Community | September 01, 2008 | 38 comments

Scientists: Why daydreaming is essential and helpful for you

source: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/08/31/daydream_achiever/

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A wandering mind can do important work, scientists are learning - and may even be essential:

On a Sunday morning in 1974, Arthur Fry sat in the front pews of a Presbyterian church in north St. Paul, Minn. An engineer at 3M, Fry was also a singer in the church choir. He had gotten into the habit of inserting little scraps of paper into his choir book, so that he could quickly find the right hymns during the service. The problem, however, was that the papers would often fall out, causing Fry to lose his place.

But then, while listening to the Sunday sermon, Fry started to daydream. Instead of focusing on the pastor's words, he began to mull over his bookmark problem. "It was during the sermon," Fry remembers, "that I first thought, 'What I really need is a little bookmark that will stick to the paper but will not tear the paper when I remove it.' " That errant thought - the byproduct of a wandering mind - would later become the yellow Post-it note, one of the most successful office products of all time.

Although there are many anecdotal stories of breakthroughs resulting from daydreams - Einstein, for instance, was notorious for his wandering mind - daydreaming itself is usually cast in a negative light. Children in school are encouraged to stop daydreaming and "focus," and wandering minds are often cited as a leading cause of traffic accidents. In a culture obsessed with efficiency, daydreaming is derided as a lazy habit or a lack of discipline, the kind of thinking we rely on when we don't really want to think. It's a sign of procrastination, not productivity, something to be put away with your flip-flops and hammock as summer draws to a close.

In recent years, however, scientists have begun to see the act of daydreaming very differently. They've demonstrated that daydreaming is a fundamental feature of the human mind - so fundamental, in fact, that it's often referred to as our "default" mode of thought. Many scientists argue that daydreaming is a crucial tool for creativity, a thought process that allows the brain to make new associations and connections. Instead of focusing on our immediate surroundings - such as the message of a church sermon - the daydreaming mind is free to engage in abstract thought and imaginative ramblings. As a result, we're able to imagine things that don't actually exist, like sticky yellow bookmarks.

"If your mind didn't wander, then you'd be largely shackled to whatever you are doing right now," says Jonathan Schooler, a psychologist at the University of California, Santa Barbara. "But instead you can engage in mental time travel and other kinds of simulation. During a daydream, your thoughts are really unbounded."

The ability to think abstractly that flourishes during daydreams also has important social benefits. Mostly, what we daydream about is each other, as the mind retrieves memories, contemplates "what if" scenarios, and thinks about how it should behave in the future. In this sense, the content of daydreams often resembles a soap opera, with people reflecting on social interactions both real and make-believe. We can leave behind the world as it is and start imagining the world as it might be, if only we hadn't lost our temper, or had superpowers, or were sipping a daiquiri on a Caribbean beach. It is this ability to tune out the present moment and contemplate the make-believe that separates the human mind from every other.

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38 comments // Scientists: Why daydreaming is essential and helpful for you

  • ProzacKid
  • arcticspirit
    • 0
      arcticspirit  

    • I like to ponder all kinds of stuff.
      I am sure I've spent more time than most in la-la land... thinking of what to draw, paint, etc. What music to transpose for playing my Cello or ideas for books that would be fun to write. The genetics behind the coloring of Himalayan cats.. yeah they come in like 10 colors.. and many of the genes are sex linked.. but anyhow.. What inspired people to breed lions and tigers together? The different theories of Quantum physics.. (personal favorite) But seriously... Who doesn't?

      But what is truly entertaining is dreaming. I've always had vivid dreams and usually wake up happy.

      Geez my inner geek was exposed there. What's bad is I wasn't joking..
      I blame it on ADD. Gotta love it.

    • 3 years ago
  • homunculus_14
    • 0
      homunculus_14  

    • I would like to subscribe to the theories here 'cause I like daydreaming as much as the next bored twenty-something, but the thing this overlooks is the Eastern philosophical ideal of living in the present. It's a little difficult to appreciate everything around you when you're engaged in some fantasy world; I think it only does more to distance ourselves from our surroundings (already an issue plaguing our culture). Furthermore the assertion in the article that our culture "derides [daydreaming] as a lazy habit" while going on to explain that it actually enhances creativity is only strengthening the stereotype that we are here solely for "efficiency" and "productivity," and that the idea that one might wish to, as Boris Pasternak wrote, "escape from the meaningless dullness of human eloquence" for awhile is a childish pastime and denotes a blase attitude toward progression. Though I believe it's better to try to live in the present, I say daydream away, and don't concern yourself with what kind of material or scientific advancement might result from it.

    • 3 years ago
  • ix3bumblebeetuna
    • 0
      ix3bumblebeetuna  

    • man that's really interesting and true. i love daydreaming.
      hm..i think stephenie meyer started writing the twilight saga after a daydream also, but idk if that's true

    • 3 years ago
  • asherp
    • 0
      asherp  

    • Hesienburg came up with the uncertainty principal while daydreaming.

      That surfer dude/quantum physicist with the E8 model was day dreaming when he came up with it.

      Neils Bohr was day dreaming when he came up with his model of the Atom.

      This shouldn't be a surprise...

    • 3 years ago
  • Bennyfical
    • 0
      Bennyfical  

    • I can personally state that daydreaming definatley helps realise one's creative side. Some of my best written material comes after a daydream.

      The release of stress and removal from everyday life is key to creativity.

    • 3 years ago
  • innocent_criminal
  • kewal91
  • tcrane
    • 0
      tcrane  

    • If the reporter did a more research and a little less daydreaming, maybe he would have discovered Spencer Silver, a chemist who spent years of WORK on the adhesive that made those little Post Its useful, should get the credit. Fry just pitched the idea to his bosses. This is reassurance for the lazy. You can daydream all you want, but without sitting down and doing something you're just another slacker.

    • 3 years ago
  • taintedview
  • SDLN
    • 0
      SDLN  
    • tcrane:

      This is like Breakfast Club.

      "Bender, did you know without trigonometry there would be no engineering?"

      "Without lamps there'd be no light."

    • 3 years ago
  • taintedview
  • malathion
  • b2
  • fiat_lux088
  • SDLN
    • 0
      SDLN  

    • Great article.

      I remember reading previously about the connection between leisure time and human advancement.

      How the development of tools and weapons, agriculture, technology, etc. allows people to sit around and use their imagination more, thinking of new and better things.

      How there was an extremely long period of time between the transition from hunter/gatherer to horticulturist, but less from horticulturist to agriculturist, and so on and so forth.

      How it snowballs.

    • 3 years ago
  • argyle_kitten
  • kewal91
  • LindseyIndigo
    • 0
      LindseyIndigo  

    • This article is great, mainly because it confirms something I already know with the wonders of science ;)

      My ability to work well definitely declines if I don't have time and space to just ponder - it's what's so great and productive about a good old cigarette break! 5 minutes out to let your mind wander is incredibly refreshing, and as this article says, contrary to opinion that it's lazy or pointless, it actually makes us all more productive. Come on companies, build in napping and daydreaming time into your employees' timetables!

    • 3 years ago
  • jimenagamio
  • BerryHippieGurl
    • 0
      BerryHippieGurl  

    • I've always day dreamed my enitre 17 years of my life, I have coped with my add and inability to focuss when my mind wanders and I usually get my inspirations and creativity for art by daydreaming =] Everyone should take 1 day to daydream somewhere beautiful outside.

    • 3 years ago
  • PressCore
    • 0
      PressCore  

    • Perhaps that might be the purpose of daydreams after all-to communicate them to someone else. We are the modern Cro Magnon humans because our ancient European predecessors could communicate
      much more effectively an individual's experience to the group he/she was part of. The term community derives
      from the terms "with one defense" So while the other
      humanoid species Neandertaals would say Duh. And the
      others in their group would mimic that with Duh? Then
      it's not too surprising they couldn't invent ropes to hoist
      themselves up trees to escape their canine/feline
      predators. That's important. Modern mountain lions
      yet aren't so changed from their predecessors from
      Neandertall vs Cro Mag times. Wolves still have 1/3 more
      brainpower than dogs do. And mountain lions can yet
      still run at speeds up to 65 MPH. Cro Mags were taller
      and could climb trees. And they could invent rope to
      hoist themselves.So it makes sense that natural
      selection of daydreaming/immagination/creativity genetic
      traits enabled us to mindspring Internet connections to
      reflect on this and communicate it. Einstein once said
      that Immagination is even more important than knowlege
      That became the buzz phrase of the Star Trek sagas
      with their slogan "Your reach must always exceed your
      grasp" Did you know that Einstein's theory of relativity
      dawned on him while he was on a boat, and saw other
      boats advance in their positions compared to his, all
      compared to the shore. Maybe that's why kids are so
      naturaly bright hence their folklore song. Row, row,row
      your boat, gently down the stream, merily ,merily,merily
      merily..Life is but a dream. Ya mon.

    • 3 years ago
  • fiat_lux088
  • gracesteban
    • 0
      gracesteban  

    • Day dreaming helped a lot of children in the third world temporarily forget their hunger. Day dreaming means there's fried chicken and ice cream and school is beautiful and nice clothes are available to wear.

      Just too bad, once you open your eyes, reality bites again.

    • 3 years ago
  • EmslytheDJ
  • MarshallsCarousel
  • kennymotown
    • 0
      kennymotown  

    • This is so cool, it brought back a memory of a day dream I had on DMT last week and I had projected to the future day october 14th when the mile long alien ship arrives and the bottom door on the alien ship opens and ABBA comes out singing dancing queen.
      It was quite pleasant.

    • 3 years ago
  • Argon18
    • 0
      Argon18  

    • It's actually the ability to do both and shift between them.

      To first let your mind wander in daydream to be able to be inspired.

      And then to be able to focus your mind and be able to communicate that inspiration effectively.

      What use are daydreams if you never can get them across to anyone else?

    • 3 years ago
  • PressCore
    • 0
      PressCore  
    • Argon18:

      In my humble opinion,you've made the most
      telling point of all. Everything about Nature is made to
      give some practical advantage to some species.Since
      the human species advantage is their brainpower,this
      ability to create and communicate our new visions of ""what if" make us nearly unique amongst all other species. In fact that phrase was the focal point in the
      2003 remake of H.G. Wells/Simon Wells' movie "The
      Time Machine" That book, and both the movies it spawned are amongst my favorites because they reflect
      the human mind which is a very real Time Machine that has always existed. Nostradamus had a Time Machine in his head, it was simply one of psychic design rather
      than valves. levers, and rotating wheels that break the
      warp speed barrier to encapsulate it's Traveler in a
      chronosperic bubble. Can you tell I'm a Sci Fi channel
      viewer?

    • 3 years ago
  • huntre
    • 0
      huntre  

    • I usually come up with my most creative writing after a good daydream. Of course, I can never prove it with what I type out here. ;o)

    • 3 years ago
  • reneelikeshugs
  • kennymotown
  • satanskidney
    • 0
      satanskidney  

    • In order to solve all of the worlds problems we need to send our brightest minds to boring places like high school, church or the RNC. I bet McCain is anti-daydreaming.

    • 3 years ago
  • lecoke
    • 0
      lecoke  

    • Great article. Important for people to think about in our high paced result driven society. I think a lot of people who think - and I stress think - they have ADD should read this (as well as sites on ADD, as it is much more than an inability to concentrate).

    • 3 years ago
  • arcticspirit
    • 0
      arcticspirit  
    • lecoke:

      I happen to have ADD, but on the lethargic side so daydreaming is actually something I do a bit too much. Or always thought I did.

      It did lead me to be an accomplished violinist, and an artist, and I have some published works... all before I was 17.

    • 3 years ago
  • J_Jammer
  • aspenlve
  • Pericles_Lewnes
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