Where is my mind? A neurocognitive investigation of mind blanking.
Thomas Andrillon, Antoine Lutz, Jennifer Windt, Athena Demertzi
Trends in Cognitive Sciences March 12, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2025.02.002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Dreaming Meditation |
| Keywords | Mind blanking Mind wandering Ongoing thinking Consciousness Cognitive science Mental states Brain activity |
| Citations | 14 |
| Key findings | Mind blanking is a distinct, reportable mental state with its own diversity, not merely an absence of thought. |
Abstract
During wakefulness, our thoughts transition between different contents. However, there are moments that are seemingly devoid of reportable content, referred to as mind blanking (MB). It remains unclear what these blanks represent, highlighting the definitional and phenomenological ambiguities surrounding MB. We map out MB in terms of its reportable expressions, neurophysiology, and relationship to adjacent phenomenology, including meditative practices and sleep. We propose a mechanistic account linking MB to changes at the physiological, neural, and cognitive levels. We suggest that ongoing experiences are characterized by degrees of richness, and that contentless events represent distinct mental states with their own diversity. We encourage future research to acknowledge MB as a reportable mental category, leading to a comprehensive understanding of ongoing experience.