31/03/2026
The Default Mode Network is the brain system that activates every time you leave the present moment.
In humans, it runs nearly 50% of waking hours.
Dogs don’t have one developed enough to pull them out of now.
Presence isn’t a spiritual concept.
It’s a neurological state and according to Harvard research, the single strongest predictor of happiness across all circumstances.
The good news: it’s trainable.
Mindfulness-based practices have been shown to reduce Default Mode Network activity, increase present-moment awareness, and improve emotional regulation and overall wellbeing.
Dogs do it instinctively.
You can learn to do it consciously.
📚(Killingsworth, M. A., & Gilbert, D. T. (2010). A wandering mind is an unhappy mind. Science, 330(6006), 932.)