The Self
ETSI: Year 5
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
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)
Self vs. Other
what are some benefits of an organism
being able to distinguish self from other?
Autobiographical Self
Over time, we develop self-concepts
based on our cumulative experience
These are particularly developed and important in social
organisms
Self-concepts are central for regulating one’s own behavior
o goal setting
o cognitive preparation for action
• planning, rehearsal, strategy
o monitoring
o evaluating
Self-concepts
What are some concepts you have about yourself?
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)
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
Self-concepts are dynamic
Highly dependent on context and surroundings
in this situation, gender
will be salient
in this situation,
height will be salient
The dynamic self-concept
ENVIRONMENT
PERSON
Internal processes
Self-Concept
Behavior
• self-schemas
• values
• strategies
• possible selves
Working
Self
adapted from
Markus & Wurf (1987)
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
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.
Neural Correlates of Self
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
What functions might midline cortical
regions serve in relation to self?
3
2
1
VMPFC:
Northoff and Bermpohl, TICS 2004
4
Default Mode Network
Meta-analysis of brain regions more active at “rest” than during task
posterior
cingulate
cortex
LATERAL SURFACE
medial
prefrontal
cortex
MEDIAL SURFACE
Buckner et al, Ann NY Acad Sci, 2008
Definition: a specific, anatomically defined brain system preferentially
active when individuals are left to think to themselves undisturbed
Mind wandering: what do we think about?
Cognitive operations:
• moving in time
• remembering
• imagining (without doing)
• planning, incorporating
memories
…almost always about SELF!
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”.
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)
Self: a re-conceptualization
default mode regions as a non self-specific evaluation
network, relating to both “self” and “other” processing
o self > other (white dots)
• other > self (blue dots)
Legrand & Ruby (2009)
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
Self as Perceptual-motor Grounding
SELF
Sensorimotor
integration
EXTERNAL WORLD
Reafference
Sensory
Consequence
Efference
copy
Motor command
Effector (e.g., muscles)
from motor cortex
Legrand & Ruby (2009)
Anterior Insula:
another view on ‘I’
o Studies in many domains
find activation in anterior
insula
o Hypothesis: awareness is
common process
underlying all activations
o Awareness = knowing that
one exists; the feeling that
“I am”
o Inner feelings that underlie
one’s representation of self
are only accessible from
one’s own brain
feeling of knowing
inspection time
sensual touch
painful temperature
respiration & exercise
itch
Craig
Is there a a neural
substrate of self?
 Ideas about self in the brain abound
o Some presume “self” can involve any set of brain regions
representing experience and memory
o 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”
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.
o Some research focuses on self-as-object (mPFC and default mode).
o Other work tries to distinguish self-as-subject (reafference and insula).
Exploring Brain Networks
during Meditation
ETSI: Year 4, Day 4 afternoon
Default Mode Network
Meta-analysis of brain regions more active at “rest” than during task
posterior
cingulate
cortex
(PCC)
LATERAL SURFACE
medial
prefrontal
cortex
MEDIAL SURFACE
Buckner et al, Ann NY Acad Sci, 2008
Definition: a specific, anatomically defined brain system preferentially
active when individuals are left to think to themselves undisturbed
Overlap between DMN and
Self-referential processing
posterior
cingulate
cortex
(PCC)
medial
prefrontal
cortex
Whitfield-Gabrieli Neuroimage (2011)
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)
What exactly happens in the brain during
focused attention meditation, moment-bymoment?
An fMRI study by Wendy Hasenkamp,
PhD
Cognitive Dynamics during Focused Meditation
Mind-wandering
(MW)
Default Mode Network?
Focus
Attention Network?
Awareness
of MW
Shifting Attention
Disengage/Re-focus
 What happens in the brain during focused meditation?
Methods
 14 meditators from western culture
o
o
o
age 28-66
3 male, 11 female
assessed meditation experience  familiarity with breath-focus meditation
Mindwandering
Functional MRI Task:
Focus on the breath, whenever you
realize your mind has wandered,
press the button and return focus to
breath (20 min)
Awareness
of MW
Focus
Shifting
Attention
Use button-press data to determine brief conditions
related to shifting mental states
Approach to Analysis
TR=1.5 sec
A
Mindwandering
A Shifting/
Moment of awareness
(button press)
3 sec
3 sec
AWARE
3 sec
3 sec
SHIFT FOCUS
MW
A
6 sec
No interest
Meditation
Cognitive References for Conditions
AWARE
SHIFT
MW
MW
A
Mindwandering
(MW)
FOCUS
Awareness
of MW
Focus
Shifting Attention
Disengage/Re-focus
SHIFT
AWARE
FOCUS
Awareness of MW
AWARE
SHIFT
MW
FOCUS
Contrast: AWARE > MW
A
4
-4
Bilateral anterior insula and dorsal ACC
salience network: identify relevant stimuli
16
activation relative to baseline (MW)
activation during motor control
Shifting/Re-focusing
AWARE
SHIFT
MW
Contrast: SHIFT > MW
A
9
43
-45
Fronto-parietal attention networks (right-lateralized)
executive network: respond to stimuli by controlling attention
FOCUS
Sustained Focus/Meditation
AWARE
SHIFT
MW
Contrast: FOCUS > MW
A
32
41
33
Right dorsolateral PFC
executive network: respond to stimuli by controlling attention,
working memory, keeping goal in mind
FOCUS
Mind wandering
AWARE
SHIFT
MW
Contrast: SHIFT > MW
A
11
-6
-5
mPFC, posterior cingulate, parahippocampal gyrus
default mode network: memory, planning, imagining
(other, motor-related regions also active, due to button press
preparation)
FOCUS
Correlation of brain activity
with meditation experience
AWARE
SHIFT
MW
FOCUS
A
0.5
VMPFC:
self & evaluation
% signal change from baseline
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
-0.1
-0.2
high practice
-0.3
-0.4
low practice
p=0.010
seconds
 More experience, better at quieting self-processing/evaluation?
Summary
MW
AWARE
FOCUS
SHIFT
Correlations with practice
time suggest experiencedependent neural plasticity
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
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.
Afterwards, participants were asked to
described what happened during their
meditation inside the scanner…
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…
…and then I sort of immediately
settled in and I was really getting
into it…
…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...
… and I was like “okay, wait don’t
get distracted” and then I got back
into it and then it got blue again…
…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…
…So I just find it really funny
because … that’s a perfect map of
what my mind was going through.
NOVICE MEDITATOR
Thinking
about the
breath
RUN 1
RUN 2
RUN 3
”focused more on
the physical
sensation instead
of thinking in and
out”
RUN 4
EXPERIENCED MEDITATOR
Repeating one’s
name
Exploring image
On task
Run 1
Run 6
Future thinking