According to a new study by the Georgia Institute of Technology, daydreaming while working or doing something else shows your smartness and creativity.
Such people with higher efficiency brains have too much brain capacity to stop their minds from wandering. For example, one can zone all through discussions or undertakings when fitting. At that point, normally tune back in without missing imperative focuses or steps.
Scientists involved more than 100 people in the study and scanned their brains via an MRI machine to find which parts of the brain worked in unison. While doing so, scientists instructed participants to focus on a stationary fixation point for five minutes.
They also identified the correlation of brain regions that suggest which areas of the brain work together during an awake, resting state.
Lead co-author Christine Godwin said, “Interestingly, research has suggested that these same brain patterns measured during these states are related to different cognitive abilities.”
Scientists compared their data with by test that measured their intellectual and creative abilities. Members also showed their contribution by reporting how much their brains meandered in day-by-day life.
Those who reported more frequent daydreaming scored higher on intellectual and creative ability. And if scanning in MRI machines, they found to have more efficient brain systems.
Eric Schumacher, the Georgia Tech associate psychology professor, efficient brains.
“Our findings remind me of the absent-minded professor, someone who’s brilliant, but off in his or her own world, sometimes oblivious to their own surroundings. Or school children who are too intellectually advanced for their classes. While it may take five minutes for their friends to learn something new, they figure it out in a minute, then check out and start daydreaming.”
Scientists suggest the study could pave the way to determine further when mind wandering is harmful and when it may be helpful.
Journal Reference
- Godwin CA, Hunter MA, Bezdek MA, et al. Functional connectivity within and between intrinsic brain networks correlates with trait mind wandering. Neuropsychologia. 2017;103:140-153. doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.07.006