There have been many people over the years that have been told to stop daydreaming out the window and pay attention, but new studies into the effects that this has on our brain may just prove how daydreamers are actually helping their intelligence. So if you find your mind often wanders into dreamland, then you could actually be a creative genius.
Testing out the theory
100 people were put through their paces to discover whether daydreaming actually had an effect on your brain. All of them had their minds studied while they weren’t doing anything to see how their brains functioned under normal conditions. They were then all asked to stare at a point directly in front of them for five minutes while their brains were monitored by an MRI machine to determine what parts of their minds they were using. The participants were finally asked about how much they daydream in real life, as well as completing a mentally challenging and creative quiz to see if there were any links between the two.
Coming to a conclusion
The scientists were able to discover there is, in fact, a definitive link between a person’s creativeness and intellect, and how much they daydream. The individuals that admitted to having a wandering mind on a regular basis scored higher on their tests than those that didn’t. It also showed that people that daydream could even end up in states where they are entirely unaware of the world around them.
Explaining the reasoning
The scientists behind the experiment put plenty of research into why the results turned out the way they did. They concluded that people who daydream regularly have minds that are too efficient. Daydreamers are said to be able to understand points much quicker than their peers. Because of this, it means that while someone continues to explain to the others, the daydreamer’s brain is looking for something to entertain itself. However, the scientists did also conclude that there is a distinct difference between people not being motivated to maintain concentration on a subject, and those that find their minds wandering through efficiency.
Not the end of the story
Unfortunately, the research hasn’t been 100% conclusive as the scientists behind the experiment admit that there hasn’t been enough testing to rule out another factor to the equation that would link a daydreaming mind and someone that is both intelligent and creative. They do say that there is an easy way to test whether you have an overly efficient brain though. The test is to tune in and out of conversations or a task you are doing. If you can catch up without feeling like you missed something, then it appears as though you may be one of the lucky ones.
Perhaps daydreaming may not be the worst thing after all. While we’re not recommending you get yourself in trouble by letting your mind wander off on its own journey for most of the day, there are definitely times when following the path it takes you down can lead to expanding your horizons. Just be careful that no one catches you when you should be working.
