Default Mode Network
Neuroscience
Definition
The Default Mode Network (DMN) is a network of brain regions active during daydreaming, self-reflection, and mental time travel. Early studies point to altered activation patterns in people with aphantasia (hypothesis, not yet conclusively established).
Detailed Explanation
The Default Mode Network (DMN) is a large-scale brain network that becomes active when we are not focused on external tasks but directed "inward." It includes the medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and parts of the parietal lobe. The DMN is central to daydreaming, autobiographical remembering, future planning, and theory of mind. Early studies suggest altered activation patterns and possibly altered connectivity between frontal control networks and visual areas in people with aphantasia. Studies suggest that integration between DMN and visual networks is important for vivid mental images. The DMN also plays a role in SDAM, as it is needed for mental time travel into personal memories.
Keywords
- Default Mode Network
- DMN
- daydreaming
- resting network
- self-reflection
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Related Terms
- Prefrontal CortexThe prefrontal cortex is the foremost part of the frontal lobe and controls executive functions such as planning, decision-making, and impulse control. It also initiates and controls mental images.
- SDAM (Severely Deficient Autobiographical Memory)SDAM is a memory condition where episodic autobiographical memories are severely limited. Affected individuals cannot mentally return to past experiences, although factual knowledge is preserved.
- Mental ImagesMental images are internal visual representations that arise without external stimuli. They enable seeing objects, scenes, or people before the "mind's eye," such as when remembering, dreaming, or planning.
External Resources
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Take our VST-16 test and find out where you fall on the visualization spectrum.