Resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) reveals brain dynamics in a task-unconstrained environment as subjects let their minds wander freely. Consequently, resting subjects navigate a rich space of cognitive and perceptual states (i.e., ongoing experience). How this ongoing experience shapes rsfMRI summary metrics (e.g., functional connectivity) is unknown, yet likely to contribute uniquely to within- and between-subject differences. Here we argue that understanding the role of ongoing experience in rsfMRI requires access to standardized, temporally resolved, scientifically validated first-person descriptions of those experiences. We suggest best practices for obtaining those descriptions via introspective methods appropriately adapted for use in fMRI research. We conclude with a set of guidelines for fusing these two data types to answer pressing questions about the etiology of rsfMRI.

静息态功能磁共振成像 (rsfMRI) 揭示了受试者在不受任务约束的环境中自由思绪时的大脑动态。因此，休息的受试者会在丰富的认知和感知状态空间（即持续的体验）中航行。这种持续的经验如何形成 rsfMRI 总结指标（例如功能连接性）尚不清楚，但可能对受试者内部和受试者之间的差异产生独特的影响。在这里，我们认为，要理解持续体验在 rsfMRI 中的作用，需要获得对这些体验的标准化、时间解析、科学验证的第一人称描述。我们建议通过适用于功能磁共振成像研究的内省方法获得这些描述的最佳实践。最后，我们提出了一套融合这两种数据类型的指南，以回答有关 rsfMRI 病因学的紧迫问题。