Self-Boundary Dissolution in Meditation: A Phenomenological Investigation.
Ohad Nave, Fynn-Mathis Trautwein, Yochai Ataria, Yair Dor-Ziderman, Yoav Schweitzer, Stephen Fulder, Aviva Berkovich-Ohana
Brain Sciences June 21, 2021 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11060819 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Phenomenological inquiry Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Meditators (specifically those experiencing deep meditative states involving global dissolution of the sense of self) |
| Intervention | meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Empirical phenomenology Minimal self Neurophenomenology Self boundaries Self-dissolution Self-transcendence |
| Citations | 91 |
| Key points | Passive meditative gestures of 'letting go' that reduce attentional engagement and sense of agency drive the depth of self-boundary dissolution. |
Abstract
A fundamental aspect of the sense of self is its pre-reflective dimension specifying the self as a bounded and embodied knower and agent. Being a constant and tacit feature structuring consciousness, it eludes robust empirical exploration. Recently, deep meditative states involving global dissolution of the sense of self have been suggested as a promising path for advancing such an investigation. To that end, we conducted a comprehensive phenomenological inquiry into meditative self-boundary alteration. The induced states were systematically characterized by changes in six experiential features including the sense of location, agency, first-person perspective, attention, body sensations, and affective valence, as well as their interaction with meditative technique and overall degree of dissolution. Quantitative analyses of the relationships between these phenomenological categories highlighted a unitary dimension of boundary dissolution. Notably, passive meditative gestures of "letting go", which reduce attentional engagement and sense of agency, emerged as driving the depth of dissolution. These findings are aligned with an enactive approach to the pre-reflective sense of self, linking its generation to sensorimotor activity and attention-demanding processes. Moreover, they set the stage for future phenomenologically informed analyses of neurophysiological data and highlight the utility of combining phenomenology and intense contemplative training for a scientific characterization of processes giving rise to the basic sense of being a bounded self.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 67
- Moving beyond the lab: investigating empathy through the Empirical 5E approach. Frontiers in Psychology 2023
- Suspending the Embodied Self in Meditation Attenuates Beta Oscillations in the Posterior Medial Cortex. Journal of Neuroscience June 26, 2024
- Nothingness Is All There Is: An Exploration of Objectless Awareness During Sleep Frontiers in Psychology June 10, 2022
- "I am feeling tension in my whole body": An experimental phenomenological study of empathy for pain. Frontiers in Psychology 2022
- Intrinsic neural timescales exhibit different lengths in distinct meditation techniques. Neuroimage August 15, 2024
and 62 more in the library
Cites 37
- The Oxford Handbook of 4E Cognition Oxford University Press eBooks September 13, 2018
- Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
- Investigating the phenomenological matrix of mindfulness-related practices from a neurocognitive perspective. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- The Standardized Psychometric Assessment of Altered States of Consciousness (ASCs) in Humans Pharmacopsychiatry July 1, 1998
- The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists PLoS One May 24, 2017
and 32 more in the library