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Published on: July 5, 2015
Where is my mind? A neurocognitive investigation of mind blanking
Thomas Andrillon1, Antoine Lutz2, Jennifer Windt3
1Paris Brain Institute, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Sorbonne Université, 75013 Paris, France; Monash Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies, Monash University, 3168 Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Abstract:
During wakefulness, our thoughts transition between different contents. However, there are moments that are seemingly devoid of reportable content, referred to as mind blanking (MB). It remains unclear what these blanks represent, highlighting the definitional and phenomenological ambiguities surrounding MB. We map out MB in terms of its reportable expressions, neurophysiology, and relationship to adjacent phenomenology, including meditative practices and sleep. We propose a mechanistic account linking MB to changes at the physiological, neural, and cognitive levels. We suggest that ongoing experiences are characterized by degrees of richness, and that contentless events represent distinct mental states with their own diversity. We encourage future research to acknowledge MB as a reportable mental category, leading to a comprehensive understanding of ongoing experience.
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