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. 2024 Apr 9;14(4):306.
doi: 10.3390/bs14040306.

Mindfulness Affects the Boundaries of Bodily Self-Representation: The Effect of Focused-Attention Meditation in Fading the Boundary of Peripersonal Space

Salvatore Gaetano Chiarella  1   2 , Riccardo De Pastina  3 , Antonino Raffone  3 , Luca Simione  1   4
Affiliations

Mindfulness Affects the Boundaries of Bodily Self-Representation: The Effect of Focused-Attention Meditation in Fading the Boundary of Peripersonal Space

Salvatore Gaetano Chiarella et al. Behav Sci (Basel). .

Abstract

Peripersonal space (PPS) is a dynamic multisensory representation of the space around the body, influenced by internal and external sensory information. The malleability of PPS boundaries, as evidenced by their expansion after tool use or modulation through social interactions, positions PPS as a crucial element in understanding the subjective experiences of self and otherness. Building on the existing literature highlighting both the cognitive and bodily effects of mindfulness meditation, this study proposes a novel approach by employing focused-attention meditation (FAM) and a multisensory audio-tactile task to assess PPS in both the extension and sharpness of its boundaries. The research hypothesis posits that FAM, which emphasizes heightened attention to bodily sensations and interoception, may reduce the extension of PPS and make its boundaries less sharp. We enrolled 26 non-meditators who underwent a repeated measure design in which they completed the PPS task before and after a 15-min FAM induction. We found a significant reduction in the sharpness of PPS boundaries but no significant reduction in PPS extension. These results provide novel insights into the immediate effects of FAM on PPS, potentially shedding light on the modulation of self-other representations in both cognitive and bodily domains. Indeed, our findings could have implications for understanding the intricate relationship between mindfulness practices and the subjective experience of self within spatial contexts.

Keywords: bodily self; focused-attention meditation; mindfulness meditation; peripersonal space.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Representation of the procedure.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Sigmoid fitting on average normalized reaction time (RT) of the group for the audio–tactile task conducted (a) before (left panel) and (b) after the meditation session. Black dots represent actual data points averaged over all the participants. The red and blue lines represent, respectively, sigmoid fitting for the pre- and post-meditation session. The vertical dotted line in each plot represents the corresponding boundary of PPS (as xc) for that session.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Reaction times for each delay in pre- and post-meditation sessions. All measures are reported as mean ± SEM.
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