The Impact of a Short Body–Focused Meditation on Body Ownership and Interoceptive Abilities

Abstract Objectives The aim of the present study was to investigate effects a brief body-focused meditation on body ownership, while considering interoceptive abilities, dissociative experiences, mood, trait mindfulness, and experience. Method sample consisted 111 healthy students who participated in randomized controlled trial either listened 20-min or audio-book reading. Before after intervention, rubber hand illusion heartbeat detection task were completed. synchronous an asynchronous condition intensity measured using questionnaire by assessing proprioceptive drift. In task, participants instructed count their heartbeats, so accuracy counting, confidence own abilities (interoceptive sensibility), correspondence between both measures awareness) could be determined. Results intervention type had no effect mood abilities. Independent type, valence increased, arousal decreased, sensibility improved over time. Additionally, mindfulness negatively related subjective intensity. There not mere illusion, but interaction synchrony, time, group, awareness found for measures, showing that only with high experienced weaker following meditation. Conclusions We concluded meta-awareness may help protecting oneself against manipulations boundaries. Preregistration Open Science Framework ( https://osf.io/6dvh5 ).