The study investigates two distinct forms of self-reference: extended self-reference (narrative focus, NF) and momentary self-reference (experiential focus, EF). Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the researchers examined the neural correlates of these two forms of self-awareness in both novice participants and those with mindfulness meditation training. In novices, EF was associated with reduced activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), while NF showed increased activity in the mPFC. In mindfulness-trained participants, EF resulted in more pronounced reductions in mPFC activity and increased engagement of a right lateralized network, including the lateral PFC and viscerosomatic areas such as the insula, secondary somatosensory cortex, and inferior parietal lobule. Functional connectivity analyses revealed a strong coupling between the right insula and mPFC in novices, which was uncoupled in the mindfulness group. These findings suggest a fundamental neural dissociation between narrative and momentary self-reference, with mindfulness training promoting a shift from mPFC-centered to right lateralized cortical and paralimbic structures. The results have implications for understanding mood and anxiety disorders, as well as the neural underpinnings of self-awareness in the psychological present.The study investigates two distinct forms of self-reference: extended self-reference (narrative focus, NF) and momentary self-reference (experiential focus, EF). Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the researchers examined the neural correlates of these two forms of self-awareness in both novice participants and those with mindfulness meditation training. In novices, EF was associated with reduced activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), while NF showed increased activity in the mPFC. In mindfulness-trained participants, EF resulted in more pronounced reductions in mPFC activity and increased engagement of a right lateralized network, including the lateral PFC and viscerosomatic areas such as the insula, secondary somatosensory cortex, and inferior parietal lobule. Functional connectivity analyses revealed a strong coupling between the right insula and mPFC in novices, which was uncoupled in the mindfulness group. These findings suggest a fundamental neural dissociation between narrative and momentary self-reference, with mindfulness training promoting a shift from mPFC-centered to right lateralized cortical and paralimbic structures. The results have implications for understanding mood and anxiety disorders, as well as the neural underpinnings of self-awareness in the psychological present.