When we’re just hanging out -- the dishes are done, we’ve finished our homework, or we've completed a tough project at work -- our thoughts are free to roam. This “default mode” allows us time to daydream, reflect, and plan. It helps us to process our thoughts and memories. Scientists call this the default mode network. When we’re not focused on a given task, it “lights up."
If you have schizophrenia, your default mode network seems to be in overdrive. You may not be able to pay attention or remember information in this mode, one study shows.