Creativity and the Wandering Mind

Creativity and the Wandering Mind
Author: David D. Preiss
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 366
Release: 2020-06-20
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0128166142

Creativity and the Wandering Mind: Spontaneous and Controlled Cognition summarizes research on the impact of mind wandering and cognitive control on creativity, including imagination, fantasy and play. Most coverage in this area has either focused on the negative consequences of mind wandering on focused problem solving or the positive effect of mindfulness, but not on the positive consequences of mind wandering. This volume bridges that gap. Research indicates that most people experience mind wandering during a large percentage of their waking time, and that it is a baseline default mode of brain function during the awake but resting state. This volume explores the different kinds of mind wandering and its positive impact on imagination, play, problem-solving, and creative production. - Discusses spontaneous and controlled processes in creativity - Examines the relationship between mind wandering, consciousness, and imagination - Reviews research on problem-solving, imagination, play, and learning - Highlights the positive impact of mind wandering on creative thought and output

The Wandering Mind

The Wandering Mind
Author: Michael C. Corballis
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 184
Release: 2015-04-15
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 022623861X

Corballis argues that mind-wandering has many constructive and adaptive features. These range from mental time travel?the wandering back and forth through time, not only to plan our futures based on past experience, but also to generate a continuous sense of who we are--to the ability to inhabit the minds of others, increasing empathy and social understanding. Through mind-wandering, we invent, tell stories, and expand our mental horizons. Mind wandering , hardly the sign of a faulty network or aimless distraction, actually underwrites creativity, whether as a Wordsworth wandering lonely as a cloud, or an Einstein imagining himself travelling on a beam of light. Corballis takes readers on a mental journey in chapters that can be savored piecemeal, as the minds of readers wander in different ways, and sometimes have limited attentional capacity.

Peak Mind

Peak Mind
Author: Amishi P. Jha
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 389
Release: 2021-10-19
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 0062992163

***NATIONAL BESTSELLER*** STOP FOR A MOMENT. Are you here right now? Is your focus on this page? Or is it roaming elsewhere, to the past or future, to a worry, to your to-do list, or to your phone? Whether you’re simply browsing, talking to friends, or trying to stay focused in an important meeting, you can’t seem to manage to hang on to your attention. No matter how hard you try, you’re somewhere else. The consequence is that you miss out on 50 percent of your life—including the most important moments. The good news: There’s nothing wrong with you—your brain isn’t broken. The human brain was built to be distractible. The even better news: You can train your brain to pay attention more effectively. Stay with me a little longer and soon you will be able to: Focus without all the struggle. Take back your attention from the pull of distraction. And function at your peak, for all that truly matters in your life.

Mindfulness For the Wandering Mind

Mindfulness For the Wandering Mind
Author: Pandit Dasa
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2023-08-08
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1394197632

Reduce your stress level and become happier and more productive in work and personal life Written by a monk-turned-leadership-guru, Mindfulness For the Wandering Mind offers unique insight on how you can focus your mind, become more resilient, respond better to conflict, and build stronger professional (and personal) relationships. It’s all possible when you begin to understand how your mind works and take control of this complicated mechanism. This book will show you how to identify and close the “apps” that are constantly running in your own mind, so you can eliminate distractions and find greater peace and productivity in your daily life. In this book, you’ll find specific meditation processes and actions you can take to help you succeed as you begin or continue your journey. Through presentations and talks across the country, author Pandit Dasa has offered his wisdom on applying mindfulness in the workplace. In this book, he shares his wisdom with you, revealing that, no matter what your external circumstances or environment, you can find the time and space to reflect and unlock the benefits of mindfulness. Reduce stress and anxiety by eliminating unnecessary distractions and closing unused “apps” in your mind Harness the principles of forgiveness, patience, compassion, and selflessness to improve work-life balance and mental health for yourself and your employees Break through the stigma surrounding mental health concerns and identify the obstacles that are keeping you from happiness and fulfilment Complete reflection questions and exercises to develop a deeper awareness of how your mind works—and what you can do to improve it Mindfulness For the Wandering Mind is for anyone who is looking for a solution to the constant feelings overwhelm, distraction, and anxiety that plague us in today’s fast-paced, media-saturated world. Teach your brain how to block out the noise and find focus, and observe the radical transformation that mindfulness can make in your life.

Mindwandering

Mindwandering
Author: Moshe Bar
Publisher: Hachette Go
Total Pages: 227
Release: 2022-02-08
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 030692529X

“One of the pre-eminent cognitive neuroscientists of his generation” explores the proven benefits of letting your mind wander and the positive impact it can have on your mood and creative potential (Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling On Happiness). Our brains are noisy; certain regions are always grinding away at involuntary activities like daydreaming, worrying about the future, and self-chatter, taking up to forty-seven percent of our waking time. This is mindwandering—and while it can tug your attention away from the present and contribute to anxiety and depression, cognitive neuroscientist Moshe Bar is here to tell you about the method behind this apparent madness. Mindwandering is the first popular book to explore this multi-faceted phenomenon of your wandering mind and introduces you to the new, exciting research behind it. Bar combines his decades of research to explain the benefits and the possible cost of mindwandering within the broader context of psychology, neuroscience, psychiatry and philosophy, providing you with practical knowledge that can help you: Develop your sense of self, better relate to others, and make associations that help you understand the world around you Increase your ability to focus by understanding when to wander—and when not to Magnify and enrich your experiences by learning about full immersion Stimulate your creativity by combing through the past and making predictions about the future Boost your mood by unleashing your mind.

The Mind Illuminated

The Mind Illuminated
Author: Culadasa
Publisher: Hay House, Inc
Total Pages: 675
Release: 2017-01-03
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1781808791

The Mind Illuminated is a comprehensive, accessible and - above all - effective book on meditation, providing a nuts-and-bolts stage-based system that helps all levels of meditators establish and deepen their practice. Providing step-by-step guidance for every stage of the meditation path, this uniquely comprehensive guide for a Western audience combines the wisdom from the teachings of the Buddha with the latest research in cognitive psychology and neuroscience. Clear and friendly, this in-depth practice manual builds on the nine-stage model of meditation originally articulated by the ancient Indian sage Asanga, crystallizing the entire meditative journey into 10 clearly-defined stages. The book also introduces a new and fascinating model of how the mind works, and uses illustrations and charts to help the reader work through each stage. This manual is an essential read for the beginner to the seasoned veteran of meditation.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness
Author: Lani Muelrath
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 473
Release: 2021-03-16
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 0744041538

Be present in the here and now and cultivate inner peace by living in the moment with mindfulness Are you struggling to be present in the moment with wandering thoughts? This book will help you discover powerful tools to gain deeper understanding, calmness, and clarity through meditation practices in your daily life. This self-help book will teach you simple mindfulness meditations and exercises that will help you be more consciously aware. It includes: • An overview of mindfulness, how it works, and how to practice it daily • Guidance on alleviating anxiety, depression, anger, and addiction • Tips on getting over your emotional hurdles by improving mental clarity and discipline • Advice on improving communication in your relationships with mindfulness • Advanced meditation methods to maximize the benefits of mindfulness Did you know you have the ability to slow down racing thoughts, let go of negativity and calm your body and mind using mindfulness? Mindfulness expert, Domyo Sater Burk will show you how to be consciously present and aware, in a specific moment and your life in general. Explore proven meditation techniques that will allow you to reclaim your life, relieve stress, and improve your wellbeing. With regular practice, use the mindfulness meditations in this guidebook to learn to be more conscious of and attentive to your body, feelings, and patterns of thought. Doing so will lead to greater knowledge and understanding of yourself. Better yet, the positive effects of regular mindfulness are easy to achieve!

Mindfulness

Mindfulness
Author: Mark Williams
Publisher: Rodale Books
Total Pages: 291
Release: 2012-11-13
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1609611993

The life-changing international bestseller reveals a set of simple yet powerful mindfulness practices that you can incorporate into daily life to help break the cycle of anxiety, stress, unhappiness, and exhaustion. Mindfulness promotes the kind of happiness and peace that gets into your bones. It seeps into everything you do and helps you meet the worst that life throws at you with new courage. Based on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), the book revolves around a straightforward form of mindfulness meditation which takes just a few minutes a day for the full benefits to be revealed. MBCT has been clinically proven to be at least as effective as drugs for depression and is widely recommended by US physicians and the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence—in other words, it works. More importantly it also works for people who are not depressed but who are struggling to keep up with the constant demands of the modern world. MBCT was developed by the book's author, Oxford professor Mark Williams, and his colleagues at the Universities of Cambridge and Toronto. By investing just 10 to 20 minutes each day, you can learn the simple mindfulness meditations at the heart of MBCT and fully reap their benefits. The book includes links to audio meditations to help guide you through the process. You'll be surprised by how quickly these techniques will have you enjoying life again.

The Mindful Catholic

The Mindful Catholic
Author: Gregory Bottaro
Publisher: Wellspring
Total Pages: 197
Release: 2018
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 9781635820171

Whether we are carrying out routine life behaviors, trying to pray, or conversing with others, the way our minds work significantly impacts how well we function. But many times we may feel like our mind has a mind of its own. -- You fall into bed exhausted at the end of the day, craving a good night's sleep, only to have your mind race in a million directions. -- Prayer is an exercise in futility, full of distractions and wandering thoughts. -- In the midst of a conversation, you suddenly realize you haven't heard a word the other person has said.-- You arrive at a destination with no recollection of how you got there. These all-too-common occurrences are examples of of how our minds can seem to be completely out of our control. We end up merely going through the motions day after day, feeling anxious and preoccupied. But it doesn't have to be that way. Dr. Greg Bottaro explains how mindfulness can help us become aware of the present moment and accept it. Catholic mindfulness is a way to practically trust God more in our lives. Instead of separating faith from day-to-day life, mindfulness helps bridge the gap so we can feel the sense of safety and peace God intends us to have. Following the simple exercises in this book, you'll discover how mindfulness can help you be more present to everything in your life from a trip to the grocery store or relaxing with friends to listening more attentively to a homily or meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary.