Fig. 1: The self axis.
From: The self on its axis: a framework for understanding depression
The self is a dynamical entity that emerges from reciprocal brain relationships with the body and social environment (A). The self exists on a continuum from a subjective, pre-reflective “experiential” self to an objective, cognitively represented “narrative self”: forming what we term the self axis (B). The medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC; circled), a part of the default mode network, has a key coordinating role, intermediating between apprehension of the social environment and somatic processes. Mood emerges from somatic processes, under top-down influence of the MPFC. It forms a fundamental part of the experiential aspect of the self, both influencing and being influenced by the narrative aspect.
