation(s)
- Damisela Linares Gutiérrez
- Institute of Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, 79098 Freiburg, Germany
- Palliative Care Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Schmidt
- Institute of Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, 79098 Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Center-University of Freiburg, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Karin Meissner
- Division of Integrative Health Promotion, Department of Social Work and Health, Coburg University of Applied Sciences, 96450 Coburg, Germany
| | - Marc Wittmann
- Institute of Frontier Areas of Psychology and Mental Health, 79098 Freiburg, Germany
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24
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Maxwell RW, Katyal S. Characteristics of Kundalini-Related Sensory, Motor, and Affective Experiences During Tantric Yoga Meditation. Front Psychol 2022; 13:863091. [PMID: 35846598 PMCID: PMC9282169 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.863091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditional spiritual literature contains rich anecdotal reports of spontaneously arising experiences occurring during meditation practice, but formal investigation of such experiences is limited. Previous work has sometimes related spontaneous experiences to the Indian traditional contemplative concept of kundalini. Historically, descriptions of kundalini come out of Tantric schools of Yoga, where it has been described as a “rising energy” moving within the spinal column up to the brain. Spontaneous meditation experiences have previously been studied within Buddhist and Christian practices and within eclectic groups of contemplative practitioners. Prior explorations of kundalini have emphasized extreme experiences, sometimes having clinical consequences. We conducted a first such investigation of kundalini-related experiences within a sample of meditators from a single Tantric Yoga tradition (known as Ananda Marga) that emphasizes the role of kundalini. We developed a semi-structured questionnaire to conduct an exploratory pilot investigation of spontaneous sensory, motor and affective experiences during meditation practice. In addition to identifying the characteristics of subjective experiences, we measured quantity of meditation, supplemental practices, trait affect and trait mindfulness. We administered it to 80 volunteers at two Ananda Marga retreats. Among reported experiences, we found the highest prevalence for positive mood shifts, followed by motor and then sensory experiences. The frequency of spontaneous experiences was not related to the quantity of practiced meditation or trait measures of mindfulness and affect. Self-reports included multiple descriptions of rising sensations, sometimes being directly called kundalini. Experiences with rising sensations were complex and many included references to positive affect, including ecstatic qualities. There were also reports of spontaneous anomalous experiences. These experiences of rising sensations resemble prior clinical descriptions that were considered kundalini-related. The individuals who reported rising sensations could not be distinguished from other participants based on the incidence of experiences, quantity of meditation practice, or trait measures of mindfulness and affect. In contrast, greater amount of Tantric Yoga meditation practice was associated with greater positive affect, less negative affect and greater mindfulness. Further study of these exploratory findings and how they may be related to spiritual and well-being goals of meditation is warranted along with scientific investigation of purported kundalini phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard W. Maxwell
- Private Practitioner, Ithaca, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Richard W. Maxwell,
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25
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Alcaraz-Sánchez A, Demšar E, Campillo-Ferrer T, Torres-Platas SG. Nothingness Is All There Is: An Exploration of Objectless Awareness During Sleep. Front Psychol 2022; 13:901031. [PMID: 35756253 PMCID: PMC9226678 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.901031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent years have seen a heightened focus on the study of minimal forms of awareness during sleep to advance the study of consciousness and understand what makes a state conscious. This focus draws on an increased interest in anecdotical descriptions made by classic Indian philosophical traditions about unusual forms of awareness during sleep. For instance, in the so-called state of witnessing-sleep or luminosity sleep, one is said to reach a state that goes beyond ordinary dreaming and abide in a state of just awareness, a state in which one is not aware of anything else other than one’s own awareness. Moreover, for these traditions, this state is taken to be the essence or background of consciousness. Reports on such a state opens the door to exciting new lines of research in the study of consciousness, such as inquiry into the so-called objectless awareness during sleep—states of awareness that lack an ordinary object of awareness. In this two-staged research project, we attempted to find the phenomenological blueprints of such forms of awareness during sleep in 18 participants by conducting phenomenological interviews, informed by a novel tool in qualitative research, the micro-phenomenological interview (MPI) method. Following a phenomenological analysis, we isolated a similar phase across 12 reported experiences labeled as “nothingness phase” since it described what participants took to be an experience of “nothingness.” This common phase was characterized by minimal sense of self—a bodiless self, yet experienced as being “somewhere”—, the presence of non-modal sensations, relatively pleasant emotions, an absence of visual experience, wide and unfocused attention, and an awareness of the state as it unfolded.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Alcaraz-Sánchez
- Department of Philosophy, Centre for the Study of the Perceptual Experience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Ema Demšar
- Monash Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies, Department of Philosophy, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Teresa Campillo-Ferrer
- Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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26
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Walter N, Hinterberger T. Determining states of consciousness in the electroencephalogram based on spectral, complexity, and criticality features. Neurosci Conscious 2022; 2022:niac008. [PMID: 35903410 PMCID: PMC9319002 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niac008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was based on the contemporary proposal that distinct states of consciousness are quantifiable by neural complexity and critical dynamics. To test this hypothesis, it was aimed at comparing the electrophysiological correlates of three meditation conditions using nonlinear techniques from the complexity and criticality framework as well as power spectral density. Thirty participants highly proficient in meditation were measured with 64-channel electroencephalography (EEG) during one session consisting of a task-free baseline resting (eyes closed and eyes open), a reading condition, and three meditation conditions (thoughtless emptiness, presence monitoring, and focused attention). The data were analyzed applying analytical tools from criticality theory (detrended fluctuation analysis, neuronal avalanche analysis), complexity measures (multiscale entropy, Higuchi's fractal dimension), and power spectral density. Task conditions were contrasted, and effect sizes were compared. Partial least square regression and receiver operating characteristics analysis were applied to determine the discrimination accuracy of each measure. Compared to resting with eyes closed, the meditation categories emptiness and focused attention showed higher values of entropy and fractal dimension. Long-range temporal correlations were declined in all meditation conditions. The critical exponent yielded the lowest values for focused attention and reading. The highest discrimination accuracy was found for the gamma band (0.83-0.98), the global power spectral density (0.78-0.96), and the sample entropy (0.86-0.90). Electrophysiological correlates of distinct meditation states were identified and the relationship between nonlinear complexity, critical brain dynamics, and spectral features was determined. The meditation states could be discriminated with nonlinear measures and quantified by the degree of neuronal complexity, long-range temporal correlations, and power law distributions in neuronal avalanches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nike Walter
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Section of
Applied Consciousness Sciences, University Hospital of Regensburg,
Franz-Josef-Strauß Allee 11, Regensburg 93059, Germany
| | - Thilo Hinterberger
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Section of
Applied Consciousness Sciences, University Hospital of Regensburg,
Franz-Josef-Strauß Allee 11, Regensburg 93059, Germany
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27
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Gandy S. Predictors and potentiators of psychedelic-occasioned mystical experiences. JOURNAL OF PSYCHEDELIC STUDIES 2022. [DOI: 10.1556/2054.2022.00198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Mystical experiences are often described as being among the most profound and meaningful events of a person’s life. Their occurrence, while a normal but uncommon phenomenon, is reliably occasioned by psychedelic substances under the appropriate conditions, although care is needed around the context of usage to help ensure safe and beneficial experiences. The occurrence of mystical experiences in psychedelic sessions is a key mediator of the sustained psychological benefits reported in both healthy and clinical populations. Certain factors including set and setting, drug dosage, trait absorption, drug type, intention and states of surrender and acceptance all predict or influence the occurrence of mystical experiences. Various additional factors may further contribute to the occurrence and intensity of mystical experiences and enhance their long-term benefits, including music, meditation and spiritual practices and nature-based settings. This review examines these factors and considers how they might be optimised to increase the chances of a mystical experience occurring, while also considering factors that are negatively associated with mystical experiences with suggestions on how these might be mitigated where applicable. Finally, potential future research avenues for furthering our knowledge of psychedelic mystical experiences and how their benefits might be enhanced is suggested. Maximising the potential for the occurrence of mystical experiences is an important aspect of the beneficial application of psychedelics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Gandy
- Synthesis Institute, Zandvoort, Netherlands
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28
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Hartelius G, Likova LT, Tyler CW. Self-Regulation of Seat of Attention Into Various Attentional Stances Facilitates Access to Cognitive and Emotional Resources: An EEG Study. Front Psychol 2022; 13:810780. [PMID: 35282214 PMCID: PMC8912941 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.810780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This study provides evidence supporting the operation of a novel cognitive process of a somatic seat of attention, or ego-center, whose somatic location is under voluntary control and that provides access to differential emotional resources. Attention has typically been studied in terms of what it is directed toward, but it can also be associated with a localized representation in the body image that is experienced as the source or seat of attention-an aspect that has previously only been studied by subjective techniques. Published studies of this phenomenon under terms such as egocenter or self-location suggest that the seat of attention can be situated in various ways within the experienced body, resulting in what are here referred to as different attentional stances. These studies also provide evidence that changes in attentional stance are associated with differences in cognitive skill, emotional temperament, self-construal, and social and moral attitudes, as well as with access to certain states of consciousness. In the present study, EEG results from multiple trials of each of 11 specific attentional stances confirmed that patterns of neural activity associated with the voluntarily control of attentional stances can be reliably measured, providing evidence for a differential neural substrate underlying the subjective location of the seat of attention. Additionally, brain activation patterns for the attentional stances showed strong correlations with EEG signatures associated with specific positive emotional states and with arousal, confirming that differential locations of the seat of attention can be objectively associated with different emotion states, as implied in previous literature. The ability to directly manage the seat of attention into various attentional stances holds substantial potential for facilitating access to specific cognitive and emotional resources in a new way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn Hartelius
- California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Lora T Likova
- Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, United States
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29
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Wahbeh H, Fry N, Speirn P, Hrnjic L, Ancel E, Niebauer E. Qualitative analysis of first-person accounts of noetic experiences. F1000Res 2021; 10:497. [PMID: 36017375 PMCID: PMC9364752 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.52957.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
The term "noetic" comes from the Greek word noēsis/noētikos that means inner wisdom, direct knowing, intuition, or implicit understanding. Strong cultural taboos exist about sharing these experiences. Thus, many may not feel comfortable transparently discussing or researching these topics, despite growing evidence that these experiences may be real. The study's objective was to qualitatively evaluate first-hand accounts of noetic experiences. 521 English-speaking adults from around the world completed an online survey that collected demographic data and four open-ended questions about noetic experiences. Thematic analysis was used to characterize the data. The ten most used codes were expressing to or sharing with others, impacting decision-making, intuition/"just knowing," meditation/hypnosis, inner visions, setting intentions/getting into the "state," healing others, writing for self, and inner voice. There were five main themes identified: 1. Ways of Engagement; 2. Ways of Knowing; 3. Types of Information; 4. Ways of Affecting; and 5. Ways of Expressing. Subthemes. Future research will include investigating the nuances of these themes and also establishing standardized methods for evaluating them. This would also then inform curricula and therapies to support people in these experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helané Wahbeh
- Research, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA, 94928, USA
- Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Nina Fry
- Research, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA, 94928, USA
| | - Paolo Speirn
- Research, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA, 94928, USA
| | - Lutvija Hrnjic
- Research, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA, 94928, USA
| | - Emma Ancel
- Research, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA, 94928, USA
| | - Erica Niebauer
- Research, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA, 94928, USA
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30
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Wahbeh H, Fry N, Speirn P, Hrnjic L, Ancel E, Niebauer E. Qualitative analysis of first-person accounts of noetic experiences. F1000Res 2021; 10:497. [PMID: 36017375 PMCID: PMC9364752 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.52957.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The term "noetic" comes from the Greek word noēsis/noētikos that means inner wisdom, direct knowing, intuition, or implicit understanding. Strong cultural taboos exist about sharing these experiences. Thus, many may not feel comfortable transparently discussing or researching these topics, despite growing evidence that these experiences may be real. The study's objective was to qualitatively evaluate first-hand accounts of noetic experiences. 521 English-speaking adults from around the world completed an online survey that collected demographic data and four open-ended questions about noetic experiences. Thematic analysis was used to characterize the data. The ten most used codes were expressing to or sharing with others, impacting decision-making, intuition/"just knowing," meditation/hypnosis, inner visions, setting intentions/getting into the "state," healing others, writing for self, and inner voice. There were five main themes identified: 1. Ways of Engagement; 2. Ways of Knowing; 3. Types of Information; 4. Ways of Affecting; and 5. Ways of Expressing. Subthemes. Future research will include investigating the nuances of these themes and also establishing standardized methods for evaluating them. This would also then inform curricula and therapies to support people in these experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helané Wahbeh
- Research, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA, 94928, USA
- Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Nina Fry
- Research, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA, 94928, USA
| | - Paolo Speirn
- Research, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA, 94928, USA
| | - Lutvija Hrnjic
- Research, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA, 94928, USA
| | - Emma Ancel
- Research, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA, 94928, USA
| | - Erica Niebauer
- Research, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Petaluma, CA, 94928, USA
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