Abstract
The minimal neural correlate of the conscious state, regardless of the neural activity correlated with the ever-changing contents of experience, has still not been identified. Different attempts have been made, mainly by comparing the normal waking state to seemingly unconscious states, such as deep sleep or general anesthesia. A more direct approach would be the neuroscientific investigation of conscious states that are experienced as free of any specific phenomenal content. Here we present serendipitous data on content-free awareness (CFA) during an EEG-fMRI assessment reported by an extraordinarily qualified meditator with over 50,000 h of practice. We focused on two specific cortical networks related to external and internal awareness, i.e., the dorsal attention network (DAN) and the default mode network (DMN), to explore the neural correlates of this experience. The combination of high-resolution EEG and ultrafast fMRI enabled us to analyze the dynamic aspects of fMRI connectivity informed by EEG power analysis. The neural correlates of CFA were characterized by a sharp decrease in alpha power and an increase in theta power as well as increases in functional connectivity in the DAN and decreases in the posterior DMN. We interpret these findings as correlates of a top-down-initiated attentional state excluding external sensory stimuli and internal mentation from conscious experience. We conclude that the investigation of states of CFA could provide valuable input for new methodological and conceptual approaches in the search for the minimal neural correlate of consciousness.
Highlights
Neuroscientific meditation research has risen sharply during the last decade, thereby initiating the new field of contemplative neuroscience
The majority of studies in this field have explored the physiological mechanisms of meditation, changes in brain structure and function associated with meditation practice, as well as differences in cognitive abilities between meditators and EEG-fcMRI Correlates of Content-Free Awareness non-meditators (Davis and Vago, 2013; Vieten et al, 2018)
To explore the neural correlates of this experience, we focused on two specific cortical networks related to external and internal awareness, i.e., the dorsal attention network (DAN) and the default mode network (DMN), respectively
Summary
Neuroscientific meditation research has risen sharply during the last decade, thereby initiating the new field of contemplative neuroscience. The investigation of deep states of meditation could open a unique pathway in identifying the neural correlates of consciousness, complementing approaches investigating seemingly unconscious states in deep sleep, general anesthesia or disorders of consciousness (Winter, 2013). Meditative states of consciousness without any specific content are described in all major contemplative traditions. Whether such states of consciousness exist is the subject of current debates in the philosophy of mind and the Neurosciences (Gennaro, 2008; Millière et al, 2018; Winter, 2020)
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