Cultivating Self-Transcendence Through Meditation Practice: A Test of the Role of Meta-Awareness, (Dis)identification and Non-Reactivity.
Pierre De Oliveira, Catherine Juneau, Céline Stinus, Maya Corman, Noemi Michelli, Nicolas Pellerin, Rebecca Shankland, Michael Dambrun
Psychological Reports April 26, 2024 DOI: 10.1177/00332941241246469 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Two-stage cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 374 |
| Population | French-speaking adults |
| Intervention | meditative practices |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Disidentification Decentering Flow Meta-awareness Self-transcendent emotions Selflessness |
| Citations | 11 |
| Key findings | Meta-awareness mediated the relationship between meditative practice and self-transcendent emotions or flow, while (dis)identification with internal experiences mediated the relationship between practice and an interconnected identity. |
Abstract
In this paper, we present a study comprising two distinct stages to examine the extent to which metacognitive processes of decentering facilitate the emergence of self-transcendence experiences in everyday life (i.e., the frequency of self-transcendent emotions, flow proneness, and adopting an interconnected identity). In the course of conducting this research, the first stage (N = 374) focused on assessing the structure and validity of the French version of the Metacognitive Processes of Decentering Scale (MPoD-t). Building on this, the second stage (N = 294) examined the potential relationship between meditative practices and psychological decentering processes (i.e., meta-awareness, (dis)identification with internal experiences, and (non)reactivity to thought content) and explored whether these mechanisms explain the association between meditative practices and the experience of self-transcendent states. Overall, the results demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties of the French version of the MPoD and provided enhanced insights into the distinct mediating roles played by various decentering components in the manifestation of self-transcendence experiences in daily life. Indeed, the findings revealed that the relationship between practice and the occurrence of self-transcendent emotions or flow was mediated by the meta-awareness component, while the association between practice and the development of an interconnected identity was explained by the (dis)identification with internal experiences component. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construct Validity of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire in Meditating and Nonmeditating Samples Experienced meditators and nonmeditating comparison groups | 2008 | Cross-sectional study | |
| Neural Correlates of Dispositional Mindfulness During Affect Labeling Adult participants | 2007 | Observational cross-sectional | n = 27 |
| Assessing mindfulness in children and adolescents: Development and validation of the Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). School-aged children and adolescents | 2011 | Cross-sectional validation study | n = 1,413 |
| Mindfulness and self-compassion as predictors of psychological wellbeing in long-term meditators and matched nonmeditators Experienced meditators and demographically matched nonmeditators | 2012 | Cross-sectional study | n = 152 |
| Mechanisms of Action in the Inverse Relationship Between Mindfulness and Psychological Distress Undergraduates | 2008 | Cross-sectional, correlational |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- The effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction on self-compassion and parent-child relationship quality in health caregivers BMC Psychology November 16, 2025
- Deconstructive meditations and psychotherapy: Transforming the perception of the self. World Journal of Psychiatry June 19, 2025
- The role of decentering and self-compassion in self-esteem regulation: how meditation and metacognition shape the use of self-esteem regulation strategies Frontiers in Psychology July 10, 2026
- The therapeutic role of self-transcendence in moral injury recovery: theory, mechanisms, and clinical implications Frontiers in Psychiatry June 10, 2026
- Psychedelic Experiences and Finitude in Serious Illness: A Qualitative Synthesis Journal of Pain and Symptom Management March 27, 2026
and 4 more in the library
Cites 41
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- The toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
and 36 more in the library