A closer look at the relationship between the default network, mind wandering, negative mood, and depression.
Shaghayegh Konjedi, Reza Maleeh
Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience August 2017 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-017-0506-z (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Attention Cognitive control Default network Mind wandering Mood Regulation |
| Key points | Argues that mind wandering does not necessarily correlate positively with negative mood or depression, and that increased default network activity is not necessarily followed by increased unhappiness or depression. Proposes that negative mood from mind wandering depends on whether it occurs with or without meta-awareness and during high or low vigilance states, citing meditation practices that increase default network activity without increasing unhappiness or depression. |
Abstract
By a systematic analysis of the current literature on the neural correlates of mind wandering, that is, the default network (DN), and by shedding light on some determinative factors and conditions which affect the relationship between mind wandering and negative mood, we show that (1) mind wandering per se does not necessarily have a positive correlation with negative mood and, on the higher levels, depression. We propose that negative mood as a consequence of mind wandering generally depends on two determinative conditions, that is, whether mind wandering is with or without meta-awareness and whether mind wandering occurs during high or low vigilance states; (2) increased activity of the DN is not necessarily followed by an increase in unhappiness and depression. We argue that while in some kinds of meditation practices we witness an increase in the structure and in the activity of the DN, no increase in unhappiness and depression is observed.
Comparable studies
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| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
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| The Yale Manual for Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy of Depression (using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a Therapeutic Frame) | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Neuroinflammation and neuroprogression in depression: Effects of alternative drug treatments | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Improving cognitive functioning in major depressive disorder with psychedelics: A dimensional approach | 2021 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Selfhood triumvirate: From phenomenology to brain activity and back again. Consciousness and Cognition November 1, 2020
- The dynamic framework of mind wandering revisited: How mindful meta-awareness affects mental states' constraints. Consciousness and Cognition October 1, 2021
- The Cognitive and Neural Dimensions of Consciousness in Self-Inquiry Practice Mind and Matter June 30, 2026
- Sleep and mindfulness meditation as they relate to false memory. Psychological Research June 2020
Cites 27
- A default mode of brain function Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 16, 2001
- Experience sampling during fMRI reveals default network and executive system contributions to mind wandering. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences May 26, 2009
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- The wandering brain: Meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies of mind-wandering and related spontaneous thought processes Neuroimage February 25, 2015
- Investigation of mindfulness meditation practitioners with voxel-based morphometry Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience December 3, 2007
and 22 more in the library