Mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference. The study used fMRI to examine how participants with and without mindfulness meditation training processed self-reference in two modes: narrative focus (NF), which involves reflecting on enduring traits, and experiential focus (EF), which involves momentary experience. Novices showed reduced activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during EF, while trained participants showed more pronounced reductions in the mPFC and increased engagement of a right lateralized network, including the lateral prefrontal cortex and insula. Functional connectivity analyses showed that the right insula and mPFC were strongly coupled in novices but uncoupled in the mindfulness group. These results suggest a fundamental neural dissociation between two distinct forms of self-awareness: the self across time and in the present moment. Mindfulness training allows individuals to disengage from narrative self-reference and engage in present-centered self-awareness, which is supported by distinct neural networks. The study highlights the role of the mPFC in narrative self-reference and the involvement of right lateralized regions in experiential self-reference. The findings suggest that mindfulness meditation may enhance the ability to focus on the present moment and reduce the automatic tendency to engage in narrative processing. The results have implications for understanding self-awareness and its neural basis, as well as for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders.Mindfulness meditation reveals distinct neural modes of self-reference. The study used fMRI to examine how participants with and without mindfulness meditation training processed self-reference in two modes: narrative focus (NF), which involves reflecting on enduring traits, and experiential focus (EF), which involves momentary experience. Novices showed reduced activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during EF, while trained participants showed more pronounced reductions in the mPFC and increased engagement of a right lateralized network, including the lateral prefrontal cortex and insula. Functional connectivity analyses showed that the right insula and mPFC were strongly coupled in novices but uncoupled in the mindfulness group. These results suggest a fundamental neural dissociation between two distinct forms of self-awareness: the self across time and in the present moment. Mindfulness training allows individuals to disengage from narrative self-reference and engage in present-centered self-awareness, which is supported by distinct neural networks. The study highlights the role of the mPFC in narrative self-reference and the involvement of right lateralized regions in experiential self-reference. The findings suggest that mindfulness meditation may enhance the ability to focus on the present moment and reduce the automatic tendency to engage in narrative processing. The results have implications for understanding self-awareness and its neural basis, as well as for the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders.