How Mindfulness Heals Trauma through the Brain’s “Default Mode Network”
It is commonly understood that trauma affects the development of the brain and can cause changes. The Default Mode Network (DMN) is one collection of sections of the brain that are influenced by trauma. Mindfulness has been shown to be effective in healing and restoring brain function in the DMN. Read on to learn more about how mindfulness can help heal trauma in the default mode network.
What Is the Brain’s Default Mode Network?
The brain has a collection of brain regions that are now referred to as the “default mode network”. Several parts that are included in the DMN are the medial prefrontal cortex, the posterior cingulate, and the inferior parietal lobule. These areas become less active when we are focused on a specific task, like paying attention. However, these regions show more activity when we are awake but not engaged in any particular mental exercise. During these periods, we might be daydreaming, recalling memories, envisioning the future, monitoring our surroundings, or contemplating the intentions of others. Essentially, the DMN is active when we are simply "thinking" without a deliberate goal in mind.
How Does Trauma Affect the Default Mode Network?
Trauma can significantly impact the default mode network (DMN), leading to changes in levels of functioning and connectivity. Trauma may affect the DMN by causing hyperactivity in the prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex. Because of hyperactivity, you may be more likely to have intrusive thoughts, excessive rumination and negative thoughts.
Trauma may also alter the connectivity within the DMN and between the DMN and other regions of the brain. A weak connection between the DMN and the executive control network can impair the ability to regulate emotions and thoughts. On the other hand, an increased connection between the DMN and the regions that regulate stress could cause a heightened stress response.
The DMN is responsible for the brain’s activity during “rest states”. Trauma can cause the DMN to be overactive or underactive during these “rest states”. It may even contribute to dissociation and disconnection between thoughts, identity, consciousness and memories.
Trauma may also affect the DMN in the ability to recall memories as well as processing and regulating emotions. If you have experienced trauma, it may be more difficult to manage emotional responses and you may find yourself being overly activated at times or numb at other times.
One study from the Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience found that repeated and severe childhood trauma created remarkable deficiencies in the functioning of the DMN.
Overall, trauma can cause significant disruptions to the DMN, impacting various cognitive and emotional functions.
What is Mindfulness?
Simply put, mindfulness means “noticing”. It is a mental exercise to intentionally live in the present moment. It involves awareness of the present without judgement or rejection of the moment. Mindfulness encourages acceptance without trying to change the circumstances. Mindfulness can be practiced throughout the day, while doing any task. It can also be performed as a more formal mediation. The purpose of practicing mindfulness is to decrease suffering, increase control of your mind, and to engage fully in life. Mindfulness has also been shown to have effects on brain function, such as the DMN.
How Does Mindfulness Practice Affect the Default Mode Network?
Regular mindfulness practice can have a positive impact on the functioning and connectivity of the DMN. It can decrease the activity of the DMN by decreasing the amount of time spent thinking obsessively about self and self in relationship to the rest of the world. It can also decrease mind-wandering and encourage more focus and awareness.
Regular mindfulness practice can also help regulate the activity of the DMN, which can reduce rumination, intense negative thought patterns, and worry.
Mindfulness also increases the connection between the DMN and the executive control network (ECN) of the brain. The ECN is responsible for higher-level cognitive functions such as making decisions, self-control and attention. As mindfulness regulates the connections between these two areas, better control of higher-level cognitive function is the outcome.
Mindfulness can also increase focus on external tasks and sensory experiences, rather than internal thoughts and reflections. This can lead to a more balanced perspective on the self and reduce tendencies towards self-criticism and negative self-evaluation.
How does Mindfulness Help Heal Trauma in Relationship to the Default Mode Network?
As we’ve seen, trauma disrupts the connections in the DMN and leads to hyperactivity, numbing or lack of ability to regulate emotions. Regular mindfulness practice can reestablish connections that are lost and help reengage the higher levels of cognitive functioning for better emotional regulation. Mindfulness can help heal the DMN by retraining it to function in a more balanced way. When the brain is “at rest”, mindfulness practice can encourage the normal processes of daydreaming, planning and thinking about memories or the future without intrusive negative thoughts, or obsessive harsh self-evaluations that may plague trauma survivors.
In Summary
The Default Mode Network of the brain can be severely modified by trauma, especially complex trauma. Changes in the DMN lead to many outcomes including a lack of balanced emotion, overly negative thoughts, and heightened stress response. Mindfulness practice can be a powerful tool in retraining the DMN to function in a more balanced way, and through doing so, assist in healing.