Daydream - It's Good For You

Daydreaming is usually looked as a waste of time - longing glances at pasts, presents, and futures that will never be. In reality, however, daydreaming might be better than adults and die-hard materialists let on. A recently published study takes a look at the importance of introspection and how looking inward can help one understand what is around him or her.

Scientist Mary Helen Immordino-Yang and her colleagues looked at what it means when our brains are 'at rest.'

A recent trend of neuroscience has looked at this 'default mode,' which is a state of brain activity that is more noticeable active when people are looking inward. This state of mind can have an effect on the socioeconomic understanding of an individual and even their moral judgement.

"We focus on the outside world in education and don't look much at inwardly focused reflective skills and attentions, but inward focus impacts the way we build memories, make meaning and transfer that learning into new contexts," says Immordino-Yang. "What are we doing in schools to support kids turning inward?"

Focusing on one's self can be an effective tool in putting the outside world into context, according to the study. By better understanding one's own personal alignment, it becomes easier to put other aspects of life into context.

Concepts such as morality and judgement are usually an incredibly personal understanding, and by spending more time to understand one's self, the person can gain a better understanding of how he or she fits into society.

"Consistently imposing overly high-attention demands on children, either in school, through entertainment, or through living conditions, may rob them of opportunities to advance from thinking about 'what happened' or 'how to do this' to constructing knowledge about 'what this means for the world and for the way I live my life,' "says Immordino-Yang.

So don't stop staring out the classroom window just yet - it might actually give you an edge.