How does it feel to lack a sense of boundaries? A case study of a long-term mindfulness meditator.
Yochai Ataria, Yair Dor-Ziderman, Aviva Berkovich-Ohana
Consciousness and cognition December 1, 2015 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2015.09.002 via PubMed
Summary
The paper explores the phenomenological nature of the sense of boundaries through the experiences of an individual with 40 years of mindfulness meditation practice. This person described three stages: the default state, the dissolving of the sense of boundaries, and its complete disappearance. Seven categories were identified as changing during these shifts, including senses of self, agency, and ownership. Notably, some aspects like bodily feelings remain even when the sense of boundaries fades.
Study at a glance
| Sample size | 1 |
|---|---|
| Population | an individual with extensive mindfulness meditation experience |
| Key finding | Seven categories related to the sense of boundaries change during meditative shifts, while some bodily feelings persist even when the sense of boundaries disappears. |
Abstract
This paper discusses the phenomenological nature of the sense of boundaries (SB), based on the case of S, who has practiced mindfulness in the Satipathana and Theravada Vipassana traditions for about 40years and accumulated around 20,000h of meditative practice. S's unique abilities enable him to describe his inner lived experience with great precision and clarity. S was asked to shift between three different stages: (a) the default state, (b) the dissolving of the SB, and (c) the disappearance of the SB. Based on his descriptions, we identified seven categories (with some overlap) that alter during the shifts between these stages, including the senses of: (1) internal versus external, (2) time, (3) location, (4) self, (5) agency (control), (6) ownership, and (7) center (first-person-egocentric-bodily perspective). Two other categories, the touching/touched structure and one's bodily feelings, do not fade away completely even when the sense-of-boundaries disappears.