Comparing embodiment experiences in expert meditators and non-meditators using the rubber hand illusion.
A Xu, B H Cullen, C Penner, Chloe S. Zimmerman, Catherine E. Kerr, Laura Schmalzl
Consciousness and Cognition October 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2018.09.003 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational comparative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Experienced meditators (n = 15) and non-meditators (n = 15) |
| Measures | Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) |
| Keywords | Bodily self Embodiment Interoceptive awareness Mindfulness meditation Rubber hand illusion |
| Key findings | Meditators reported less intense rubber hand ownership than non-meditators, while disownership of the real hand and finger proprioceptive drift did not differ significantly between groups. MAIA results linked disownership experiences to trusting one's body in non-meditators and to maintaining attention to unpleasant bodily sensations in meditators, which the authors suggest indicates a unique relationship between interoceptive awareness and embodiment related to meditation. |
Abstract
One assessment of embodiment is the rubber hand illusion (RHI), a visuo-tactile illusion in which individuals attribute a sense of ownership to a rubber hand and disownership to their real hand. Interestingly, interoception seems to influence RHI susceptibility. In this study, we administered the RHI and the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) to examine embodiment experiences and interoceptive awareness in experienced meditators (n = 15) and non-meditators (n = 15). We found that meditators reported less intensity in rubber hand ownership, but there was no significant difference between groups with respect to disownership of their real hand or drift in finger proprioception. Moreover, we found, from our MAIA results, that disownership experiences were associated with a feeling of trusting one's body in non-meditators and with the ability to maintain attention to unpleasant bodily sensations in meditators. These results suggest a unique relationship between interoceptive awareness and embodiment related to meditation.
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- The relationship between mindfulness and objective measures of body awareness: A meta-analysis Scientific Reports November 22, 2019
- Advanced and long-term meditation and the autonomic nervous system: A review and synthesis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews June 1, 2025
- Mindfulness and Objective Measures of Body Awareness: A Preregistered Systematic Review and Multilevel Meta-Analysis. Biopsychosocial science and medicine May 1, 2025
- From Confound to Clinical Tool: Mindfulness and the Observer Effect in Research and Therapy. Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging April 1, 2025
- Cognitive Illusion, Lucid Dreaming, and the Psychology of Metaphor in Tibetan Buddhist Dzogchen Contemplative Practices International Journal of Transpersonal Studies February 20, 2024
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Cites 16
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