University of Sussex
Browse
DOCUMENT
niw007.full.pdf (211 kB)
DOCUMENT
niw007.pdf (255.28 kB)
1/0
2 files

Metacognition of intentions in mindfulness and hypnosis

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 01:49 authored by Peter LushPeter Lush, Peter Naish, Zoltan DienesZoltan Dienes
In a famous series of experiments, Libet investigated the subjective timing of awareness of an intention to move, a task that can be considered a metacognitive judgement. The ability to strategically produce inaccurate metacognitions about intentions has been postulated to be central to the changes in judgements of agency common to all hypnotic responding. Therefore, differences in hypnotisability may be reflected in Libet’s measure. Specifically, the ability to sustain inaccurate judgements of agency displayed by highly hypnotisable people may result from their having coarser higher order representations of intentions. They therefore should report a delayed time of intention relative to less hypnotisable individuals. Conversely, mindfulness practice aims at accurate metacognition, including of intentions, and may lead to the development of finer grained higher order representations of intending. Thus, the long-term practice of mindfulness may produce an earlier judgement of the time of an intention. We tested these groups using Libet’s task, and found that, consistent with predictions, highly hypnotisable people reported a later time of intention than less hypnotisable people and meditators an earlier time than non-meditators. In a further two studies we replicated the finding that hypnotisable people report later awareness of a motor intention and additionally found a negative relationship between trait mindfulness and this measure. Based on these findings, we argue that hypnotic response and meditation involve opposite processes.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Journal

Neuroscience of Consciousness

ISSN

2057-2107

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Issue

1

Volume

2016

Page range

1-10

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2016-06-21

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2016-08-09

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2016-06-21

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC