Reconstructing and deconstructing the self: cognitive mechanisms in meditation practice

doi:10.1016/j.tics.2015.07.001

Review

. 2015 Sep;19(9):515-23.

doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.07.001. Epub 2015 Jul 28.

Reconstructing and deconstructing the self: cognitive mechanisms in meditation practice

Cortland J Dahl¹, Antoine Lutz², Richard J Davidson³

Affiliations

¹ Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA; Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA.
² Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA; Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA; Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon, France; Lyon 1 University, Lyon, France.
³ Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA; Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 26231761
PMCID: PMC4595910
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.07.001

Review

Reconstructing and deconstructing the self: cognitive mechanisms in meditation practice

Cortland J Dahl et al. Trends Cogn Sci. 2015 Sep.

. 2015 Sep;19(9):515-23.

doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.07.001. Epub 2015 Jul 28.

Authors

Cortland J Dahl¹, Antoine Lutz², Richard J Davidson³

Affiliations

¹ Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA; Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA.
² Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA; Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA; Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Lyon, France; Lyon 1 University, Lyon, France.
³ Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA; Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 26231761
PMCID: PMC4595910
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.07.001

Abstract

Scientific research highlights the central role of specific psychological processes, in particular those related to the self, in various forms of human suffering and flourishing. This view is shared by Buddhism and other contemplative and humanistic traditions, which have developed meditation practices to regulate these processes. Building on a previous paper in this journal, we propose a novel classification system that categorizes specific styles of meditation into attentional, constructive, and deconstructive families based on their primary cognitive mechanisms. We suggest that meta-awareness, perspective taking and cognitive reappraisal, and self-inquiry may be important mechanisms in specific families of meditation and that alterations in these processes may be used to target states of experiential fusion, maladaptive self-schema, and cognitive reification.

Keywords: experiential fusion; insight; meditation; meta-awareness; mindfulness; self-inquiry.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

Affect and Motivation Are Critical in Constructive Meditation.
Engen HG, Singer T. Engen HG, et al. Trends Cogn Sci. 2016 Mar;20(3):159-160. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.11.004. Epub 2015 Dec 11. Trends Cogn Sci. 2016. PMID: 26686556 No abstract available.
Cognitive Processes Are Central in Compassion Meditation.
Dahl CJ, Lutz A, Davidson RJ. Dahl CJ, et al. Trends Cogn Sci. 2016 Mar;20(3):161-162. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.12.005. Epub 2016 Jan 4. Trends Cogn Sci. 2016. PMID: 26762882 No abstract available.

Cited by

EcoMeditation Modifies Brain Resting State Network Activity.
Stapleton P, Church D, Baumann O, Sabot D. Stapleton P, et al. Innov Clin Neurosci. 2022 Jul-Sep;19(7-9):61-70. Innov Clin Neurosci. 2022. PMID: 36204165 Free PMC article.
How often should I meditate? A randomized trial examining the role of meditation frequency when total amount of meditation is held constant.
Riordan KM, Simonsson O, Frye C, Vack NJ, Sachs J, Fitch D, Goldman RI, Chiang ES, Dahl CJ, Davidson RJ, Goldberg SB. Riordan KM, et al. J Couns Psychol. 2024 Mar;71(2):104-114. doi: 10.1037/cou0000725. J Couns Psychol. 2024. PMID: 38376930 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
Comparing Web-Based Mindfulness With Loving-Kindness and Compassion Training for Promoting Well-Being in Pregnancy: Protocol for a Three-Arm Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
Finlay-Jones AL, Davis JA, O'Donovan A, Kottampally K, Ashley RA, Silva D, Ohan JL, Prescott SL, Downs J. Finlay-Jones AL, et al. JMIR Res Protoc. 2020 Oct 14;9(10):e19803. doi: 10.2196/19803. JMIR Res Protoc. 2020. PMID: 33052131 Free PMC article.
Are explicit and implicit affective attitudes toward different body shape categories related to the own body-satisfaction in young women? The role of mindfulness, self-compassion and social media activity.
Jansen P, Schroter FA, Hofmann P. Jansen P, et al. Psychol Res. 2022 Apr;86(3):698-710. doi: 10.1007/s00426-021-01536-z. Epub 2021 Jun 11. Psychol Res. 2022. PMID: 34115191 Free PMC article.
Does Meditation Alter Brain Responses to Negative Stimuli? A Systematic Review.
Magalhaes AA, Oliveira L, Pereira MG, Menezes CB. Magalhaes AA, et al. Front Hum Neurosci. 2018 Nov 13;12:448. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00448. eCollection 2018. Front Hum Neurosci. 2018. PMID: 30483083 Free PMC article.

See all "Cited by" articles

References

1. Diener E, et al. Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychol. Bull. 1999;125:276–302.
1. Ryff CD. Psychological well-being revisited: advances in the science and practice of eudaimonia. Psychother. Psychosom. 2014;83:10–28. - PMC - PubMed
1. Leiberg S, et al. Short-term compassion training increases prosocial behavior in a newly developed prosocial game. PLoS One. 2011;6:e17798. - PMC - PubMed
1. Hoge E. a., et al. Loving-Kindness Meditation practice associated with longer telomeres in women. Brain. Behav. Immun. 2013;32:159–63. - PubMed
1. Goyal M, et al. Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Intern. Med. 2014;174:357–68. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Actions
Actions
Actions

MeSH terms

Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions
Actions

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
- scite Smart Citations

[1] Diener E, et al. Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychol. Bull. 1999;125:276–302.

[2] Diener E, et al. Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychol. Bull. 1999;125:276–302.

[3] Ryff CD. Psychological well-being revisited: advances in the science and practice of eudaimonia. Psychother. Psychosom. 2014;83:10–28. - PMC - PubMed

[4] Ryff CD. Psychological well-being revisited: advances in the science and practice of eudaimonia. Psychother. Psychosom. 2014;83:10–28. - PMC - PubMed

[5] Leiberg S, et al. Short-term compassion training increases prosocial behavior in a newly developed prosocial game. PLoS One. 2011;6:e17798. - PMC - PubMed

[6] Leiberg S, et al. Short-term compassion training increases prosocial behavior in a newly developed prosocial game. PLoS One. 2011;6:e17798. - PMC - PubMed

[7] Hoge E. a., et al. Loving-Kindness Meditation practice associated with longer telomeres in women. Brain. Behav. Immun. 2013;32:159–63. - PubMed

[8] Hoge E. a., et al. Loving-Kindness Meditation practice associated with longer telomeres in women. Brain. Behav. Immun. 2013;32:159–63. - PubMed

[9] Goyal M, et al. Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Intern. Med. 2014;174:357–68. - PMC - PubMed

[10] Goyal M, et al. Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Intern. Med. 2014;174:357–68. - PMC - PubMed

Save citation to file

Email citation

Add to Collections

Add to My Bibliography

Your saved search

Create a file for external citation management software

Your RSS Feed

Reconstructing and deconstructing the self: cognitive mechanisms in meditation practice

Affiliations

Reconstructing and deconstructing the self: cognitive mechanisms in meditation practice

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Comment in

Similar articles

Cited by

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Other Literature Sources