On mind wandering, attention, brain networks, and meditation.

Human attention is naturally drawn to threats, pleasures, and novelty, but modern psychological worries and hurts often trigger mind wandering focused on the past and future. The brain's default mode network is linked to this mind wandering, and its abnormal activity may contribute to depression, anxiety, attention deficit, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Meditation can reverse some of these brain abnormalities, producing beneficial functional and structural changes. This narrative review explains how meditation works mechanistically, drawing on recent neuroscience advances regarding mind wandering, attention, and brain networks.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Human attention selectively focuses on aspects of experience that are threatening, pleasant, or novel. The physical threats of the ancient times have largely been replaced by chronic psychological worries and hurts. The mind gets drawn to these worries and hurts, mostly in the domain of the past and future, leading to mind wandering. In the brain, a network of neurons called the default mode network has been associated with mind wandering. Abnormal activity in the default mode network may predispose to depression, anxiety, attention deficit, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Several studies show that meditation can reverse some of these abnormalities, producing salutary functional and structural changes in the brain. This narrative review presents a mechanistic understanding of meditation in the context of recent advances in neurosciences about mind wandering, attention, and the brain networks.