Healing Dysfunctional Identity: Bridging Mind-Body Intervention to Brain Systems

Abstract

In this paper, we aim to use an innovative model to integrate applied work on a fast-acting mind-body intervention, Mind-Body Bridging (MBB), with theoretical work based on psychology and neuroscience. In an affect-object generative inference and regulation (AGIR) model, we propose that functional dynamics between two systems, the affect-object thought generation system and the cognitive control system, can guide an individual to achieve homeostasis within self and harmonious relationships with others. We used Neurosynth (www.neurosynth.org), an automated meta-analysis database, to identify potential brain substrates underlying the key components in the AGIR model. Based on the findings, some brain regions are implicated as the key cortical substrates in this model, corroborating our central hypothesis that a hallmark of mind-body wellbeing can be characterized as a low-frequency anti-correlantion between 1) the cognitive control system including the dorsal anterior/middle cingulate cortex, and 2) the affect-object thought generation system including the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex. MBB provides an efficient strategy for responding to and dissolving a fundamental problem that impairs mind-body wellbeing, i.e., unrealistic identity-grasping consisting of self-centered embodied expectations of self and others. We demonstrated how theoretical and applied work could be integrated by drawing evidence from the neuroscience literature to support the AGIR model, and then we applied the AGIR model to elucidate how MBB might work.

Depression alters maternal extended amygdala response and functional connectivity during distress signals in attachment relationship

“…The dmPFC is a key brain area in the representation of others in social cognition such as while mentalizing other’s states [15, 53] and resting-state functional connectivity between dmPFC has been found to be stronger in depressed patients than healthy controls [54]. These results suggested that child’s distress signals may have triggered a process that connects representations of self and other with emotional values that is consistent with the literature on self-psychology [11, 55].…”

Compassion As an Intervention to Attune to Universal Suffering of Self and Others in Conflicts: A Translational Framework

“…The Bayesian active inference framework has been applied to several domains, e.g., self-reference ( Carhart-Harris and Friston, 2010 ), interoception ( Barrett and Simmons, 2015 ), visuo-motor mirror-neuron system ( Kilner et al, 2007 ), and post-conflict well-being ( Connolly, 2018 ). We reported a meta-analysis to explain a post-adversity bifurcation in the brain responses, highlighting a brain network, namely the Affect-Object Generating Network, through which conceptual thoughts can be generated by linking the representations of self (as a proximal object) and others (as a distal object) to affective potentials via thinking processes propelled by a thought generator, depicted in Figure 3 ( Ho and Nakamura, 2017 ).…”

“… Affect-object generative inference and regulation (AGIR) model, adapted from Ho and Nakamura (2017) . There are two systems in the model.…”

Potential Neural Mediators of Mom Power Parenting Intervention Effects on Maternal Intersubjectivity and Stress Resilience

“…Bayesian active inference (also known as predictive coding) is a computationally powerful framework, as its variants not only can account for perception, cognition, emotions, and consciousness in humans and animals (35,40,67,69,(102)(103)(104)(105)(106)(107)(108), but also biologic evolution (109) and even artificial intelligence (110,111). According to FEP (67,68), an agent's predictive-coding engine can be heuristically modeled in a hierarchical network, which contains four nodes (E, S, A, and M) in three levels: E is Event from environments at the bottom, S is Sensation and A is Action at the intermediate, and M is the internal prior Model at the top level ( Figure 12A).…”