Brain-body interactions associated with the transition from mind wandering to awareness of its occurrence.

ABSTRACT: Our thoughts are inherently dynamic and often wander far from our current situation (mind wandering, MW). Although previous research revealed that brain regions involved in arousal regulation modulate neural dynamics to facilitate the transition from MW to the awareness of its occurrence, the specific physiological states and afferent signals underlying this process remain unclear. In this study, we examined electroencephalography, electrocardiography, and respiration data before participants were aware of MW during a task in which they focused on external or internal stimuli (tones or their breath). We showed that the transition to awareness of MW was characterized by decreased alpha and beta activity and a suppression of the parietal later component of the heartbeat-evoked potential (HEP

SUBMITTER: Shinagawa K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12704443 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature