Two models of mind blanking

Abstract

Mind blanking is a mental state in which attention does not bring any perceptual input into conscious awareness. As this state is still largely unexplored, we suggest that a comprehensive understanding of mind blanking can be achieved through a multifaceted approach combining self‐assessment methods, neuroimaging and neuromodulation. In this article, we explain how electroencephalography and transcranial magnetic stimulation could be combined to help determine whether mind blanking is associated with a lack of mental content or a lack of linguistically or conceptually determinable mental content. We also question whether mind blanking occurs spontaneously or intentionally and whether these two forms are instantiated by the same or different neural correlates.

Mind the blank: behavioral, experiential, and physiological signatures of absent-mindedness

“…While our spectral and complexity measures were computed in sensor space, and therefore lack precise anatomical information, the observed increase in fast oscillatory activity and neural complexity over centro-anterior electrodes could also be related to ACC activation during MB. Overall these results highlight the necessity to refine the phenomenological characterisation of MB in order to better apprehend its neural correlates 12,13 .…”

“…Previous studies have shown that MB is reported about 14-18% of times during focused tasks 9,10 and about 6% of times during resting 11 . The exact nature of mind blanking is still a matter of debate 12,13 and only a few studies have attempted to investigate its neural correlates. Some have reported a widespread deactivation of thalamic and cortical brain regions during spontaneous MB 14 and a more focal deactivation of the superior and inferior frontal gyri and hippocampus during intentional MB, whereas anterior cingulate cortex activation seemed to increase 15 .…”

What’s the blank about? Relating mind-blanking to aspects of ongoing thinking

“…At the time, such deactivations were considered as representative of thought silencing, indicating that MB has a linguistic aspect [9]. Although this might be the case, we recently hypothesized that the activation of the anterior cingulate was not following the general deactivation pattern and, hence, it could be indicating task-related activity where participants were following the instruction to monitor thought silencing.…”

The Body Mirroring Thought: The Relationship Between Thought Transitions and Fluctuations in Autonomic Nervous Activity Mediated by Interoception

“…This is based on previous research showing that during MW, various self-referential thoughts are reported, including simulations of one's past episodes and future plans and goals (D'Argembeau, 2018;Kvavilashvili et al, 2020). Mind-blanking refers to a state in which participants could not report their thought state because they were unaware of any internal or external stimuli (Kaufmann et al, 2024;Ward & Wegner, 2013).…”