Well Advised
Dear Daydreamer,
Let’s start with what daydreaming is and what function it serves. A daydream is when your mind wanders freely and your attention shifts from the task at hand whether it be physical or mental, to a place that is entirely your own.
Daydreams consist of little vignettes where we see ourselves in past, future and present events. We often replay certain events and conversations. We create or recreate scenarios wherein we get to say the thing we wanted to say or didn’t dare say. We play out our deepest hopes and our worst fears. We do it in one fell swoop or over and over again like a feedback loop. We make lists, we plan, we fantasize. It has been noted that about 30 to 47% of our conscious day is spent spacing out, drifting away, or daydreaming. Daydreaming is in fact a form of mild dissociation.
Daydreaming is an integral part of our lives and contributes to the development of our consciousness. Letting our thoughts flow freely can allow us to better understand our inner world and ourselves, strengthening how we relate to others and the world around us.
In his book Catching the Big Fish, David Lynch speaks to time to think and dream as being an integral part of the creative process, arguing that the best ideas come from “the TV in your mind.”
Scott Barry Kaufman, NYU is a professor of psychology and author of Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined. He believes we are in need a new definition of intelligence -- one that factors in our deepest dreams and desires.
In Kaufman's theory, daydreaming plays an important role in personal adaptation. He wrote in a recent Scientific American blog that “mind-wandering” can offer significant personal rewards:
These rewards include self-awareness, creative incubation, improvisation and evaluation, memory consolidation, autobiographical planning, goal driven thought, future planning, retrieval of deeply personal memories, reflective consideration of the meaning of events and experiences, simulating the perspective of another person, evaluating the implications of self and others’ emotional reactions, moral reasoning, and reflective compassion... From this personal perspective, it is much easier to understand why people are drawn to mind wandering and willing to invest nearly 50 percent of their waking hours engaged in it.
Ok, so what is the downside?
Maladaptive daydreaming was identified by Professor Eliezer Somer of the University of Haifa in Israel. According to Somer, this condition causes intense daydreaming that distracts a person from their real life.
“This is not like rehearsing a conversation that you might have with a boss,” he said. “This is fanciful, weaving of stories. It produces an intense sense of presence.”
Maladaptive day dreaming is thought to take up more than 60% of one’s waking hours and is therefore considered a behavioral addiction. There is no official diagnosis for it and is not considered a form of psychosis or schizophrenia nor a dissociative disorder. Its causes may be rooted in escapism, as day dreams can provide relief in times of distress and boredom.
Due to the fact that there is not enough research or a solid understanding of this experience, there is no “cure” for maladaptive day dreaming. There are, however, several online forums, including Daydream In Blue and Wild Minds Network.
Only you know if your thought patterns are problematic. Day dreaming in and of itself isn’t a problem- the problem is when it gets in the way of your day to day.
There may be some shame around daydreaming because it doesn’t feel productive.
Look, we all “waste time.” We all need outlets…staring off into space, binge-watching YOU, reading books and articles, scrolling…
There are all sorts of ways we engage our minds in that general society wouldn’t consider productive. These activities can be used as creative outlets, future planning or decompression. They can also be forms of escapism, avoidance, and procrastination.
If we’re always in outer space, we’re going to miss out on important connections between our own inner mind-wandering thoughts and the outside world. Creativity lies in that intersection between our outer world and our inner world.
Here’s what you can do. Structure your time. Allow time for daydreaming. Set your alarm a bit early and meditate. Mindfulness based mediation is proven to improve concentration, compassion and creativity. Let the thoughts flow and practice the art of bringing yourself back to the present moment. Being more aware of your mind’s switch between wandering and focusing is a powerful tool. Daydreaming and the practice of mindfulness can work in tandem.
Stay Well,
WW Team
Still musing?
Try journaling Julia Cameron style (The Artist’s Way) and write some “Morning Pages.” Three pages of free writing. Pen to paper, no stopping. It’s not intended to be re-read or shown to anyone. Let your mind run wild and then start your day.
For more on day dreaming check out:
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/04/05/598365217/invisibilia-when-daydreaming-gets-in-the-way-of-real-life
~ and ~
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/my-mindfulness-journey/