Non-dual awareness and sensory processing in meditators: Insights from startle reflex modulation
Consciousness and Cognition July 8, 2024 Veena Kumari, Umisha Tailor, A. Saifullah et al. 5 citations
Startle modulation, specifically habituation and prepulse inhibition (PPI), reflects early sensory processing in the brain. In a comparison of regular meditators (32 individuals) and meditation-naïve individuals (36 individuals), no significant group differences emerged in either habituation or PPI. However, among meditators, those who reported being able to sustain non-dual awareness during practice (18 individuals) showed significantly greater PPI than those who could not (14 individuals). These results suggest that subjective differences in meditation experience may relate to distinct sensory processing characteristics.