Mindfulness-induced selflessness: a MEG neurophenomenological study - PubMed (original) (raw)

Mindfulness-induced selflessness: a MEG neurophenomenological study

Yair Dor-Ziderman et al. Front Hum Neurosci. 2013.

Abstract

Contemporary philosophical and neurocognitive studies of the self have dissociated two distinct types of self-awareness: a "narrative" self-awareness (NS) weaving together episodic memory, future planning and self-evaluation into a coherent self-narrative and identity, and a "minimal" self-awareness (MS) focused on present momentary experience and closely tied to the sense of agency and ownership. Long-term Buddhist meditation practice aims at realization of a "selfless" mode of awareness (SL), where identification with a static sense of self is replaced by identification with the phenomenon of experiencing itself. NS-mediating mechanisms have been explored by neuroimaging, mainly fMRI, implicating prefrontal midline structures, but MS processes are not well characterized and SL even less so. To this end we tested 12 long-term mindfulness meditators using a neurophenomenological study design, incorporating both magnetoencephalogram (MEG) recordings and first person descriptions. We found that (1) NS attenuation involves extensive frontal, and medial prefrontal gamma band (60-80 Hz) power decreases, consistent with fMRI and intracranial EEG findings; (2) MS attenuation is related to beta-band (13-25 Hz) power decreases in a network that includes ventral medial prefrontal, medial posterior and lateral parietal regions; and (3) the experience of selflessness is linked to attenuation of beta-band activity in the right inferior parietal lobule. These results highlight the role of dissociable frequency-dependent networks in supporting different modes of self-processing, and the utility of combining phenomenology, mindfulness training and electrophysiological neuroimaging for characterizing self-awareness.

Keywords: MEG; beta frequency band; mindfulness meditation; minimal self; narrative self; neurophenomenology; right inferior parietal lobule; self-awareness.

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Figures

Figure 1

Figure 1

Working model of self-awareness modes. NS, MS and SL as encapsulated processing modes.

Figure 2

Figure 2

Emotional content during NS, MS, and SL. Distribution of emotional content among participants (_x_-axis) during NS, MS, and SL (_y_-axis). Note the marked difference between NS and other 2 conditions regarding negative and mixed vs. neutral emotions.

Figure 3

Figure 3

2D scalp maps of frequency bands with significant power PSC. 2D topographic representations of significant sensor-level power PSC for the NS vs. MS high-gamma 60–80 Hz (left), and MS vs. SL beta 13–25 Hz (right). Dots on the map represent sensors; color bar scale indicates PSC from 0.2 (dark red) to −0.2 (dark blue).

Figure 4

Figure 4

NS vs. MS beamforming source estimates in the gamma (60–80 Hz) and beta (13–25 Hz) frequency bands. Axial, sagittal, and coronal views (left to right) of group (n = 12) PSC source estimates overlayed on the Colin template. Note that in all images right and left sides are crossed. Color bar indicates PSC degree. Gamma band clusters: Cluster A is presented in 2 views. Crosshairs in (A1) are on the right medial anterior cingulate, and in (A2) on the left thalamus. Cluster B is presented in 2 views. Crosshairs in (B1) are on the left anterior cingulate, and in (B2) on the right anterior medial prefrontal cortex. Beta band clusters: Crosshairs in (C1) are on the right fusiform gyrus, and in (C2) on the left middle occipital gyrus.

Figure 5

Figure 5

MS vs. SL beamforming source estimates in the beta (13–25 Hz) band. Axial, sagittal, and coronal views (left to right) of group (N = 12) SAM pseudo-F source estimates overlayed on the Colin template. Note that in all images right and left sides are crossed. Color bar indicates PSC degree. Cluster A reveals prefrontal deactivations in two views: the crosshairs in (A1) are on the left anterior medial prefrontal gyrus, and in (A2) on the right subgenual anterior cingulate. Cluster (B) shows deactivation in the posterior medial cortex, with the crosshairs pinpointing the right precuneus. Cluster (C) shows deactivation in the left thalamus; and clusters (D) and (E) deactivations in the right and left inferior parietal lobules, respectively.

Figure 6

Figure 6

Phenomenological categories and meditative expertise chart. Participants (_x_-axis) are plotted as a function of meditative expertise (_y_-axis) from least to most -experienced. The meditation experience measure is a normalized (0–1) measure incorporating both years and hours of meditation practice. Colors indicate phenomenological category of participants' SL description (blue = LO [Lack-of-ownership], green = AE [Altered-experience], yellow = LH [Less-happening], white = unclear). Note the increase in meditative expertise for the LO group (circled in red).

Figure 7

Figure 7

LO source estimates. Sagittal and coronal views of significant (*p < 0.02, corrected) LO source estimates (n = 4) relative to the other participants (n = 6, not including “unclear” category), overlayed on the Colin template. Crosshairs are in (A) on the right IPL; and in (B) on the left dorsomedial thalamus. The table provides Talairach coordinates, PSC, and other cluster details.

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