Exploring Dynamic Thought Patterns using fMRI and Experience Sampling
November 13, 2025 S. Sheth, Matthew L. Dixon, Lawrence M Ward et al. 1 citation preprint
Human consciousness typically produces an ongoing, seemingly continuous stream of thought. Prior work has examined the neural correlates of thought content, but less is known about thought dynamics—how thoughts change over time. The Dynamic Framework of Thought proposes a neural model of how large-scale brain networks contribute to freely moving (spontaneous) versus deliberately constrained thought. In a neurophenomenological study, participants reported their thought stream in real time during fMRI scanning. Freely-moving thought was associated with greater activation of the default network (especially the medial-temporal subcomponent) than the frontoparietal control network, while deliberately constrained thought showed the opposite pattern. Distinct thought dynamics were also reflected in changes in functional coupling within and between these networks.