You walk into a room with a purpose, but then forget what you planned to do there. You open your phone to text a friend, but then can’t remember what you planned to say. You pause mid-conversation, shaking your head. “I’m so sorry,” you say. “My mind just went blank.” It’s a frustrating phenomenon, and it might leave you with a question: What happens when your mind goes blank? Experts recently reviewed data on the “mind-blanking” phenomenon in an attempt to find out. They published their summary in April in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences.
The Case for “Mind-Blanking” as a Standalone Brain Phenomenon
An expert coalition of consciousness researchers from Belgium, France, and Australia conducted the review, which was meant to parse existing data on what the team called “mind-blanking.” Per Gizmodo, the team was inspired by growing interest in mind-blanking among researchers studying cognition and sleep. The scientists hoped to explore the “definitional and phenomenological ambiguities” of mind-blanking, thus making the case for mind-blanking as a standalone state of consciousness, not just an extension of mind-wandering or forgetfulness.
Empirical Research on Mind-Blanking
The team reviewed data from around 80 research papers, including several studies previously conducted by members of the team itself. Some of the studies involved measuring brain activity during reported moments of mind-blanking, or what the team called “moments that are seemingly devoid of reportable content.”
In one such study, published in 2023, researchers collected data from 36 healthy, right-handed participants. During the study, participants’ brain activity was recorded while they rested in an fMRI scanner. They were probed at random intervals with an auditory cue, and each time they heard the cue, they were asked to report their mental state just before the cue was given, using a pre-determined scale to classify their mental state — a scale which included absence of thought, or mind-blanking. The researchers then evaluated the fMRI scans and noted a significant reduction in brain activity, or “brain deactivation,” in the occipital, frontal, parietal, and thalamic regions during reported periods of mind-blanking.
The team also reviewed past studies into behavioral categorization of mind-blanking — in other words, studies involving behavior that may be linked to moments of blankness. Finally, they explored research into clinical conditions linked with mind-blanking, including chronic anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
“A Distinct Brain State”
Building on this empirical work, the researchers determined that mind-blanking is a phenomenon linked to its own unique brain activity patterns. One of the researchers, Athena Demertzi of the University of Liège Physiology of Cognition lab, spoke to Gizmodo about the findings. “Mind blanking is real — it’s not just a matter of forgetting or a failure to report,” Demertzi explained. “At times during the day, our stream of thoughts can simply stop, leaving us with the experience of thinking about nothing. In our review, we show that mind blanking is not merely a subjective impression or an illusion. It corresponds to a distinct brain state.”
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So, what happens when your mind goes blank? Experts are still seeking definitive answers. In the paper, the team wrote that the review was meant to “start a conversation,” not to serve as a definitive explanation of mind-blanking. In fact, the review left the team with numerous opportunities for future research into whether mind-blanking should be considered “among the reportable choices for mental categories.” Future research may offer insights into what causes these strange mental blips — and, with any luck, could reduce the number of times you lose your train of thought.
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