Modulation of sensory attenuation by intensive meditation practice: an active inference perspective
Arnaud Poublan-Couzardot, Alexandre Foncelle, Éric Koun, Y. Rossetti, Oussama Abdoun, Giuseppe Pagnoni, Antoine Lutz
Neuroscience of Consciousness November 7, 2025 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niaf051 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal controlled study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 42 |
| Population | Experienced meditators |
| Intervention | 10-day mindfulness meditation retreat |
| Duration | 10-day retreat, with measurements before (T1), during (T2), and three weeks after (T3) |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Habituation Somatosensory system Inference Stimulus psychology Primary motor cortex Motor control Proprioception Cognitive psychology Audiology Agoraphobia Perspective graphical Developmental psychology Attenuation Trait |
| Key findings | Intensive meditation practice did not globally reduce somatosensory attenuation but appeared to affect habituation and prior expectation formation in the force-matching task. |
Abstract
Active inference describes motor action as a prediction-driven inferential process, whereby ascending proprioceptive prediction errors are attenuated to allow the fulfillment of expected movement. Meditative practices typically involve a heightened attention to bodily sensations, begging the question of whether this could partially offset the normal proprioceptive suppression during a simple motor act. In this study, 42 experienced meditators completed a tactile force-matching task, designed to measure somatosensory attenuation. The active group ([Formula: see text]) performed the task before (T1), during (T2), and three weeks after (T3) an intensive 10-day mindfulness meditation retreat, while a control waiting list group ([Formula: see text]) was also measured three times, but before participating in the retreat. Analysis of T1 data confirmed the presence of a general somatosensory attenuation effect across groups, which correlated negatively with pre-retreat trait measures of mindfulness, as predicted by our hypothesis. Contrary to our expectations, however, longitudinal analyses did not reveal a global reduction in somatosensory attenuation as an effect of intensive meditation practice. We observed instead a subtler regression-to-the-mean effect at T1, which increased with task repetition in control participants (T1>T2>T3), a training-related phenomenon not previously reported for the force-matching task. Interestingly, this habituation behavior was not shown by the active participants, who maintained the level of regression-to-the-mean observed at baseline at T2, suggesting that the formation of prior expectations about the presented force intensity may be affected by the retreat. We discuss how multiple, opposite effects of meditation on proprioceptive active inference mechanisms, and/or an alteration of prior formation and their influence, may explain these findings.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cites 21
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Investigating the phenomenological matrix of mindfulness-related practices from a neurocognitive perspective. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Interoception, contemplative practice, and health Frontiers in Psychology June 9, 2015
- Meditation Experience Predicts Introspective Accuracy PLoS One September 25, 2012
and 16 more in the library