Part 1 | Quietening the Monkey Mind
Why Thoughts Spiral…
Do your thoughts rapidly jump from one to another, sometimes spiralling out of control?
When our brain is not engaged in a task, the mind tends to wander.
These thoughts are often about the Self.
Things that have happened in the past, things happening now, or imagined future scenarios.
This internal commentary can be relentless, particularly when it is filled with worries about the past or anxieties about the future.
In yogic and Buddhist traditions, this restless mental activity is often referred to as the “monkey mind” (Vago & Zeidan, 2016).
Anyone who has ever tried to sit quietly for even a few minutes will recognise this experience. The moment external distractions fall away, the mind begins generating thoughts on its own.
How the brain constructs the Self
You might assume that when we are not actively thinking about something, the brain becomes quiet. In reality, the opposite is true.
Even when we are not engaged in a task, certain regions of the brain remain highly active.
This group of brain regions is known as the Default Mode Network (DMN).
The Default Mode Network is involved in self-referential thinking, essentially constructing our sense of self and continually writing the script of a story in which we are the main character.
When nothing else captures our attention, the mind drifts into this default mode and begins generating thoughts about ourselves and our experiences (Goleman & Davidson, 2018).
The Default Mode Network
Two key parts of the DMN are the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC).
The vmPFC is connected to brain regions involved in emotion, motivation, and reward, helping us evaluate our feelings, goals, and decisions.
The PCC acts as a central hub in the brain and is closely linked to areas involved in memory, particularly memories about our own life experiences.
Together, these regions help generate the stream of self-focused thoughts that make up our inner narrative (Vago & Zeidan, 2016).
Research suggests that when this network becomes highly active, we can become caught up in our thoughts, almost as if we are attached to them.
Thoughts begin to spiral, creating the experience many traditions describe as the monkey mind.
This can interfere with our ability to stay present and focused on what we are doing (Brewer et al., 2013).
These thoughts also tend to be negatively biased, often focusing on worries, regrets, or self-evaluation (Vago & Zeidan, 2016).
Perhaps unsurprisingly, an overactive Default Mode Network has also been associated with conditions such as depression and anxiety (Garrison et al., 2015).
It is powerful to understand and remember that we have agency over our thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
We can train our mind to recognise the start of these negative thought spirals and practice reducing and ultimately eliminating them.
In Part 2, we will explore practices that can help reduce activity in the Default Mode Network, and why this can help quiet the monkey mind.
Hope you found this interesting!
See you for Part 2!
Sophia
References
Brewer, J. A., Garrison, K. A., & Whitfield-Gabrieli, S. (2013). What about the ‘Self’ is Processed in the Posterior Cingulate Cortex? Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 647. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00647
Garrison, K. A., Zeffiro, T. A., Scheinost, D., Constable, R. T., & Brewer, J. A. (2015). Meditation leads to reduced default mode network activity beyond an active task. Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience, 15(3), 712–720. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-015-0358-3
Goleman, D., & Davidson, R. J. (2018). Altered traits: Science reveals, how meditation changes your mind, brain, and body (First trade paperback edition). Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.
Vago, D. R., & Zeidan, F. (2016). The brain on silent: Mind wandering, mindful awareness, and states of mental tranquility. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1373(1), 96–113. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13171
