Table 3.

The self-specifying process in mindfulness from subjects naïve in mindfulness to expert status proficient in the metacognitive skill.

Observed neurophenomenology is dependent on duration of mindfulness training
Status	Duration of meditation training	Behavioral domain	Neurophenomenology of tasks	Putative structures related to neurophenomenology
No experience and novices	0	Mind wandering	Activity independent thoughts	FC bw mPFC, PCC and precuneusa
	On a waitlist for meditation courses	Emotion control	Voluntary suppression	Amygdala connected to dlPFCb
		Emotion control	Mindful self-regulation	Amygdala connected to dmPFCb
↓		Emotion control	Introspection vs. self-reflection	SLF (dmPFC) ↑ and amygdala ↓c
		Mindful disposition Mindful disposition	Expression of mindfulness traits according validated scales	FC bw PCC and Precuneusd FC bw thalamus and PCC (structure)e
		Focused attention	“Distracted” awareness*	BOLD in DMN (↓), mostly in dmPFC ↓f
Initial experience	Months	Open monitoring	Experiential vs. narrative focus	dorsal mPFC ↓, ventral mPFC ↓g
↓		Open monitoring	Integration of IC and EC	dmPFC interacts across different conditionsg
Advanced experience	Years	Open monitoring	Self-relational detachment	FC bw striatum and retrosplenial cortexh
		Steering mindful state	Recognition of lapse into MW	dorsal ACC, bilateral anterior insula ↑i
↓		Steering mindful state	Shifting from MW to FA	mPFC/ACC in high meditation practice ↓↓j
		Global attention	Moment-to-moment awareness	FC of dorsal mPFC L to IPL R ↑k
Experts	> 5 years	Focused attention	“Undistracted” awareness*	PCC ↓↓l
		Metacognition	Control across meditation states	Co-activation of mPFC, PCC, dorsal ACC, dlPFCm
		Non-dual awareness	Access to context-oriented info	Synergism between DMN and sensory networks, e.g., a visual network processingn

IC, interoception; EC, exteroception; FC, functional connectivity; MW, mind wandering; FA, focused attention; bw, between.

Appropriate references:

^aMason et al. (2007a);

^bMurakami et al. (2015);

^cHerwig et al. (2010);

^dShaurya Prakash et al. (2013);

^eWang et al. (2014);

^fScheibner et al. (2017);

^gFarb et al. (2013);

^hFujino et al. (2018);

ⁱHasenkamp et al. (2012);

^jHasenkamp and Barsalou (2012);

^kTaylor et al. (2013);

^lGarrison et al. (2013);

^mBrewer et al. (2011);

ⁿJosipovic et al. (2011).

^*“Distracted” awareness means switching between FA, MW and refocusing whereas “undistracted” awareness means longer phases of undisturbed focusing.