Nondual mindfulness meditation alters self representation and brain connectome in expert meditators
Sébastien Czajko, Jelle Zorn, Oussama Abdoun, Daniel S Margulies, Olaf Blanke, Antoine Lutz
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) July 3, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.64898/2026.07.01.735757 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 75 |
| Population | Expert meditators (>10,000 hours of practice) and meditation novices |
| Topics | Default mode network Meditation |
| Keywords | Neurocognitive Connectome Embodied cognition Functional connectivity Cognitive psychology Neurofeedback Construct python library Automatism medicine Contemplation Perception Insula Brain mapping |
| Key findings | Expert meditators showed reduced global network eccentricity during Open Presence meditation, indicating greater large-scale functional integration, which correlated with reduced bodily self susceptibility and cognitive defusion. |
Abstract
Nonduality is a foundational but conceptually elusive notion across several contemplative traditions. Nondual traditions challenge the assumption that a subject-object structure characteristic of ordinary experience is an intrinsic feature of conscious awareness. However, little remains known about the neurocognitive mechanisms associated with such experiential state. Here, we investigated how Open Presence (OP) meditation, a form of non-dual mindfulness practice, modulates bodily self-representation and large-scale brain functional organization. We combined the Full-Body Illusion Experience (FBIE), a virtual reality paradigm manipulating bodily self-processing, with resting-state functional connectivity gradient analyses in expert meditators (>10,000 hours of practice) and meditation novices. We hypothesized that OP would attenuate bodily self susceptibility as measured by FBIE and increase large-scale integration of functional brain networks, consistent with prior findings linking reduced self-boundaries and ego-dissolution to increased connectome integration. Seventy-five participants (28 experts, 47 novices) underwent fMRI scanning during OP meditation. Brain network organization was assessed using connectivity gradients and network dispersion/ eccentricity metrics. Group differences were evaluated using bootstrap statistics and support vector classification. Compared with novices, expert practitioners showed reduced global network eccentricity during OP, particularly within dorsal attention, ventral attention, and frontoparietal networks, suggesting greater large-scale integration of functional networks. These neural patterns were positively correlated with FBIE self-report measures and negatively with cognitive defusion scores, a construct thought to reflect reduced self-grasping toward thoughts and mental contents. Together, these findings suggest that nondual meditation is associated with alterations in self-representation and increased large-scale functional integration, providing candidate neural markers of nondual awareness.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Undergraduate students | 2006 | Observational cohort | |
| Effectiveness of a meditation-based stress reduction program in the treatment of anxiety disorders Patients with generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder with or without agoraphobia | 1992 | Observational cohort | n = 22 |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Long-term Buddhist practitioners and controls | 2004 | Observational cohort |