Table 1.

The three-dimensional model of complex selfhood adapted from Fingelkurts and Fingelkurts [12, 25, 27] and Fingelkurts et al.²⁴Abbreviations: DMN Default Mode Network; BA: Broadmann's area.

DMN brain subnets of three-dimensional model of complex experiential selfhood
Anterior subnet
Witnessing observer (“Self”), which is responsible for the first-person perspective, the sense of agency and top-down attentional control.
Cortical areas: Left and right middle frontal gyri or Broadmann's area (BA) 8, bilateral medial areas or BA 6.
Right Occipito-Parieto-Temporal subnet
Representational-emotional agency (“Me”), which is responsible for the experience of self as a localized embodied entity (through interoceptive and exteroceptive bodily sensory processing), emotion-related thoughts, and autobiographical memories.
Cortical areas: Right middle temporal gyrus or BA 21, right precuneus or BA 19, right middle occipital gyrus or BA 18.
Left Occipito-Parieto-Temporal subnet
Reflective agency (“I”), is involved in experience of thinking about and reflecting upon oneself, including momentary narrative thoughts and inner speech, as well as reinterpretation of short term memory events related to self.
Cortical areas: Left middle temporal gyrus or BA 21, left precuneus or BA 19, left middle occipital gyrus or BA 18.