Wrapped up in a Daydream

Daydreaming may bring you closer to a solution to problems rather than further away. New research shows letting your mind wander will give parts of your brain time to do a little problem solving.

The University of British Columbia study put people in an fMRI scanner. The less subjects were aware that their mind was wandering off a simple task, the more parts of the brain associated with complex problem-solving lit up. Researchers believe this shows the brain is very active when we daydream – more than when we are simply focused on routine tasks. So while letting your mind wander may hurt your performance in the task at hand, it allows you to work on more significant issues and goals.

Details of the study are in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Stephen Goforth