What happens when your mind goes blank
We’ve all zoned out, but what’s really going on in the brain when our minds go blank?
What’s happening in the brain when we ‘think of nothing’?
New research from the Monash Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies, led by staff and adjunct members Jennifer Windt, Thomas Andrillon, Antoine Lutz and Athena Demertzi, explores the phenomenon of mind blanking, those curious moments when thoughts vanish and awareness fades. Drawing on neuroscience and philosophy, the study investigates the brain activity behind these episodes and considers their relationship to meditation and states of arousal. The paper is the result of a rich collaboration between M3CS and European partners, and took shape during Antoine Lutz’s year-long visiting fellowship at the Centre (M3CS). It offers new insights into the dynamics of conscious thought and what it means to experience “nothing” at all.
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