The default mode network is active during daydreaming, thinking about others, the past, the future and more. Many describe it as the part of the brain that gives us the sense of “self.” The DMN has also been shown to be negatively correlated with other networks in the brain such as attention networks.
It has been shown that activity in the DMN decreases with the use of some psychedelics (psilocybin, LSD).
However, in long term meditators it has also been shown that activity in the default mode network (DMN) decreases, both during meditation and afterwards.
This brings us to two thoughts:
1) Perhaps our daydreaming state, and the default mode network, while allowing us to plan and consider, is the culprit that usually robs us of attention and potentially a perception of a deeper reality.
and
2) Yes, meditation can also bring us to a higher level of “awareness” and attention, and potentially a non-ordinary state of reality and change in perception
