Follow your breath: respiratory interoceptive accuracy in experienced meditators.
Jennifer Daubenmier, Jocelyn A. Sze, Catherine E. Kerr, Margaret E Kemeny, Wolf Mehling
Psychophysiology May 22, 2013 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12057 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational comparison study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Meditators and nonmeditators |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Airway resistance Tidal volume Self concept Psychomotor performance Attention Respiratory mechanics Adult Middle aged Female Discrimination, psychological Respiration Interoceptive accuracy Interoceptive awareness |
| Key findings | Meditators and nonmeditators did not differ in overall detection and discrimination of respiratory resistive loads, but meditators were more accurate on the lowest-ceiling load and on nondistracted tracking at a 1-second lag. The authors argue this provides initial support for greater respiratory interoceptive accuracy in meditators. |
Abstract
Attention to internal bodily sensations is a core feature of mindfulness meditation. Previous studies have not detected differences in interoceptive accuracy between meditators and nonmeditators on heartbeat detection and perception tasks. We compared differences in respiratory interoceptive accuracy between meditators and nonmeditators in the ability to detect and discriminate respiratory resistive loads and sustain accurate perception of respiratory tidal volume during nondistracted and distracted conditions. Groups did not differ in overall performance on the detection and discrimination tasks; however, meditators were more accurate in discriminating the resistive load with the lowest ceiling effect. Meditators were also more accurate during the nondistracted tracking task at a lag time of 1 s following the breath. Results provide initial support for the notion that meditators have greater respiratory interoceptive accuracy compared to nonmeditators.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Patients with a depressive disorder | 2015 | Observational study | |
| Patterning of Cognitive and Somatic Processes in the Self-Regulation of Anxiety: Effects of Meditation versus Exercise Regular practitioners of physical exercise or meditation | 1978 | Retrospective study | n = 77 |
| Dynamic coupling of whole-brain neuronal and neurotransmitter systems Healthy humans | 2020 | Observational study | |
| Psychedelics not linked to mental health problems or suicidal behavior: A population study Randomly selected United States adults | 2015 | Observational cohort | n = 135,095 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 38
- 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
- Future directions in meditation research: Recommendations for expanding the field of contemplative science PLoS One November 7, 2018
- Long-term mindfulness training is associated with reliable differences in resting respiration rate Scientific Reports June 7, 2016
- The relationship between mindfulness and objective measures of body awareness: A meta-analysis Scientific Reports November 22, 2019
and 33 more in the library
Cites 27
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Neuroreport November 7, 2005
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 2004
- Attending to the present: mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience August 13, 2007
- Mental Training Affects Distribution of Limited Brain Resources PLoS Biology May 4, 2007
and 22 more in the library