Imagine cognition as a finely tuned symphony of fleeting notes. In the Abhidhamma, each moment of consciousness (citta) arises and fades in the blink of an eye—nineteen, twenty, or more mind-moments per blink, depending on tradition. These are never solo acts; every citta carries along mental factors (cetasikas) such as perception, feeling, intention and attention. Like dancers on a stage, they move in concert, giving rise to what looks like a single, seamless experience.

First, a sense door opens—eye, ear, nose, tongue, body or mind. A raw sensory input (phassa) sparks an initial consciousness, known as contact. Almost immediately, feeling (vedanā) tags along, coloring the input pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. Perception (saññā) recognizes its shape or tone: “That’s a red apple,” or “That’s a sudden noise.” Behind the scenes, volition (cetana) nudges toward action or restraint. Finally, a registering mind-moment (mano-dhātu) ties it all together, producing what feels like a solid, unified knowing.

Abhidhamma’s analytical microscope breaks down this flow into dozens of dhammas—fundamental mental events. Instead of a static self observing the world, cognition becomes a fleeting cascade, more reminiscent of strobe lights than of a steady beam. This framework feels surprisingly in tune with modern neuroscience, where brain processes fire in rapid, overlapping waves rather than in long-lasting “thought objects.”

Today’s mindfulness apps and neuroscientific studies echo the Abhidhamma’s claims: awareness arises, shifts focus, and dissolves. Recent functional MRI research shows that attention networks flicker on and off in patterns not unlike those ancient descriptions of mind-moments. Just as Abhidhamma scholars dissect experience into ever-smaller units, modern science peels away layers of neural activity, hoping to glimpse the roots of perception and awareness.

Rather than spinning a grand narrative of “mind” as a single entity, Abhidhamma invites a closer look at the interplay of countless micro-events. In that kaleidoscope of mental phenomena, consciousness isn’t a fixed tower but a dynamic, ever-shifting mosaic—proof that ancient wisdom and cutting-edge research often find common ground.