Neural correlates of memory for internal thoughts versus external stimuli experienced in natural settings

To investigate the brain regions supporting the remembrance of internal thoughts versus external events, we asked participants to perform a short walk while wearing a lifelogging device that continuously and automatically took pictures. In a subsequent fMRI session, they were shown brief sequences of pictures from their walk and were asked to remember either external events or internal thoughts that they experienced while walking. Results showed that remembering internal thoughts activated the medial prefrontal cortex and temporal poles to a greater extent than remembering external events, whereas remembering external events was associated with higher activation in lateral frontoparietal regions. These findings suggest that memory for internal thoughts involves the reactivation of brain regions supporting the initial formation of these thoughts.