What is Default Mode Network?
A network of brain regions active during rest and self-referential thinking, which shows reduced activity during hypnosis.
The default mode network (DMN) is a set of interconnected brain regions that become active when we're not focused on external tasks—during rest, daydreaming, mind-wandering, and self-referential thinking. Understanding the DMN helps explain both what happens in ordinary consciousness and what changes during hypnosis.
Key regions of the DMN include the medial prefrontal cortex (involved in self-reflection), the posterior cingulate cortex (associated with autobiographical memory and self-relevance), and the lateral temporal and parietal regions. These areas activate when we think about ourselves, others, the past, or the future—basically, when we're engaged in internal narrative rather than external focus.
Brain imaging studies show that DMN activity decreases during hypnosis, particularly during focused absorption and while responding to suggestions. This reduction helps explain several hypnotic phenomena. Less self-referential thinking may contribute to reduced self-consciousness and the quieting of the inner critic. Decreased mind-wandering supports the focused absorption characteristic of trance. And reduced narrative processing may facilitate the acceptance of suggestions without argumentative analysis.
This DMN reduction connects hypnosis to other focused states like meditation and flow. All these states involve shifting away from the wandering, self-focused mind toward present-moment engagement. This neurological commonality suggests these practices may develop overlapping skills and share some underlying mechanisms.