Rumination and lived temporality: a neurophenomenological view

Rumination is a repetitive and self-focused style of thinking that reflects how individuals relate to themselves and their experience of time.

Drawing on recent studies that combine functional magnetic resonance imaging with self-rated assessment tools, particularly instruments designed to measure patterns of ruminative thought, this paper explores how different styles of rumination relate to the organization of spontaneous brain activity.

Rather than interpreting these patterns solely through a neurocognitive lens, I propose a neurophenomenological reading in which brooding reflects a temporal contraction and emotional entrapment, while reflection may preserve a degree of openness and intentionality.

Inspired by Francisco Varela’s framework, I argue that integrating first-person data with brain imaging findings allows for a richer understanding of how psychological vulnerability is linked with the temporal architecture of the ruminative self.