How we escape from the here and now: a component process account of self-generated thought

Conscious thought is not always focused on immediate sensory input and instead is often directed to information that arises from intrinsic changes that occur within an individual. Such self-generated thoughts occupy upwards of half our lives, and are experienced as daydreaming, mind-wandering and in extreme conditions as intrusive thoughts. Although the last decade has seen a rapid increase in studies exploring self-generated thinking, we currently lack an integrative framework for understanding these experiences from both neural and psychological perspectives. The current talk will describes a component process view of self-generated thought that provides insight into the neuro cognitive mechanisms through which this ubiquitous experience contributes to our daily life.