News in Science

Daydreamers might solve problems faster

Contrary to common opinion, the brains of daydreamers may not be slacking off, but working harder, new research has shown.

Scientists scanned the brains of people lying inside magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines, as they alternately pushed buttons or rested.

The scans showed that the "default network" deep inside a human brain becomes more active during daydreaming.

But in a surprise finding the scans also revealed intense activity in the executive network, the outlying region of the brain associated with complex problem-solving, says University of British Columbia neuroscientist Assistant Professor Kalina Christoff.

"People assume that when the mind wanders away it just gets turned off - but we show the opposite, that when it wanders, it turns on," says Christoff, who is co-author of the study.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, suggest daydreaming might be a better way to solve problems than intense focusing.

"People who let themselves daydream might not think in the same focused way as when performing a goal-oriented task, but they bring in more mental and brain resources," says Christoff.

Change in attitude

She says people might now change their attitudes towards daydreamers.

"Within ourselves, we have absorbed that attitude that mind wandering is a bad thing. We're harsh on ourselves, if we catch ourselves mind wandering," says Christoff.

"A more playful attitude might allow you to call in more resources."

According to Christoff, people typically spend one-third of their waking time daydreaming.

"It's a big part of our lives, but it's been largely ignored by science," she says.

The study is the first to use MRIs to study brain activity during "spontaneous thoughts and subjective experiences."

"Until now the only way was to use self-reports that were not always reliable."