Alterations in the sense of time, space and body in the Mindfulness-trained brain: A neurophenomenologically-guided MEG study
Aviva Eberkovich-Ohana, Yair Edor-Ziderman, Joseph Eglicksohn, Abraham Egoldstein
Frontiers in Psychology May 22, 2014 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00912 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Neurophenomenological study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Long-term Mindfulness meditation practitioners |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Space perception Theta rhythm Time perception Body perception Magnetoencephalography meg Neurophenomenology |
| Citations | 170 |
| Key points | States of timelessness and spacelessness in experienced meditators share a neural network related to bodily processing (posterior cingulate, right temporoparietal junction, cerebellum) rather than memory or imagery networks. |
Abstract
Meditation practice can lead to what have been referred to as 'altered states of consciousness'. One of the phenomenological characteristics of these states is a joint alteration in the sense of time, space and body. Here, we set out to study the unique experiences of alteration in the sense of time and space by collaborating with a select group of 12 long-term Mindfulness meditation practitioners in a neurophenomenological setup, utilizing first-person data to guide the neural analyses. We hypothesized that the underlying neural activity accompanying alterations in the sense of time and space would be related to alterations in bodily processing.The participants were asked to volitionally bring about distinct states of 'Timelessness' (outside time) and 'Spacelessness' (outside space) while their brain activity was recorded by MEG. In order to rule out the involvement of attention, memory or imagination, we used control states of 'Then' (past) and 'There' (another place). MEG sensors evidencing alterations in power values were identified, and the brain regions underlying these changes were estimated via spatial filtering (beamforming). Particularly, we searched for similar neural activity hypothesized to underlie both the state of 'Timelessness' and 'Spacelessness'. The results were mostly confined to the theta band, and showed that: 1) the 'Then' / 'There' overlap yielded activity in regions related to autobiographic memory and imagery (right posterior parietal lobule, right precentral / middle frontal gyrus, bilateral precuneus); 2) 'Timelessness' / 'Spacelessness' conditions overlapped in a different network, related to alterations in the sense of the body (posterior cingulate, right temporoparietal junction, cerebellum); and 3) phenomenologically-guided neural analyses enabled us to dissociate different levels of alterations in the sense of the body. This study illustrates the utility of employing experienced contemplative practitioners within a neurophenomen
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 95
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists PLoS One May 24, 2017
- Psychedelics, Meditation, and Self-Consciousness Frontiers in Psychology September 4, 2018
- From many to (n)one: Meditation and the plasticity of the predictive mind. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews September 1, 2021
- Studying the experience of meditation through Micro-phenomenology Current Opinion in Psychology October 25, 2018
and 90 more in the library
Cites 20
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- Out‐of‐body experience and autoscopy of neurological origin Brain January 15, 2004
- The Out-of-Body Experience: Disturbed Self-Processing at the Temporo-Parietal Junction The Neuroscientist January 4, 2005
- Psychobiology of Altered States of Consciousness. Psychological Bulletin 2005
- AN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC STUDY ON THE ZEN MEDITATION (ZAZEN) Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences December 1, 1966
and 15 more in the library