If you have found yourself suddenly unable to recall what you were doing or thinking, this common experience, known as “mind blanking,” has been the focus of a recent study by researchers from Monash University and the University of Liège. Their findings offer new insights into the nature of these mental lapses.
The study analyzed data from 80 research articles, including experiments where participants reported moments of “thinking of nothing.” It was found that individuals experience mind blanking approximately 5% to 20% of their waking hours. These episodes are more frequent during prolonged tasks requiring sustained attention, after sleep deprivation, or intense physical activity.
Physiological measurements during mind blanking revealed decreased heart rates and pupil sizes, along with brain activity patterns resembling sleep, such as slow EEG waves. These “local sleep episodes” suggest that parts of the brain may momentarily enter a sleep-like state.
The researchers propose that fluctuations in arousal levels, affecting cognitive functions like memory, language, and attention, may underlie mind blanking. This perspective challenges the traditional view of continuous thought during wakefulness and highlights the variability of conscious experience among individuals.
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Understanding mind blanking has implications beyond curiosity. For instance, children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) report higher frequencies of mind blanking, indicating a potential link between these episodes and attention-related disorders.
This study underscores the complexity of human consciousness and the need to consider mind blanking as a dynamic, physiologically driven experience influenced by arousal states.
“We believe that the investigation of mind blanking is insightful, important, and timely,” said first author Thomas Andrillon.
The findings appeared in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences.