These notes are on a chapter by Marcus E. Raichle from the book Secrets of Creativity: What Neuroscience, the Arts, and Our Minds Reveal, edited by Suzanne Nalbantian and Paul M. Matthews.
Notes
What is the Default Mode Network?
- an unexpected discovery from brain imaging
- a group of relatively widely separated areas of the cerebral cortex
- most active when we’re not focused on a task
- linked with daydreaming, mindwandering and memory formation
- also linked to prediction, imagination and creativity (“memory of the future”)
In contrast, “task positive networks” are more active when we’re focused on a demanding task. A balance between the default mode network and task positive networks may be important for avoiding extreme behaviours (impulsivity or risk aversion).
Reflections
This chapter suggests that there are still lots of unanswered questions about the default mode network. But it’s likely to be connected in some way to creative insight, and the balance between the two types of network does seem to reflect our experiences of switching between focused work and mindwandering states.