Latest news with #AthenaDemertzi
Economic Times
27-04-2025
- Health
- Economic Times
What really happens when your mind goes blank? New study unveils surprising brain secrets
A new study reveals that when your mind goes blank, your brain isn't idle but enters a "local sleep" state, showing sleep-like waves and reduced complexity. Researchers found that mind blanking happens more often than we think, particularly in high or low arousal states, and could be linked to neurological conditions. The study offers fascinating insights into consciousness. A new study reveals intriguing insights into what happens when your mind goes blank. Researchers discovered that brain activity doesn't stop; instead, it enters a state resembling 'local sleep.' Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Unraveling the Mystery of Mind Blanking How Often Does It Happen? Also Read: Brain expert reveals the one diet change that can boost memory and focus The Brain at Rest? Far From It The Science of Switching Off Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why Do We Blank? Looking to the Future We've all experienced it: that moment when your thoughts vanish without a trace, leaving you utterly blank. Whether it's during a high-pressure presentation, a sleepless night, or a demanding workout, your brain seems to hit the reset button. But what's really going on in your mind when this happens? A new study sheds fascinating light on this phenomenon. Athena Demertzi , the lead author of the study, and her team of researchers in France, Australia, and Belgium, set out to explore the science behind this baffling mental state. After delving into 80 research articles, including their own work tracking brain activity , the team discovered that mind blanking isn't just a random occurrence—there's far more going on in your brain than you might turns out that mind blanking is more common than we realize. On average, people experience their minds going blank between 5% to 20% of the time. But here's the twist: not everyone blanks in the same way. For some, it may happen more frequently, especially if they have neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD . For others, blanking might be accompanied by mind-wandering , which is a distinct, yet related, might assume that when your mind goes blank, your brain is idling. Think again. According to the study, when your mind blanks, your brain isn't shutting down; it's actually entering a state of 'local sleep.' Brain imaging studies, including electroencephalography (EEG), show that sleep-like waves take over, reducing brain signal complexity, slowing your heart rate, and even making your pupils shrink—clear indicators that sleep is taking what happens when you actively try to clear your mind? In a 2019 study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers discovered that several key areas of the brain—including Broca's area, the hippocampus, and the inferior frontal gyrus—are essentially switched off when people intentionally attempt to "turn their minds off." But Demertzi warns that these findings are based on controlled experiments where participants consciously chose to blank their minds. In real life, when mind blanking happens spontaneously, the brain's response may researchers suggest that mind blanking could be linked to the brain's arousal levels—either too high or too low. This could occur when we're under stress, sleep-deprived, or deeply focused. In certain neurological or psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety or traumatic brain injuries, the frequency of mind blanking could and her team are hopeful that their study will spark further conversations and research into the mysterious world of the mind. As they continue to investigate the intricacies of consciousness, they hope to uncover more about why we blank, and how this might help us understand the brain's complex relationship with our mental the end, the next time your mind goes blank, know this: your brain is still hard at work, processing in ways you may not even realize. Far from being lazy, your brain is simply shifting into a unique state—one that scientists are just beginning to understand.
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
What really happens when your mind goes blank? New study unveils surprising brain secrets
We've all experienced it: that moment when your thoughts vanish without a trace, leaving you utterly blank. Whether it's during a high-pressure presentation, a sleepless night, or a demanding workout, your brain seems to hit the reset button. But what's really going on in your mind when this happens? A new study sheds fascinating light on this phenomenon. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India stares at a 'water bomb' threat as it freezes Indus Treaty India readies short, mid & long-term Indus River plans Shehbaz Sharif calls India's stand "worn-out narrative" Unraveling the Mystery of Mind Blanking Athena Demertzi , the lead author of the study, and her team of researchers in France, Australia, and Belgium, set out to explore the science behind this baffling mental state. After delving into 80 research articles, including their own work tracking brain activity , the team discovered that mind blanking isn't just a random occurrence—there's far more going on in your brain than you might think. How Often Does It Happen? It turns out that mind blanking is more common than we realize. On average, people experience their minds going blank between 5% to 20% of the time. But here's the twist: not everyone blanks in the same way. For some, it may happen more frequently, especially if they have neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD . For others, blanking might be accompanied by mind-wandering , which is a distinct, yet related, experience. The Brain at Rest? Far From It You might assume that when your mind goes blank, your brain is idling. Think again. According to the study, when your mind blanks, your brain isn't shutting down; it's actually entering a state of 'local sleep.' Brain imaging studies, including electroencephalography (EEG), show that sleep-like waves take over, reducing brain signal complexity, slowing your heart rate, and even making your pupils shrink—clear indicators that sleep is taking hold. The Science of Switching Off So, what happens when you actively try to clear your mind? In a 2019 study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers discovered that several key areas of the brain—including Broca's area, the hippocampus, and the inferior frontal gyrus—are essentially switched off when people intentionally attempt to "turn their minds off." But Demertzi warns that these findings are based on controlled experiments where participants consciously chose to blank their minds. In real life, when mind blanking happens spontaneously, the brain's response may differ. You Might Also Like: Brain expert reveals the one diet change that can boost memory and focus Why Do We Blank? The researchers suggest that mind blanking could be linked to the brain's arousal levels—either too high or too low. This could occur when we're under stress, sleep-deprived, or deeply focused. In certain neurological or psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety or traumatic brain injuries, the frequency of mind blanking could increase. Looking to the Future Demertzi and her team are hopeful that their study will spark further conversations and research into the mysterious world of the mind. As they continue to investigate the intricacies of consciousness, they hope to uncover more about why we blank, and how this might help us understand the brain's complex relationship with our mental states. In the end, the next time your mind goes blank, know this: your brain is still hard at work, processing in ways you may not even realize. Far from being lazy, your brain is simply shifting into a unique state—one that scientists are just beginning to understand. You Might Also Like: How easily can your mind conjure the pink elephant? Learn what it means for your mental well being Purple is a lie: Why your brain invented a colour that does not exist in nature? Scientists reveal Can you cure back pain using mind hacks? Scientists say they are better than pills
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New study suggests what actually happens when your mind goes blank
You know when your mind is just suddenly wiped clean and you have no idea where your thoughts have gone? Well, there's a new study that can tell you what's going on when this happens and it's pretty weird. 'My mind has gone blank' is a phrase you've probably heard of, and you might have even said a good few times yourself. It's just something that happens to all of us at one time or another, and nobody knows why. But it turns out the science behind it is surprising, as a new study has shed some light on what could be going on in the brain. As it turns out, some of us experience this 'mind blank' phenomenon more than others and some experience it in a totally different way - which is crazy to only just find out. The lead study author called Athena Demertzi revealed that the aim of the study was to 'better understand mind blanking'. The team did this by 'parsing through 80 relevant research articles – including some of our own in which we recorded participants' brain activity when they were reporting that they were 'thinking of nothing'.' Demertzi and colleagues in France, Australia, and Belgium wanted to find out the nature of what consciousness is, and this deep dive into it could hold the answers. After analyzing the research articles, the researchers went on to find that on average, a person will 'blank' around five to 20 percent of the time and that people will experience this in a different way. For example, they could go on to blank more often if they have a neuro-developmental disorder such as ADHD. Or they could experience 'blanking' and their mind 'wandering', which have separate feelings. You can blank when you are experiencing sustained focus, or when you are deprived of sleep or carrying out an intense workout. Or, it could be down to neurological and psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety, Kleine-Levin syndrome, or a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Behavioral studies and research using brain imaging shows that when a person is blanking, the brain is far from being lazy as electroencephalography (EEG) found that the mind goes into a 'local sleep' state where sleep-like waves and reduced signal complexity, a slower heart rate and decreased pupil size occur. All of these things typically indicate that sleep has begun. Then, when looking into a 2019 study which was aided by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), it was found that several brain functions were switched off when people deliberately tried to turn their minds off. This includes the inferior frontal gyrus, Broca's area, supplementary motor cortex, and the hippocampus. But Demertzi and the researchers shared that because they chose to make their minds blank, the results could be different if it was to happen spontaneously. 'We realize that the investigation of [mind blanks] presents methodological and conceptual challenges,' the team noted. On a whole they think it happens when the brain is in a high or low arousal state and are hoping the study will spark more conversations about the mind.
Time of India
26-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Researchers review past studies, say 'mind blanking' is distinct with unique brain activity
New Delhi: Mind blanking is a distinct state of mind, with unique neural and cognitive properties , according to a research article. Often experienced after performing tasks requiring sustained focus, mind blanking can include lapses in attention and memory and sometimes, a temporary absence of inner speech. Writing in the article, published in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences , the authors explained that when we are awake, our thoughts shift through varied contents. "However, there are moments that are seemingly devoid of reportable content, referred to as mind blanking," they wrote. Author Athena Demertzi, a neuroscientist at the University of Liege , Belgium, said, "We sought to better understand mind blanking by parsing through 80 relevant research articles -- including some of our own in which we recorded participants' brain activity when they were reporting that they were 'thinking of nothing'." The team found that how commonly one experiences mind blanking ranges between 5-20 per cent of the time on average. Children with attention disorders (such as ADHD ) were found to report "thinking about nothing" more often, compared to neurotypical people. Further, the authors noted a lowered heart rate and pupil size among people experiencing a mind blank after having engaged in tasks needing sustained attention. The participants also showed brain activity that was relatively less complex -- a state of mind which the researchers said is usually observed in unconscious people. The authors also suggested that mind blanking could be " local sleep episodes ", as a person's ability to process sensory information -- such as touch and temperature -- is disrupted, with slow, sleep-waves seen in their brain. The researchers said that mind blanking has been previously studied as part of research and experiments designed to study mind wandering -- a state of mind where thoughts "occur seamlessly", and "resemble a stream continuously flowing". However, the team argued that mind blanking is a distinct experience -- it involves feeling sleepier, more sluggish, and making more errors -- and should be looked at independently.
Calgary Herald
24-04-2025
- Health
- Calgary Herald
Your mind really can go blank when you're awake. Here's what happens in your brain
Article content The human mind really can go blank during consciousness, according to a new review that challenges the assumption people experience a constant flow of thoughts when awake. Article content Instead, there are moments when the human mind seems empty of any content, and people seemingly aren't thinking of anything at all. Article content Article content Mind blanking is a common, daily life phenomenon linked to changes in states of arousal, the researchers report, and tends to occur towards the end of long and demanding attention tasks like exams, when people are sleep deprived or after an intense workout. Meaning that, 'when the brain is in a high- or low-arousal state, a mind blank is more likely to occur.' Article content In experiments with healthy volunteers, the brain shows signs of 'deactivation' and an increase in sleep-like slow brain waves during a reported mind blank. Heart rates and pupil sizes decrease. A part of the brain appears asleep, 'which may represent a state of 'local sleep' rather than outright sleep,' the researchers write. Article content The experience has been described as a 'lack of conscious awareness,' they noted, during which 'the individual is not focally aware of any stimuli, either internal or external,' a particularly dangerous state if it occurs during high-risk, inopportune moments, like driving. Article content Article content It may be the result of glitches in memory, language or attention. In experiments, people report feeling sleepier, and more sluggish, and they make more errors on attention tasks moments before their minds go 'nowhere.' Article content Article content While some people never report mind blanking, adults and children with ADHD (attention deficient hyperactivity disorder) report the experience more frequently than 'neurotypical people,' the researchers said. Article content 'Mind going blank' is also one of the core symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. It's also related to strokes, seizures, traumatic brain injuries and an 'ultra-rare' sleep disorder (Kleine-Levin syndrome) that affects primarily teenage boys and that causes them to sleep up to 20 hours a day. Article content 'The experience of a 'blank mind' is as intimate and direct as that of bearing thoughts,' the team of neuroscientists and philosophers write. Article content It's not entirely clear what these 'blanks' represent, they said. However, 'We sought to better understand mind blanking by parsing through 80 relevant research articles — including some of our own in which we recorded participants' brain activity when they were reporting that they were 'thinking of nothing,'' Athena Demertzi, of the University of Liege, Belgium, said in a press release.
