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Disambiguating dimensions of external and internal brain processes
Freek van Ede1, Daniela Gresch2, Anna C Nobre3
1Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Trends in Neurosciences
|October 19, 2025
Summary
Neural processing is not a single spectrum but involves independent external and internal focuses. This distinction clarifies cognitive modes, content, and sensory origins, opening new research avenues.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Neural processing is commonly viewed as a dichotomy between external and internal focus.
- This traditional view often treats these as opposite ends of a single continuum.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate the concepts of 'external' and 'internal' neural processing.
- To analyze these concepts across distinct levels: cognitive modes, representational content, and sensory origins.
- To propose a more nuanced theoretical framework for understanding neural focus.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of existing theories on neural processing.
- Distinguishing between cognitive modes, representational content, and sensory origins.
- Theoretical delineation of independent dimensions for external and internal processing.
Main Results:
- The terms 'external' and 'internal' processing represent independent conceptual dimensions, not poles of a single dimension.
- These dimensions operate distinctly at the levels of cognitive modes, representational contents, and sensory origins.
- Separating these levels provides theoretical clarity to the study of neural focus.
Conclusions:
- Rethinking neural processing as multidimensional rather than unidimensional is crucial.
- This framework resolves theoretical ambiguities and suggests novel research directions.
- Understanding the independence of external and internal processing enhances our knowledge of brain function.
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