People with schizophrenia experience significant disturbances in the minimal self, particularly in the sense of body ownership and sense of agency. A meta-analysis of 25 studies (690 patients, 979 controls) found a moderate overall effect (Hedge's g = 0.51) indicating basic self-disturbance. Body ownership showed a large effect (0.91), agency a moderate effect (0.49), and self-reported subjective experiences a moderate effect (0.57). The disturbed sense of agency suggests exaggerated self-consciousness rather than a diminished sense of self. Results remained significant after correcting for publication bias.
A 4-day meditation intervention produced immediate increases in mindfulness and resilience that were sustained at a 3-month follow-up, while a relaxation retreat showed only short-term gains. Meditation specifically strengthened resting-state functional connectivity between the left rostral anterior cingulate cortex and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, precuneus, and angular gyrus. Changes in connectivity between the rACC and dmPFC mediated the relationship between improvements in mindfulness and resilience and correlated with resilience changes both immediately and at 3 months. These neural changes may help protect against psychiatric disorders by improving stress-related brain mechanisms.