The train of thought: How our brain responds to the environment whilst we are thinking in terms of mental images or an inner voice
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Date
2016
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Abstract
When our attention is internally oriented toward self-generated thoughts, brain processing to external stimuli becomes attenuated. Studies have shown that visual imagery and auditory/verbal thoughts activate brain regions involved in visual or auditory perception, respectively. However, the potential effects that different mental contents might have on attentional processing were unknown. A recent study from our laboratory showed that visual imagery decreases visual processing to external stimuli to a greater extent than auditory/verbal thoughts. These results demonstrate that different kinds of thoughts differentially affect our attentional and neural processing of external stimuli.
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Keywords
Atención, Cerebro, Imaginación, EEG, Divagación mental