Posts Tagged ‘brain’

Psychological Distance Increases Creativity · A new study indicates that imagining something is farther away than it is--either geographically or in time--changes the way your brain perceives it and actually increases creativity. [via kottke.org] · July 28th, 2009

A Wandering Mind Can Be Hard at Work

July 13th, 2009

WetwareI've always been an avid daydreamer--so much so that my mind can wander off at the most inopportune moments, like in the middle of a conversation. But I've always come up with my best ideas and even made difficult decisions in the midst of totally idle thought. So it doesn't surprise me that a new brain-scanning study shows that a wandering mind isn't idle at all: in fact, it's hard at work moving you toward a flash of insight. The Wall Street Journal reports:

By most measures, we spend about a third of our time daydreaming, yet our brain is unusually active during these seemingly idle moments. Left to its own devices, our brain activates several areas associated with complex problem solving, which researchers had previously assumed were dormant during daydreams. Moreover, it appears to be the only time these areas work in unison.

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