Mind Blanking Differs From Mind Wandering

Mind blanking – the experience of “thinking of nothing” – has long been misunderstood or grouped with related phenomena such as mind wandering. Now, in an opinion piece published in Trends in Cognitive Sciences, a multidisciplinary team of neuroscientists and philosophers argues that mind blanking is a separate mental state, characterized by unique neural and physiological patterns.

Drawing from 80 research papers, including their own studies of brain activity during episodes of reported blankness, the authors propose that mind blanking should be treated as a physiologically grounded experience that fluctuates with levels of arousal. Rather than a lapse or failure of cognition, they describe mind blanking as a meaningful part of the human experience, one that varies considerably across individuals and contexts.

Identifying the features of mind blanking

The paper highlights several common indicators of mind blanking. Individuals may experience a halt in inner speech, momentary memory lapses or a sense of sluggishness. Physiological signs include lower heart rates and pupil diameters, and distinct brain activity changes – particularly slow, sleep-like waves observed in electroencephalography (EEG) recordings. These changes suggest parts of the brain may temporarily enter states akin to sleep, even while the person remains awake, a phenomenon the authors refer to as “local sleep episodes.”

“During wakefulness, our thoughts transition between different contents. However, there are moments that are seemingly devoid of reportable content, referred to as mind blanking,” writes the research team.

Mind blanking frequently emerges during prolonged attention tasks, periods of sleep deprivation or after intense physical exertion. It is also commonly self-reported by people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and is included in the symptom profile of generalized anxiety disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). In clinical contexts, it may also be observed following strokes, seizures or traumatic brain injuries.

Distinguishing blankness from wandering

Although historically studied through the lens of mind wandering – where thoughts meander between different topics – mind blanking lacks this internal flow of thought. Instead, it involves an absence of reportable mental content. The authors argue this key difference requires new investigative tools and definitions specific to mind blanking.

Brain imaging and electrophysiology studies further support this distinction. Unlike mind wandering, which involves active engagement of the default mode network, mind blanking shows decreased signal complexity and reduced activity in regions linked to attention, language and memory, such as the hippocampus and Broca’s area. These patterns resemble those observed in states of unconsciousness.

A framework for understanding blankness

The team proposes a conceptual framework positioning mind blanking as a family of arousal-modulated cognitive states. According to this view, fluctuations in physiological arousal – ranging from high (such as during overstimulation) to low (such as drowsiness) – can temporarily disrupt normal cognitive functions, leading to blanking.

These episodes do not reflect a complete cessation of brain function but rather a reconfiguration of activity that deprioritizes conscious thought in favor of reduced sensory and cognitive processing. For instance, even purposeful efforts to “empty the mind” result in coordinated deactivations across key cognitive brain regions.

Toward deeper understanding

By defining mind blanking as its own category of experience, the authors hope to encourage more targeted research. They suggest that future studies could explore how blanking relates to states such as meditation and explore its potential as a clinical biomarker or diagnostic feature in neurological and psychiatric conditions.

Overall, the opinion article calls attention to a commonly experienced, yet poorly understood aspect of cognition. It argues for more nuanced models of consciousness that can accommodate the variable and sometimes content-less nature of our waking experiences.

Reference: Andrillon T, Lutz A, Windt J, Demertzi A. Where is my mind? A neurocognitive investigation of mind blanking. Trends Cognit Sci. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2025.02.002

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