Spontaneous pupil fluctuations (SPFs) during rest provide a non-invasive, low-cost index of central arousal dynamics, independent of cognitive task demands. These features position SPFs as promising markers for baseline neurophysiological activity in both basic and translational research. This review synthesizes current evidence on the resting-state pupil-brain system, focusing on its core...
The default mode network (DMN) is a central, large-scale brain network implicated in a range of cognitive functions and neuropsychiatric disorders, such as major depressive disorder (MDD). Studying the DMN's complex dynamics in animal models provides invaluable insights into its function in both healthy and pathological states. However, performing stable, long-term, large-scale...
Meditation research is frequently framed in terms of reduced self-referential processing, yet converging evidence suggests that this description encompasses multiple mechanistically distinct states. The present work proposes a specific subclass, termed tranquil states, defined as resting-state conditions characterized by concurrent attenuation of default mode network activity — a finding...
This research aims to explore and analyze the relationship between neuroscience and creative processes in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying human creativity. The method used was qualitative research with a descriptive approach through literature studies, with data collection techniques in the form of searching scientific literature from journal...
Scientific ReportsMay 21, 2026Amy Z Wang, Carissa W Tomas, Sarah Stevens et al.
Research has identified functional connectivity abnormalities in the default mode network (DMN), a functional brain network theorized to be involved in self-referential processes, among trauma survivors. Event centrality (EC) is an important cognitive component of posttrauma stress disorder (PTSD) development that heavily involves self-referential processing and autobiographical memory....
This chapter explores the evolution of psychedelics from ancient rituals to modern neuroscience. It begins with a historical overview of their use in spiritual and communal healing, then traces the scientific discoveries that followed—from early psychiatric research to current clinical trials. The chapter then introduces how psychedelics affect the brain, especially through their impact on the...
Abstract Functional connectivity (FC) is a statistical measure that reflects the degree of phase consistency between two signals and provides insights about potential interactions between two brain regions. Previous studies have reported conflicting results on the effect of meditation on FC, with some showing enhancement while others reporting suppression of FC. However, even though meditation...
Emerging research in contemplative science and psychedelic neuroscience suggests that deeply entrenched patterns of selfhood and cognition—often associated with mental disorders like depression—can be profoundly altered through both meditative practice and pharmacological intervention. This paper presents a neuroconstructivist framework for understanding how deep meditation and dissociative...
Flow, as defined by Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi (1975), is a holistic sensation experienced when individuals are fully immersed in an activity, resulting in a mental state characterized by a diminished sense of self and altered perception of time. To investigate the global neural dynamics underlying flow, we employed EEG microstate analysis to capture the spatial and temporal properties of...
Much of a typical individual's mental life is characterized by spontaneous thoughts that occur independently of external stimuli. In prior studies, ongoing mental experiences and their neural correlates have been captured using thought probes presented at random intervals during functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). However, this approach results in temporally imprecise estimates of...
Research SquareMay 11, 2026Xiaoming Yang, Jian Lyu, Jubo Wang et al.
preprint
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a critical prodromal stage of progressive cognitive decline. As a core cognitive brain network, the default mode network (DMN) exhibits structural alterations in MCI that are closely associated with cognitive impairment. Apolipoprotein E ε4 (APOE ε4), the strongest genetic risk factor for pathological cognitive decline, has been shown to disrupt the structural...
There are several methodological as well as analytical problems regarding the work published by Pan et al. examining DMN and SN disturbances in mild cognitive impairment with neuropsychiatric features. It found significant changes in functional connectivity associated with behavioral symptoms. However, a few points require additional elucidation including confirmation via longitudinal design,...
The study of consciousness has been a key focus in both Eastern contemplative traditions and modern science. Yogic texts such as the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā (HYP) describe psychophysiological states and experiential phenomena that resemble concepts in parapsychology and neuropsychology. This review aimed to develop a theoretical framework explaining how yogic practices influence consciousness,...
Episodic memory involves reconstruction of past events through integration of multiple types of information, including perceptual details, narrative content, and emotional tone. The default mode network (DMN) is a set of regions thought to support episodic retrieval, yet it remains unclear how distinct subnetworks contribute to recall of these different memory features. Here, we examined how...
Abstract: This study investigates intelligence-related differences in the adjustment of brain activity and connectivity to varying cognitive demands, testing for a moderation of an association between intelligence and neural efficiency by task difficulty. In 72 young adults (34 female, 38 male), fMRI brain activity changes during a decision-making task with five levels of difficulty were...
This paper introduces the concept of egostasis (self-based goal-directed persistence behaviour) and proposes a novel neurophenomenological theory of the experience of suffering, grounded in the framework of active inference. We argue that psychological suffering is a transmodal, aversive state arising from prediction errors being attributed to a self-model. Chronic suffering is proposed to...
The self is often described in terms of the narrative self, but the organization of first‑person experience extends beyond autobiographical continuity. The theory of self‑anchors introduces an architecture with three interacting axes: a stable self‑anchor, bodily grounding, and rhythm‑generating dynamics of the retrosplenial cortex. The stable self‑anchor is associated with the precuneus and...
The integration of psychedelics and music in therapeutic settings is gaining recognition for its potential to enhance mental health outcomes. This review synthesizes current evidence on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this synergy, focusing on receptor-level pathways (e.g., 5-HT2A receptor agonism, BDNF-TrkB signaling) and neural circuit dynamics (e.g., default mode network...
Learned spatial regularities can reduce attentional capture by salient distractors, but observers vary in how strongly such regularities shape distractor interference. We asked whether this variability is associated with default mode network (DMN) functional connectivity, a network measure linked to individual differences in attention, internally guided cognition, and contextual memory. Using...
Social interactions are critical for mental health and are frequently disrupted in neuropsychiatric disorders. Clinical data suggest a link between dysfunction of the default mode network (DMN) and social impairment. To advance our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying social dysfunction, we back-translate these clinical findings into a preclinical setup, demonstrating that...