Nonlinear brain correlates of trait self-boundarylessness

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Meditation is known to induce alterations in the sense of self, often characterized by an increased sense of boundarylessness.
• Understanding the neural and behavioral correlates of self-boundarylessness is crucial for comprehending the effects of contemplative practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) correlates of trait self-boundarylessness.
• To examine how self-boundarylessness relates to brain activity during resting state and experimental tasks, including mind-wandering and self-referential processing.

Main Methods:

• Behavioral measures including self-endorsement of word categories and response times in a math task.
• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to assess brain activity and functional connectivity during resting state and task performance.
• Comparison of brain activity between mind-wandering and a task targeting a minimal sense of self, and analysis of default mode network (DMN) activity.

Main Results:

• Self-boundarylessness correlated positively with endorsement of 'fluidity' words and negatively with 'constancy' words.
• Quadratic relationships were observed between boundarylessness and measures of DMN connectivity, medial prefrontal cortex activity, and self-endorsement of 'constancy' words.
• Brain activation patterns similar to meditation onset were observed when participants directed attention to the center of experience, irrespective of meditation experience.

Conclusions:

• Trait self-boundarylessness is associated with distinct behavioral patterns and neural activity, particularly within the default mode network and medial prefrontal cortex.
• The findings suggest a complex, non-linear relationship between self-boundarylessness and neural processing, potentially reflecting different states of self-awareness.
• Directing attention to the center of experience can evoke neural changes similar to meditation, highlighting the role of attentional control in modulating self-related processing.