Nonlinear brain correlates of trait self-boundarylessness

Lena Lindström, Philippe Goldin, Johan Mårtensson, Etzel Cardeña

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

70 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Alterations of the sense of self induced by meditation include an increased sense of boundarylessness. In this study, we investigated
behavioural and functional magnetic resonance imaging correlates of trait self-boundarylessness during resting state and the performance
of two experimental tasks. We found that boundarylessness correlated with greater self-endorsement of words related to fluidity
and with longer response times in a math task. Boundarylessness also correlated negatively with brain activity in the posterior cingulate
cortex/precuneus during mind-wandering compared to a task targeting a minimal sense of self. Interestingly, boundarylessness
showed quadratic relations to several measures. Participants reporting low or high boundarylessness, as compared to those in between,
showed higher functional connectivity within the default mode network during rest, less brain activity in the medial prefrontal cortex
during self-referential word processing, and less self-endorsement of words related to constancy. We relate these results to our previous
findings of a quadratic relation between boundarylessness and the sense of perspectival ownership of experience. Additionally,
an instruction to direct attention to the centre of experience elicited brain activation similar to that of meditation onset, including
increases in anterior precentral gyrus and anterior insula and decreases in default mode network areas, for both non-meditators and
experienced meditators.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages13
JournalNeuroscience of Consciousness
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

Subject classification (UKÄ)

  • Psychology
  • Neurosciences

Free keywords

  • self-boundaries
  • fMRI
  • self-referential processing

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Nonlinear brain correlates of trait self-boundarylessness'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this