It has long been theorised that there are two temporally distinct forms of self-reference: extended self-reference linking experiences across time, and momentary centred on the present. To characterise these aspects awareness, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine monitoring enduring traits (’narrative’ focus, NF) or experience (’experiential’ EF) in both novice participants those having attended an 8 week course mindfulness meditation, a program trains individuals...

The present study examined the thesis that positive affect may serve to broaden scope of attentional filters, reducing their selectivity. effect mood states was measured in two different cognitive domains: semantic search (remote associates task) and visual selective attention (Eriksen flanker task). In conceptual domain, enhanced access remote associates, suggesting an increase access. visuospatial impaired by increasing processing spatially adjacent flanking distractors, attention. During...

Mental imagery is an important cognitive method for problem solving, and the mental rotation of complex objects, as originally described by Shepard Metzler (1971), among best studied tasks. Functional MRI was used to observe focal changes in blood flow brains 10 healthy volunteers performing a task. On each trial, subjects viewed pair perspective drawings three-dimensional shapes, mentally rotated one into congruence with other, then determined whether two forms were identical or...

In common parlance, moral transgressions "leave a bad taste in the mouth." This metaphor implies link between disgust and more primitive forms of related to toxicity disease, yet convincing evidence for this relationship is still lacking. We tested directly oral origins by searching similarity facial motor activity evoked gustatory distaste (elicited unpleasant tastes), basic photographs contaminants), unfair treatment an economic game). found that all three states activation levator labii...

Identification of a 1st target stimulus in rapid serial visual presentation sequence leads to transient impairment report for 2nd target; this is known as the attentional blink (AB). This AB was substantially alleviated emotionally significant words. sparing not attributable variety nonaffective factors that could result augmented distinctiveness. Arousal value, valence events, found be responsible sparing. These results suggest arousal associated with decreased prerequisites awareness,...

Current theories of emotion perception posit that basic facial expressions signal categorically discrete emotions or affective dimensions valence and arousal. In both cases, the information is thought to be directly “read out” from face in a way largely immune context. contrast, three studies reported here demonstrated identical configurations convey strikingly different dimensional values depending on context which they are embedded. This effect modulated by similarity between target...

The present study examined whether automaticity, defined here as independence from attentional modulation, is a fundamental principle of the neural systems specialized for processing social signals environmental threat. Attention was focused on either scenes or faces presented in single overlapping display. Facial expressions were neutral, fearful, disgusted. Amygdala responses to facial fear, signifier potential physical attack, not reduced with attention faces. In contrast, anterior...

Recovery from emotional challenge and increased tolerance of negative affect are both hallmarks mental health. Mindfulness training (MT) has been shown to facilitate these outcomes, yet little is known about its mechanisms action. The present study employed functional MRI (fMRI) compare neural reactivity sadness provocation in participants completing 8 weeks MT waitlisted controls. Sadness resulted widespread recruitment regions associated with self-referential processes along the cortical...

One component of mindfulness training (MT) is the development interoceptive attention (IA) to visceral bodily sensations, facilitated through daily practices such as breath monitoring. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we examined experience-dependent plasticity in accessing representations by comparing graduates a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course waitlisted control group. IA respiratory sensations was contrasted against two visual tasks, controlling for...

Emotion modeling and recognition has drawn extensive attention from disciplines such as psychology, cognitive science, and, lately, engineering. Although a significant amount of research been done on behavioral modalities, less explored characteristics include the physiological signals. This work brings to table ECG signal presents thorough analysis its psychological properties. The fact that this established biometric characteristic calls for subject-dependent emotion recognizers capture...

Emotional events are bestowed with special prominence in memory. This may reflect greater attention oriented to these during encoding, and/or enhancement of memory consolidation after emotional have passed. Here we show invoked arousal results a retrograde long-term memory, determining what will later be remembered or forgotten. Subjects saw pictures neutral faces and houses followed by emotionally arousing scenes at varying intervals. Self-reported responses predicted for preceding 1-week...

Positive and negative emotional states are thought to have originated from fundamentally opposing approach avoidance behaviors. Furthermore, affective valence has been hypothesized exert biases in cognitive control. Here we examined with functional magnetic resonance imaging whether the influences of positive extend perceptual encoding visual cortices. Based on prior behavioral research, that would broaden narrow field view (FOV). Positive, neutral, were induced alternating blocks. To index...

It is thought that the human amygdala a critical component of neural substrates emotional experience, involved particularly in generation fear, anxiety, and general negative affectivity. Although many neuroimaging studies demonstrate findings consistent this notion, little evidence altered experience following damage has been gathered humans. In preliminary test amygdala's role phenomenal affective states, we assessed extent experienced positive states patients with age-, sex-,...

Positron emission tomography scans were acquired when subjects performed three tasks, each in a separate block of trials. They decided whether words named pictures objects viewed from canonical perspective, non-canonical (unusual) perspective or saw random patterns lines and pressed pedal they heard the word (this was baseline condition). The dorsolateral prefrontal region activated identified seen perspectives, as expected if frontal lobes are involved top-down perceptual processing. In...

How exteroceptive attention (EA) alters neural representations of the external world is well characterized, yet little known about how interoceptive (IA) body's internal state. We contrasted visual EA against IA toward respiration. Visual modulated striate and extrastriate cortices a lateral frontoparietal "executive" network. By contrast, respiratory posterior insula region sensitive to frequency, consistent with primary cortex, limbic medial parietal network, including hippocampus,...