Internally-directed cognition and mindfulness:An integrative perspective derived from reactive versus predictive control systems theory
Frontiers in Psychology September 16, 2014 Mattie eTops, Maarten A S Boksem, Markus eQuirin et al.
The Predictive And Reactive Control Systems (PARCS) theory integrates competing accounts of awareness by describing the default mode network (DMN) and anterior insula (AI) as parts of two distinct behavioral and homeostatic control systems. The DMN, active at rest without external tasks, supports self-reflective awareness and prospection, while the AI is linked to awareness and task-related attention. PARCS explains how mental states shift between prospective self-reflection and awareness of the emotional moment depending on which control system dominates. These shifts enable intake of novel information, its integration into existing knowledge, and creation of a continuous personal context.