Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 31, 2026
07:08
Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings
Published on: August 1, 2018
8.7K
Investigating Multiple Streams of Consciousness: Using Descriptive Experience Sampling to Explore Internally and
Charles Fernyhough1, Ben Alderson-Day1, Russell T Hurlburt2
1Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, United Kingdom.
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
|December 22, 2018
Summary
This study used Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES) to link brain activity during rest to detailed inner experiences. Findings reveal how the brain manages simultaneous internal and external focus during rest.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Phenomenology
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Assessing inner experience during resting-state cognition is challenging.
- Existing models differentiate internal and external focus but struggle with simultaneous states.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the variation of resting-state experience using Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES).
- To link detailed phenomenological descriptions with neural activations.
- To explore the brain's capacity for simultaneous internal and external experiential streams.
Main Methods:
- Employed Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES) to collect detailed experience data.
- Utilized neuroimaging to acquire brain activation data from participants.
- Independent raters classified experiential samples based on internal, external, or simultaneous focus.
Main Results:
- Comparison of internal versus external experience samples identified the default mode network.
- Neural regions identified successfully predicted independent categorizations of simultaneous internal and external experiences.
- Demonstrated the DES method's utility in analyzing nuanced, simultaneous experiential states.
Conclusions:
- Neural activations in the resting state can be tied to specific phenomenological descriptions.
- The DES method allows for nuanced analysis of simultaneous internal and external experiential focus.
- The study integrates rich phenomenology with brain activity characterizations.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Stream Function
2.1K
In two-dimensional incompressible fluid flow, the continuity equation is essential for ensuring mass conservation, meaning that any change in fluid entering or exiting a region is balanced by a corresponding change elsewhere. For incompressible flow, where density remains constant, this requirement simplifies to the condition that the divergence of the velocity field must be zero. Mathematically, this is expressed as,
2.1K
01:27Steady Flow of a Fluid Stream
758
Consider a control volume, such as a pipe with solid boundaries, through which fluid flows and changes direction due to the impulse exerted by the resulting force from the pipe walls. In steady flow, the mass of fluid entering the control volume at a given time, t, with velocity v1, is equal to the mass leaving after infinitesimal time dt, with velocity v2.
During this process, the momentum of the fluid within the control volume remains constant over the time interval dt. By applying the...
During this process, the momentum of the fluid within the control volume remains constant over the time interval dt. By applying the...
758
01:12Internal and External Forces
16.2K
Newton's first law states that a net external force causes a change in motion. External forces act on an object or system, originating outside of the object or system. In contrast, internal forces originate inside the system of interest and do not lead to any acceleration. In simpler words, internal forces are forces that act on one part of an object and are exerted by another part of the same object. External forces are forces that act on an object due to some other object. Therefore, when...
16.2K
01:24External and Internal Respiration
7.5K
External respiration occurs in the lungs, and it is the first step in the journey of oxygen inside the body. When we inhale, oxygen enters our lungs and diffuses across the thin alveolar membrane. The alveoli are tiny, air-filled sacs that provide a vast surface area for gas exchange. Oxygen in the alveoli has a higher partial pressure (105 mmHg) than in the adjacent pulmonary capillaries (40 mmHg), establishing a pressure gradient. As a result, oxygen molecules move from the alveoli into the...
7.5K
02:00Internal Energy
36.7K
The total of all possible kinds of energy present in a substance is called the internal energy (U), sometimes symbolized as E. Suppose a system with initial internal energy, Uinitial, undergoes a change in energy (transfer of work or heat), and the final internal energy of the system is Ufinal. Change in internal energy equals the difference between Ufinal and Uinitial.
36.7K
01:23Understanding Consciousness
2.1K
Consciousness can be defined as the state of being aware of and able to think about one's existence, sensations, and surroundings. It encompasses two major components: awareness and arousal. Awareness pertains to the recognition of environmental stimuli and internal states. At the same time, arousal refers to the physiological readiness to engage with these stimuli, which varies significantly between states like sleep and wakefulness.
Sleep, a crucial state, is characterized by reduced...
Sleep, a crucial state, is characterized by reduced...
2.1K