The practice of meditation is not associated with improved interoceptive awareness of the heartbeat.
Sahib S. Khalsa, David Rudrauf, Mahlega S Hassanpour, Richard J. Davidson, Daniel Tranel
Psychophysiology October 1, 2019 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13479 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled experimental study with meta-analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | 15 experienced meditators and 15 nonmeditators, individually matched on age, gender, and body mass index |
| Intervention | Isoproterenol |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Double-blind method Awareness Heart rate Respiration Adult Middle aged Female Meta-analysis as topic Interoception Heartbeat detection |
| Key findings | Meditators did not show greater interoceptive detection rates or accuracy than nonmeditators at any isoproterenol dose, though they tended to report cardiorespiratory sensation changes sooner at higher doses and showed prominent differences in heartbeat localization, disproportionately reporting sensations in central chest, abdomen, neck, back, and head regions. A meta-analysis of 724 participants found little evidence of differences in cardiac interoceptive accuracy. The authors conclude that meditation practice is not associated with improved cardiac interoceptive awareness. |
Abstract
Meditation is commonly assumed to be associated with enhanced interoceptive accuracy. We previously found that experienced meditators did not exhibit a greater ability than nonmeditators to detect heartbeat sensations at rest, despite the meditators' reported subjective ratings of higher accuracy and lower difficulty. Here, attempting to overcome previous methodological limitations, we assessed interoceptive awareness of heartbeat and breathing sensations across physiological arousal levels using infusions of isoproterenol, a beta-adrenergic agonist similar to adrenaline. We hypothesized that meditators would display greater interoceptive awareness than nonmeditators, as evidenced by higher interoceptive detection rates, increased interoceptive accuracy, and differences in localization of heartbeat sensations. We studied 15 meditators and 15 nonmeditators, individually matched on age, gender, and body mass index, using randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled bolus infusions of isoproterenol. Participants reported their experience of heartbeat and breathing sensations using a dial during infusions and the location of heartbeat sensations on a two-dimensional manikin afterward. There was no evidence of higher detection rates or increased accuracy across any dose, although meditators showed a tendency to report cardiorespiratory sensation changes sooner at higher doses. Relative to nonmeditators, meditators exhibited prominent geographical differences in heartbeat localization, disproportionally reporting sensations throughout central regions of the chest, abdomen, neck, back, and head. To further assess indications of potential differences in cardiac interoceptive accuracy between meditators and nonmeditators, we conducted a meta-analysis including 724 participants and found little evidence for such differences. We conclude that the practice of meditation is not associated with improved cardiac interoceptive awareness.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 23
- Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal Cell Reports Medicine 2023
- The relationship between mindfulness and objective measures of body awareness: A meta-analysis Scientific Reports November 22, 2019
- From Self-Esteem to Selflessness: An Evidence (Gap) Map of Self-Related Processes as Mechanisms of Mindfulness-Based Interventions Frontiers in Psychology November 22, 2021
- The impact of a brief mindfulness training on interoception: A randomized controlled trial PLoS One September 7, 2022
- Bridging the gap of brain and experience - Converging Neurophenomenology with Spatiotemporal Neuroscience. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews June 1, 2025
and 18 more in the library
Cites 21
- Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being JAMA Internal Medicine January 6, 2014
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
- Interoception, contemplative practice, and health Frontiers in Psychology June 9, 2015
- The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists PLoS One May 24, 2017
- Mindfulness Meditation and Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology December 11, 2018
and 16 more in the library