The brain and body work together to create a felt sense of presence in the material or virtual world. The brain generates bodily feelings that represent emotions and thoughts, and directing attention to present-moment bodily sensations produces embodied presence. Meditation increases the capacity for embodied presence. Virtual worlds are experienced through a system grounded in bodily sensations. This essay explores implications of neuroscience and meditation for designing and studying self-presence in virtual worlds, explaining presence as a dynamic internal process resulting from sustained directed attention.
A new framework for describing meditation interventions aims to improve scientific rigor in research and clinical practice. The framework distinguishes seven essential components: the individual, object, experience, immediate effects, approach (foundation and source), outcome (intended goals and longer-term effects), and engagement (duration, spacing, frequency, and quality of attention). The authors argue that the lack of a consistent framework has hindered study design, interpretation, and comparison across research. Examples are provided from Yoga Therapy and published research. The goal is to start a dialogue with experts in other meditation traditions to adapt and respond to the proposed framework.