I just read a post by Jonah Leher in Wired where he wrote that mind-wandering is so prevalent that many researchers consider it to be our default mental state. At first glance mind-wandering appears to be the polar opposite of mindfulness, however in that post (and this video), Leher connects-the-dots between mind-wandering (or daydreaming) and mindfulness.
It’s not enough to simply daydream. Letting the mind drift off is the easy part. What’s much more difficult (and more important) is maintaining a touch of meta-awareness, so that if you happen to come up with a useful new idea while in the shower or sitting in traffic you’re able to take note; the breakthrough isn’t squandered.
In other words, you can make the most of mind-wandering by being aware that you’re daydreaming while you’re daydreaming so that afterwards you remember what you were daydreaming about.
Mind wandering is ubiquitous — we spend nearly half our waking life in a daydream — but it’s also a talent we need to develop. . . . Instead of completely zoning out, we should work on staying a little more self-aware, ensuring there’s still some activity in the executive areas of the brain. Ennui is a cognitive gift, but it must be properly unlocked. We can get better at being bored.
