Could advances in neuroscience help turn negative thinkers into better thinkers?

“Imagine a future where, just by measuring brain activity, we could understand thought patterns — helping people with anxiety or depression shift their negative self-talk toward a healthier inner dialogue.”

• Dr Bradley Jack, cognitive neuroscientist and head of the EEG Lab in the Research School of Psychology at the Australian National University

A recent study, led by Professor Thomas Whitford and senior-authored by Dr. Bradley Jack, has uncovered new insights into how the brain represents inner speech, the silent voice inside our minds.

By analysing neural oscillations—rhythmic patterns of brain activity—Dr. Jack and the team have demonstrated that inner speech produces unique brainwaves, allowing researchers to potentially read someone’s mind using brain activity alone.

From science fiction to discoveries within specific frequencies

Research from the EEG Lab in the School of Psychology at The University of New South Wales has shown that when we engage in inner speech, neurons oscillate in specific frequency bands. These patterns may hold the key to understanding how thoughts are encoded in the brain, with implications for mental health, communication disorders, and even brain-computer interfaces.

“Before this discovery, the ability to read someone else’s thoughts was mostly a concept found in science fiction. While scientists knew that most people experience inner speech, they lacked the tools to reliably track or interpret it.”

“Now, by identifying specific brainwave patterns linked to inner speech, researchers are moving closer to reading — and perhaps even influencing — the way we think, all without needing invasive implants.”

Better cognitive and emotional health on the cards?

“Each time we probe this area we uncover new neural markers that bring us closer to understanding how thoughts are represented in the brain. This isn’t just about abstract research — these findings will contribute to the development of tools that could one day help people monitor their cognitive and emotional health, just as we do with our physical health”.

And Dr Jack’s ultimate hope?

“My hope is that in the future, neuroscience could provide objective ways to study, track, and improve mental health. Just as blood tests reveal health conditions, brain activity could one day help diagnose disorders like anxiety, depression, or other complex psychiatric conditions — and perhaps even guide personalised treatments.”

About Dr. Bradley Jack

Dr. Bradley Jack is a cognitive neuroscientist and head of the EEG Lab in the Research School of Psychology at the Australian National University. He was awarded the 2024 ACT Young Tall Poppy Award for his research on how neural processes give rise to inner experiences, such as consciousness, inner speech, and sense of agency in the healthy, developing, and diseased brain.