WHAT IS THE DEFAULT MODE NETWORK?
If you’ve spent anytime researching new treatments for mental health and personal growth and wellness, you’ve probably heard about the Default Mode Network (or DMN). Many folks talk about shutting off the default mode network but you may be wondering, why would I want to do that? I’d say, that’s a good question so, let’s get into understanding what it is.
The Default Mode Network (DMN) refers to specific regions of the brain that are activated when we have thoughts related to ourself, about who I am and how I interact with the world around me, when I daydream or fantasize about the future, when I’m thinking about the intention of others and how they think of me, thinking about events from the past, and my expectations of the future. Think of this as your mind’s go-to state when you are not actively learning or actively engaged in your environment.
How Is It Developed?
The particular thoughts that make up the DMN are built over time and include patterns of thinking that we engage in so frequently that they become - the default. When the DMN is in balance, we have acceptance of the past, a sense of agency in how our future unfolds and sense of trust and acceptance towards others. When out of balance, we may spend more time “in our head” over analyzing or replaying the past, rehearsing the future and assuming negative outcomes like being judged, punished or rejected.
I’m often asked why therapy often explores childhood, people will say “I’m over it!” or “that stuff doesn’t matter” and “it’s time to move on”. Well, one reason why we want to go there in therapy is that much of the DMN is created in childhood and adolescence so, current patterns of thinking and how you interpret information about the world and other people is initially developed in our early years. Many folks would say that the DMN goes back even earlier to the prenatal experiences or even events in our ancestry however, most of the research shows we don’t have an active DMN until our early adult years. Once we’re adults, it gets more and more active as we age. When a person had a childhood with a variety of adverse events like food scarcity, emotional or physical neglect, or a childhood where needs were not met (umm, that’s a good deal of the population!) these experiences will shape the way we see ourselves and the world around us. We may anticipate rejection or scarcity, feel like a bother, not worthy or have thoughts of hopelessness of the future.
It isn’t all embedded in our childhood though, the DMN is also shaped by traumatic events that may occur later in life, like from an assault or even medical conditions or surgeries. Understanding how these early years or later traumatic events influence a person and how they developed can be instrumental to deepening once’s self awareness and healing journey.
Is The Default Mode Network all Bad?
When out of balance, the Default Mode Network is where we develop defenses and protector parts or protective ways of reacting to situations that may trigger a painful event from the past. Many of these defenses were once helpful however, they will continue to play out until those past painful experiences are integrated into our sense of self and understanding of the world. These defense mechanisms, when we are not aware of them, can create resistance to things we want more of like healthy relationships and connections. The protective parts or patterns also show up when we try to connect with a painful memory or emotion.
When in balance, the DMN helps our survival, as it’s essential for reminding us of our needs and enacting patterns of behavior that lead to healthy decision making. It’s where we plan the creation of our best life and most meaningful relationships. When the DMN is out of balance, the default becomes rumination or continuous worrying or replaying of an event, Self-critical thinking patterns, negative thought loops, and distorted patterns of thinking about ourselves and assuiming negative intentions of others.
Many of the cutting edge treatments for mental health and wellness work to “quiet” the DMN. In these cases, such as with psychedelics, ketamine, breath work and other consciousness changing interventions, it’s believed that those parts that act as protective or defense mechanisms are muted or even turned off. When these defense mechanisms are no longer active, a person is allowed to experience the memories or emotions that had previously not been available in their normal waking consciousness. The benefit here is that once those memories or emotions come up, you can work with them, especially if you have a therapist who can help to make meaning and integrate the experience and emotions. The challenge is that information or emotions that come into awareness when they’ve been protected for a long time can feel very intense and even overwhelming. Many people will come to psychedelic experiences and say “I want to get deeper than I have in therapy” or “there’s something I need to get to and I just can’t do it on my own”, they’re looking for an experience to help break through to parts or emotions that seem to lay just beneath the surface of their consciousness. Those parts of us that the Default Mode has created a barrier or protector, keeping those vulnerable parts at bay. Explorations in non-ordinary states of consciousness can be a direct way to get deeper in your healing journey, beyond those protectors. Just be sure to have support to deal with what comes up.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/default-mode-network