NeuCoSe | The neural correlates of the self in altered states of consciousness.

Summary
The consciousness of self is fundamental to our human existence. In several mental health afflictions there appears to be a change in the relation between the self and conscious experience: in anxiety and depression, people can be absorbed in negative thoughts, while in (traumatic) dissociation, distance between the self and conscious experience can occur. Studies report that meditation and hypnosis can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress, but it is unclear why. I hypothesise that meditation and hypnosis change the relation between the self and the conscious experience. I aim to study the neural correlates of these changes in self-consciousness during meditative and hypnotic states with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in healthy controls and intracranial electroencephalography in people with epilepsy, which is the only way to directly measure the activity of deep brain structures thought to play a role in self-consciousness, such as the insula. I will combine these measurements with first-person interviews and behavioural tasks. This innovative study will elucidate the neural correlates of the consciousness of self and will help understand the reported beneficial effects of meditation and hypnosis on mental health.
Unfold all
/
Fold all
More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/749582
Start date: 21-06-2017
End date: 20-06-2019
Total budget - Public funding: 185 076,00 Euro - 185 076,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

The consciousness of self is fundamental to our human existence. In several mental health afflictions there appears to be a change in the relation between the self and conscious experience: in anxiety and depression, people can be absorbed in negative thoughts, while in (traumatic) dissociation, distance between the self and conscious experience can occur. Studies report that meditation and hypnosis can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress, but it is unclear why. I hypothesise that meditation and hypnosis change the relation between the self and the conscious experience. I aim to study the neural correlates of these changes in self-consciousness during meditative and hypnotic states with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in healthy controls and intracranial electroencephalography in people with epilepsy, which is the only way to directly measure the activity of deep brain structures thought to play a role in self-consciousness, such as the insula. I will combine these measurements with first-person interviews and behavioural tasks. This innovative study will elucidate the neural correlates of the consciousness of self and will help understand the reported beneficial effects of meditation and hypnosis on mental health.

Status

CLOSED

Call topic

MSCA-IF-2016

Update Date

28-04-2024
Images
No images available.
Geographical location(s)
Structured mapping
Unfold all
/
Fold all
Horizon 2020
H2020-EU.1. EXCELLENT SCIENCE
H2020-EU.1.3. EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
H2020-EU.1.3.2. Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
H2020-MSCA-IF-2016
MSCA-IF-2016