Brain-Body Interactions Influence the Transition from Mind Wandering to Awareness of Ongoing Thought

Abstract

Our thoughts are inherently dynamic and often wander far from our current situation (mind wandering, MW). Although previous research revealed that the ascending arousal system shapes neural dynamics to mediate awareness of ongoing thoughts, the physiological states and afferent signals altered by this activation and its effects on awareness are unknown. In this study, we examined electroencephalography (EEG), electrocardiography (ECG), and respiration data before participants were aware of MW during a task in which they focused on external or internal stimuli. We showed that the transition from MW to awareness was characterized by decreased alpha and beta activity and increased heartbeat-evoked potential (HEP) amplitudes. In addition, the participants were more likely to be in the exhalation phase becoming aware, and in the inhalation phase at the time of MW reports. Moreover, changes in cardiac activity and HEP accompanied this pattern when participants were asked to focus on respiration. Based on these findings, we suggest that the release from the increased cognitive load with sustained MW and catching these changes as physiological alterations supporting awareness of MW; moreover, the modulation of the respiratory cycle by focusing on breathing enhances these changes.