Differential changes in self-reported aspects of interoceptive awareness through 3 months of contemplative training

Abstract

Interoceptive body awareness (IA) is crucial for psychological well-being and plays an important role in many contemplative traditions. However, until recently, standardized selfreport measures of IA were scarce, not comprehensive, and the effects of interoceptive training on such measures were largely unknown. The Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) questionnaire measures IA with eight different scales. In the current study, we investigated whether and how these different aspects of IA are influenced by a 3-months contemplative intervention in the context of the ReSource project, in which 148 subjects engaged in daily practices of "Body Scan" and "Breath Meditation." We developed a German version of the MAIA and tested it in a large and diverse sample (n = 1,076). Internal consistencies were similar to the English version (0.56-0.89), retest reliability was high (r s: 0.66-0.79), and the MAIA showed good convergent and discriminant validity. Importantly, interoceptive training improved five out of eight aspects of IA, compared to a retest control group. Participants with low IA scores at baseline showed the biggest changes. Whereas practice duration only weakly predicted individual differences in change, self-reported liking of the practices and degree of integration into daily life predicted changes on most scales. Interestingly, the magnitude of observed changes varied across scales. The strongest changes were observed for the regulatory aspects of IA, that is, how the body is used for self-regulation in daily life. No significant changes were observed for the Noticing aspect (becoming aware of bodily changes), which is the aspect that is predominantly assessed in other IA measures. This differential pattern underscores the importance to assess IA multi-dimensionally, particularly when interested in enhancement of IA through contemplative practice or other mind-body interventions.

Taking time to feel our body: Steady increases in heartbeat perception accuracy and decreases in alexithymia over 9 months of contemplative mental training

“…Furthermore, we did not consistently observe relationships between practice intensity (how often or long participants practiced) and changes in HBPa (only in TC2 during the Presence module). This is in accordance with an earlier study in the context of the ReSource Project (Bornemann, Herbert, Mehling, & Singer, ) as well as several previous longitudinal studies of contemplative practice (Carmody & Baer, ; Hofmann, Sawyer, Witt, & Oh, ; Jensen, Vangkilde, Frokjaer, & Hasselbalch, ; but also see Carmody & Baer, ; Pace et al, ; Rosenzweig et al, ; Shapiro, Oman, Thoresen, Plante, & Flinders, ). We assume that variance in practice intensity was too small to demonstrate dose‐dependent effects due to the generally high compliance of participants in the ReSource Project.…”

Psychometric Evaluation and Norms for the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA) in a Clinical Eating Disorders Sample

“…Also consistent with prior research (Bornemann, Herbert, Mehling, & Singer, ; Mehling et al, , ; Valenzuela‐Moguillansky & Reyes‐Reyes, ), we found that four out of eight subscales demonstrated good internal consistency. In addition, questionable internal consistency of the Not Worrying and Not Distracting subscales is in line with numerous similar findings that have prompted Mehling and colleagues () to continue to refine these subscales.…”

Associations of Mindfulness with Glucose Regulation and Diabetes

“…22 Plausible mechanisms include craving (eg, for palatable foods and sedentary activities), 19,20,22 stress response (particularly related to diabetes risk factors, such as impacts of stress on palatable food consumption), 23 sense of control (eg, a person’s sense of efficacy in carrying out goals related to diabetes prevention, such as diet or physical activity regimen adherence), 18 and awareness of present moment experiences (eg, including body awareness of how the body feels after consuming certain types/amounts of foods and engaging in physical activities). 24–26 Observational studies suggest that lipids, hypertension, smoking, depression and socioeconomic status also can improve risk prediction for type 2 diabetes, although their causal role in the development of type 2 diabetes is less clear. 14,27 These may be additional plausible mechanisms of how mindfulness could influence glucose regulation.…”