Change in Time Perception Following the Place of Pre-Existence Technique
Andrea Pintimalli, Joseph Glicksohn, Fabio Marson, Tania di Giuseppe, Tal Dotan Ben-Soussan
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health February 16, 2023 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043509 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post research design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 280 |
| Population | Participants with a mean age of 47.09 years (SD = 10.13), comprising 127 males and 153 females |
| Interventions | Place of Pre-Existence technique (PPEt) non-dual meditation |
| Measures | Subjective Time, Self, Space inventory |
| Citations | 8 |
| Key points | Following the Place of Pre-Existence technique, participants perceived time as slowing down while time intensity, relaxation, awareness of space, and awareness of body increased. Awareness of space was modulated by biological sex and meditation expertise, with males showing decreased spatial awareness as expertise increased and females showing the opposite pattern. Time speed and intensity correlated with body and space awareness, and relaxation correlated with time intensity. |
Abstract
Time perception is closely related to spatial and bodily perception, yet little is known about how this interrelationship is impacted by meditation and biological sex. To examine this, we studied the effects of a stepwise application of three meditation techniques, from focused attention, to open monitoring to non-dual meditation, encompassed in the Place of Pre-Existence technique (PPEt) on the subjective perception of time, space and body using a pre-post research design. A total of 280 participants (mean age = 47.09 years; SD = 10.13; 127:153 males to females) completed the Subjective Time, Self, Space inventory before and after PPEt. Following PPEt, participants perceived time passing as slowing down, while time intensity, relaxation, 'awareness of space' and 'awareness of body' increased, suggesting heightened mindfulness to these constructs following the training. Awareness of space revealed to be modulated by biological sex and meditation expertise, with males showing a decrease of spatial awareness as a function of meditation expertise while females showed an opposite pattern. The speed and intensity of the experience of time both correlated with body and space awareness. In line with previous studies demonstrating a connection between relaxation and perception of time, a significant correlation was found between relaxation and the subjective experience of the intensity of time. The current results are discussed in the context of the embodied experience of time, and the Sphere Model of Consciousness.