Meditation-Induced States, Vagal Tone, and Breathing Activity Are Related to Changes in Auditory Temporal Integration
Damisela Linares Gutierrez, Sebastian L. Kübel, Anne Giersch, Stefan Schmidt, Karin Meissner, Marc Wittmann
Behavioral Sciences May 16, 2019 DOI: 10.3390/bs9050051 (opens in new tab) via DOAJ
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractMeditation alters how the brain integrates auditory beats over time, and these changes are linked to heart and breathing activity. In a pre-post longitudinal study, mindfulness meditators either meditated or listened to a story while heart and breathing were recorded. After meditation, the duration of temporal integration increased for the slowest metronome frequency (3-second intervals). Higher heart-rate variability (RMSSD) during meditation predicted longer integration at the fastest frequency (0.33-second intervals), while higher breathing rate predicted greater integration at 1-second intervals. The findings support the idea that meditation-induced physiological changes shape the temporal integration of sensory events, illustrating the embodiment of mental functioning.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Pre-post longitudinal study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 84 |
| Population | Mindfulness meditators |
| Intervention | meditation |
| Keywords | Mindfulness meditation Heart-rate variability Breathing rate Auditory temporal integration Present moment |
| Key finding | Meditation increased the duration of temporal integration intervals at the slowest metronome frequency (ISI = 3 s), and heart-rate variability and breathing rate during meditation predicted integration at faster frequencies. |
Abstract
This study is based on the relationship between meditation, the present moment, and psychophysiology. We employed the metronome task to operationalize the extension of the present moment. A pre-post longitudinal study was conducted. The performance in the metronome task was compared before and after the interventions (meditation, story). The aim was to assess whether physiological changes (heart, breathing) during meditation influence the temporal-integration (TI) of metronome beats. Mindfulness meditators either meditated (n = 41) or listened to a story (n = 43). The heart and breathing activity were recorded during the intervention and compared to a resting-state condition. By applying path analyses we found that meditation led to an increase of the duration of integration intervals at the slowest metronome frequency (inter-stimulus interval, ISI = 3 s). After meditation, the higher the heart-rate variability (i.e., the root mean square of successive differences, RMSSD), the longer the duration of integration intervals at the fastest frequency (ISI = 0.33 s). Moreover, the higher the breathing rate during meditation, the greater the integration of intervals at ISI = 1 s. These findings add evidence to meditation-induced changes on the TI of metronome beats and the concept of the embodiment of mental functioning.