Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 18, 2025

Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control
Published on: July 5, 2015
Mind wandering in sensory cortices
Shao-Min Hung1,2,3, Po-Jang Hsieh4
1Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
Abstract:
The recent task-free approach in Cognitive Neuroscience has sparked interest in understanding the brain's default mode network (DMN). One particular mental activity that has been identified to recruit such a network is mind-wandering, which points to the functional aspect of mind-wandering as a default system. However, the phenomenological aspect of mind-wandering has been missing in the literature on brain imaging. To tackle this issue, we adopted online thought sampling while participants underwent a simple fixation task over multiple sessions in the scanner. During 10 h of scanning of each participant, over 200 mind wander episodes were labelled in each participant. With linear support vector machine classification on mind-wandering episodes with exclusive sensory content, we found that decoding accuracy in content-corresponding sensory cortices was significantly higher, indicating the neural bases of the phenomenology of mind-wandering. Unique patterns in classification were revealed in different individuals, pointing to individual variances in our phenomenal experiences.
Related Concept Videos
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex....
High-Level and Low-Level Awareness
Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways
Association Areas of the Cortex
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Subconsciousness and No Awareness
An illustrative example of subconscious processing is its role in problem-solving. Often, individuals...

