Changing Your Brain: The Default Mode Network

In November 2011, I participated in a study at Yale University looking at the Default Mode Network in meditators vs non-meditators led by neuroscientist, Judson Brewer who you can see talking about the study here and here.

In neuroscience, the default mode network is a network of brain regions that are active when the individual is not focused on the outside world and the brain is at wakeful rest. Also called the default network, default state network, or task-negative network (TNN), it is characterized by coherent neuronal oscillations at a rate lower than 0.1 Hz (one every ten seconds). During goal-oriented activity, the DMN is deactivated and another network, the task-positive network (TPN) is activated. The default network may correspond to task-independent introspection, or self-referential thought, while the TPN corresponds to action, and that perhaps the TNN and TPN may be "considered elements of a single default network with anti-correlated components". Taken from Wiki

An unregulated or dysfunctional default mode network has been linked to depression,  anxiety and a wandering mind in past studies. The Yale study looked at how "Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity". Their findings demonstrated "differences in the default-mode network that are consistent with decreased mind-wandering." Link to the study

The previous link is to the 1st phase of the study. I participated in the 2nd phase of the study which looked at real time feedback on regulating the activation of the default mode network.  I was put in an fmri machine which showed what was going on in my brain while I practiced, at differing times, choiceless awareness, metta (loving kindness) meditation and observing the incoming and outgoing breath. I was also given real time feedback via a computer screen showing when the default mode network was activating or de-activating. Meditators in both phases overall showed a much more regulated and de-activated default mode network than non-meditators. Link to 2nd phase of study.

Here is a link to an article talking about how a wandering mind is an unhappy mind. What does this possibly mean for those of you feeling blue? Perhaps it's time to regulate your default mode network. 

:-)