Decreased default mode network activity may loosen the inhibitory mechanims in the brain
The default mode network and other centers of mental activity may be “let off the leash” when the default mode network leaves the stage, and in fact brain scans show an increase in activity in several other brain regions, including the limbic system, under the influence of psychedelics. This disinhibition might explain why material that is unavailable to us during normal waking consciousness now floats to the surface of our awareness, including emotions and memories and, sometimes, long-buried childhood traumas. It may also be why psychedelics and mindfulness let in extra sensory signals by silencing the default mode network. It is for these reasons that some scientists and psychotherapists believe psychedelics can be profitably used to surface and explore the contents of the unconscious mind.
References
- Pollan, Micheal. (2018). How to Change Your Mind Chapter 5. The Neuroscience of Your Brain on Psychedelics (Location 4173). New York, NY: Penguin Random House.
Metadata
Type:🔴 Tags: Biology / Neuroscience / Physiology / Neurophysiology Status:☀️