The Self

1. The Self ETSI: Year 5

2. Lecture Goals • Define “self” and understand its value • Discuss self-concepts • structure: what makes up a concept • dynamic: concepts are not fixed entities • function: how are concepts useful? • Examine brain networks and different neural theories of self processing

3. What is “self”? Three Levels: Proto-self: most basic sense distinguishing self from other, even simple organisms have this – moment to moment representation of the bodily state Antonio Damasio Core self: simple, transient sense of self in the here and now, recreated in each moment Autobiographical self: timeline of your own history extended over time (involves memory)

4. Self vs. Other what are some benefits of an organism being able to distinguish self from other?

5. Autobiographical Self • Over time, we develop self-conceptsbased on our cumulative experience • These are particularly developed and important in social organisms • Self-concepts are central for regulating one’s own behavior • goal setting • cognitive preparation for action • planning, rehearsal, strategy • monitoring • evaluating

6. Self-concepts What are some concepts you have about yourself?

7. Self-concepts are multi-faceted • contain ideas about: • traits • values • feelings • memories • social roles • many different types: • positive or negative • current experience vs. past or future • actual self vs. ideal self vs. other possible selves (feared, ought) • central (well developed, important, relatively stable) or peripheral Markus & Wurf (1987)

8. Self-concepts are dynamic While we may think of our self-concept as unitary or fixed, these concepts are NOT stable or static, but ever-changing

9. Self-concepts are dynamic Highly dependent on context and surroundings in this situation, gender will be salient in this situation, height will be salient

10. The dynamic self-concept ENVIRONMENT PERSON Internal processes • Self-Concept • self-schemas • values • strategies • possible selves Behavior Working Self adapted from Markus & Wurf (1987)

11. What is the function of self-concepts? • Internal Processes: • information processing • affect regulation • motivation of behavior • Behavior: • social perception, evaluating others • choice of situation and partners • interaction strategies (the image we present to others) • reacting to feedback

12. The danger of self-concepts Think of a self-concept you have that you value highly, or feel is very important or central to you being “you” Now, imagine that you are in a scenario in which you act completely opposite from this self-concept (or someone tells you they think you are not that way)…  STRESS! In fact, “threat to self” is a central element in stress – this occurs when any of your goals, values, or core beliefs about yourself are challenged.

13. Neural Correlates of Self

14. Meta-Analysis of Self vs. Other fMRI Northoff et al, NeuroImage 2006 Many studies show cortical midline regions preferentially activated when processing information related to SELF vs. OTHER

15. What functions might midline cortical regions serve in relation to self? 3 4 2 1 VMPFC: Northoff and Bermpohl, TICS 2004

16. Default Mode Network Meta-analysis of brain regions more active at “rest” than during task posterior cingulate cortex medial prefrontal cortex LATERAL SURFACE MEDIAL SURFACE Buckner et al, Ann NY AcadSci, 2008 Definition: a specific, anatomically defined brain system preferentially active when individuals are left to think to themselves undisturbed

17. Mind wandering: what do we think about? • Cognitive operations: • moving in time • remembering • imagining (without doing) • planning, incorporating memories …almost always about SELF!

18. Neural Correlates of Self • For the above reasons, many neuroscientists relate the default mode network, or regions within in (particularly mPFC), to “self” processing. • However, other theorists propose different ideas… neuroscientists are just beginning to distinguish between various definitions of “self”.

19. Self-as-object vs. Self-as-subject • “me” versus “I” • me = self-concept, the object • I = the observer, subjective sense • example: looking at image in mirror • perceived me is self-as-object • perceiving I is self-as-subject • This view argues that default mode processing (mPFC especially) views self as object only. Legrand & Ruby (2009)

20. Self: a re-conceptualization • default mode regions as a non self-specific evaluation network, relating to both “self” and “other” processing • self > other (white dots) • other > self (blue dots) Legrand & Ruby (2009)

21. What IS self-specific? Christoff et al (2011) • contents are not self-specific • - even feeling of one’s body • perspective is self-specific • This perspective involves acting, and knowing you are acting: reafference

22. Self as Perceptual-motor Grounding SELF EXTERNAL WORLD Sensory Consequence Sensorimotor integration Reafference Efference copy Motor command from motor cortex Effector (e.g., muscles) Legrand & Ruby (2009)

23. Anterior Insula: another view on ‘I’ feeling of knowing inspection time • Studies in many domains find activation in anterior insula • Hypothesis: awareness is common process underlying all activations • Awareness = knowing that one exists; the feeling that “I am” • Inner feelings that underlie one’s representation of self are only accessible from one’s own brain sensual touch painful temperature respiration & exercise itch Craig (2009)

24. Is there a a neural substrate of self? • Ideas about self in the brain abound • Some presume “self” can involve any set of brain regions representing experience and memory • Self may emerge from multiple streams of processing • Elements of all these theories may be correct • There is likely no single neural substrate of self • This topic is still very much in debate, and is closely related to the study of “consciousness”

25. Summary • Self is an important construct for survival, and involves many domains (traits, values, memories, etc.) • Although we often think of it as stable and fixed, self is dynamic and very dependent on the situation. • While the self is important and very useful for regulating behavior, it can also lead to stress if tightly-held views are challenged. • The neural underpinnings of self are still being investigated. • Some research focuses on self-as-object (mPFC and default mode). • Other work tries to distinguish self-as-subject (reafference and insula).

26. Exploring Brain Networks during Meditation ETSI: Year 4, Day 4 afternoon

27. Default Mode Network Meta-analysis of brain regions more active at “rest” than during task posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) medial prefrontal cortex LATERAL SURFACE MEDIAL SURFACE Buckner et al, Ann NY AcadSci, 2008 Definition: a specific, anatomically defined brain system preferentially active when individuals are left to think to themselves undisturbed

28. Overlap between DMN and Self-referential processing posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) medial prefrontal cortex Whitfield-GabrieliNeuroimage (2011)

29. Decreased DMN/self-related activity during meditation in experienced meditators Contrast: (Experienced Meditator > Novice) medial prefrontal cortex PCC x = -6 z = 21 Brewer et al PNAS (2011)

30. What exactly happens in the brain during focused attention meditation, moment-by-moment? An fMRI study by Wendy Hasenkamp, PhD

31. Cognitive Dynamics during Focused Meditation Mind-wandering (MW) Default Mode Network? Awareness of MW Focus Attention Network? Shifting Attention Disengage/Re-focus What happens in the brain during focused meditation?

32. Mind- wandering Awareness of MW Focus Shifting Attention Methods • 14meditators from western culture • age 28-66 • 3 male, 11 female • assessed meditation experience familiarity with breath-focus meditation • Functional MRI Task: Focus on the breath, whenever you realize your mind has wandered, press the button and return focus to breath (20 min) • Use button-press data to determine brief conditions related to shifting mental states

33. Approach to Analysis Approach to Analysis TR=1.5 sec Shifting/ Meditation Mind- wandering Moment of awareness (button press) censored censored No interest AWARE 3 sec FOCUS 6 sec 3 sec 3 sec 3 sec MW SHIFT A A A

34. Cognitive References for Conditions AWARE FOCUS SHIFT MW Mind-wandering (MW) MW A Awareness of MW Focus Shifting Attention Disengage/Re-focus AWARE FOCUS SHIFT

35. Awareness of MW Contrast: AWARE > MW activation relative to baseline (MW) activation during motor control 4 -4 16 AWARE FOCUS SHIFT MW Bilateral anterior insula and dorsal ACC salience network: identify relevant stimuli A

36. Shifting/Re-focusing Contrast: SHIFT > MW 9 43 -45 AWARE FOCUS SHIFT MW Fronto-parietal attention networks (right-lateralized) executive network: respond to stimuli by controlling attention A

37. Sustained Focus/Meditation Contrast: FOCUS > MW 32 41 33 AWARE FOCUS SHIFT MW Right dorsolateral PFC executive network: respond to stimuli by controlling attention, working memory, keeping goal in mind A

38. Mind wandering Contrast: SHIFT > MW 11 -6 -5 AWARE mPFC, posterior cingulate, parahippocampalgyrus default mode network: memory, planning, imagining (other, motor-related regions also active, due to button press preparation) FOCUS SHIFT MW A

39. Correlation of brain activity with meditation experience % signal change from baseline AWARE VMPFC: self & evaluation FOCUS SHIFT MW p=0.010 seconds  More experience, better at quieting self-processing/evaluation? A

40. Summary MW AWARE FOCUS SHIFT Correlations with practice time suggest experience-dependent neural plasticity

41. Can meditators learn to modify their brain activity if they see it shown on a screen during an fMRI brain scan? A real-time neurofeedback study by Jud Brewer, PhD

42. fMRI neurofeedback While lying inside the fMRI scanner, the subject is practicing focused attention on the breath, with eyes open. At the same time he sees on the screen his own brain activation in area PCC.

43. Afterwards, participants were asked to described what happened during their meditation inside the scanner…

44. So at the beginning, I caught myself, that I was sort of trying to guess when the words were going to end and when the meditation was going to begin. So I was kind of trying to be like “okay ready, set, go!” and then there was an additional word that popped up and I was like “oh shit” and so that’s the red spike you see there…

45. …and then I sort of immediately settled in and I was really getting into it…

46. …and then I thought “oh my gosh this is amazing it’s describing exactly what I am saying” and then you see that red spike...

47. … and I was like “okay, wait don’t get distracted” and then I got back into it and then it got blue again…

48. …and I was like “oh my gosh this is unbelievable, it’s doing exactly what my mind is doing” and so [chuckles] then it got red again…

49. …So I just find it really funny because … that’s a perfect map of what my mind was going through.

50. Novice Meditator ”focused more on the physical sensation instead of thinking in and out” Thinking about the breath Run 1 Run 2 Run 3 Run 4