title: Wandering minds: the default network and stimulus-independent thought.
abstract: Despite evidence pointing to a ubiquitous tendency of human minds to wander, little is known about the neural operations that support this core component of human cognition. Using both thought sampling and brain imaging, the current investigation demonstrated that mind-wandering is associated with activity in a default network of cortical regions that are active when the brain is "at rest." In addition, individuals' reports of the tendency of their minds to wander were correlated with activity in this network.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA. malia@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Malia F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.forename: Michael I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Norton
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Van Horn
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Wegner
authors.forename: Scott T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Grafton
authors.forename: C Neil
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Macrae
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition; D005201:Fantasy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology; D013850:Thinking / Q000502:physiology*