Deconstructive meditations and psychotherapy: Transforming the perception of the self

Abstract

Selfishness, understood as excessive focus on the self, appears to be a predominant feature of contemporary culture. While the degree of self-focus is adaptive for survival and decision-making, self-rigidity has been associated with significant psychological, interpersonal, and social costs. Throughout history, philosophers, religious leaders, and social activists have promoted a “hypo-egoic” way of being, characterized by reduced self-fixation and greater openness to others. However, a key question arises: How can one cultivate a more flexible and interdependent perspective on the self? Deconstructive meditations are a group of contemplative practices that aim to dismantle self-rigidity by exploring perception, cognition, and emotion. Their central mechanism is self-inquiry, an experiential process that involves directly observing patterns of the self, questioning the solidity of identity, and developing new ways to relate to experience. From the perspective of contemplative neuroscience, these practices have been shown to reduce self-narrative identification and promote psychological flexibility. Despite their potential, empirical research on deconstructive meditations remains limited and requires further investigation. This article reviews the essential findings on practices, their connection to psychotherapy, and their potential therapeutic applications. Finally, their clinical implications are discussed along with future research directions to validate their impact on mental health.

Keywords: Deconstructive meditations; Psychotherapy; Self-identity; Ego dissolution; Psychological flexibility; Enactive cognition; Buddhist psychology; Self-referential processing; Nondual awareness; Contemplative neuroscience

Core Tip: Deconstructive meditation practices are an innovative approach to reducing identity-based suffering by fostering self-flexibility and psychological adaptability. Despite their potential, there is limited empirical research on these practices. This paper highlights their mechanisms, current evidence, and interdisciplinary significance, underscoring the need for further studies to validate their clinical application.