Meditation and interoception: a conceptual framework for the narrative and experiential self

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• The concept of self lacks consensus, with emerging evidence for distinct narrative and experiential selves.
• The narrative self involves self-reflection and personality, while the experiential self relates to moment-to-moment awareness and agency.
• These selves are linked to specific neural networks: the default mode network (DMN) and the insula/salience network (SN).

Purpose of the Study:

• To review how meditation impacts the neural circuits associated with the narrative and experiential selves.
• To propose a conceptual framework for understanding meditation-induced changes in self-perception.
• To account for variability in findings within meditation research.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of neuroscience, psychology, and mindfulness studies.
• Analysis of neural correlates of the narrative and experiential selves.
• Synthesis of findings to propose a theoretical framework.

Main Results:

• Meditation demonstrably alters activity in the DMN and SN, key networks for self-processing.
• Changes in these neural circuits provide a mechanism for shifts in both narrative and experiential self-awareness.
• The proposed framework integrates existing data, offering explanations for diverse outcomes in meditation research.

Conclusions:

• Meditation offers a pathway to modify self-perception by altering underlying neural circuitry.
• Understanding the interplay between the narrative and experiential selves, and their neural bases, is crucial for interpreting meditation's effects.
• This work provides a foundation for future research into the neurobiological mechanisms of self-transformation through contemplative practices.