The Dorsal Attention Network (DAN) is a network of brain regions that support voluntary, goal-directed attention — "top-down" control of what we focus on, as opposed to "bottom-up" capture by salient stimuli.
Key Regions
- •Intraparietal sulcus
- •Frontal eye fields
- •Superior parietal lobule
Function
The DAN directs attention to task-relevant stimuli and suppresses irrelevant ones. It works in opposition to the Default Mode Network — when DAN is active, DMN tends to be suppressed.
In ONDA Life
Part 8 activates the "network of voluntary, directed attention." Training the DAN enables the shift from reactive attention (chaotic) to voluntary attention (controlled) — the heart of "I Focus."
Scientific Basis
Built on: Polyvagal Theory (Porges); Psychoneuroimmunology (Ader & Cohen); neuroplasticity research.