Contrary to popular belief, a new study says daydreaming can help you get ahead at work. iTALK delves into the depths of being lost, and found
Contrary to popular belief, a new study says daydreaming can help you get ahead at work. iTALK delves into the depths of being lost, and found
I'm a woman of the Wander Woods. A duck drunken on dreams for most part of the day. Share the same 
preoccupation? I think it's time we clinked glasses. Hopeless as they may call us, our random reveries have been proven to possess more power than ever.
Recent research at the University of British Columbia establishes how a midsummer day's dream can go a long way in improving life at work and beyond... "Our brains are very active when we daydream much more active than when we focus on routine tasks," explains Kalina Christoff, co-author of the study.
"When you daydream, you may not be achieving your immediate goal say reading a book but your mind may be taking that time to address more important questions in life, such as advancing your career," she adds in the findings that were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Sounds reason enough to enjoy that forever-floaty feeling? There's more.
Decoding the dreamy brain
Daydreaming, an activity that fills more than half of our waking lives, was earlier thought to be a function of the brain's "default network", which causes routine mental activity coming from the medial prefrontal cortex, the posterior cingulate cortex and the temporoparietal junction the only parts thought to be active when our minds wander. The new study, however, has found that the brain's "executive network" linked to complex problem-solving occurring from the lateral prefrontal cortex and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex also becomes activated, giving it an intelligent edge.
Daydreaming is indispensable, say urban professionalsu00a0
Shruti Das, Marketing professional
Dreams give us the platform to build our world the way we want to see it
When I was growing up, my favourite line by Eleanor Roosevelt was: "The future lies in the hands of those who believe in the beauty of their dreams". We envision our world to be a certain way, built on principles and going in a certain direction. Dreams give us the platform to build our world the way we want to see it, and lay the foundation for our actions.u00a0u00a0
Aneesha Gulati, Project manager with tech firmu00a0
If I didn't daydream, I'd be an android by now!
My typical work-day involves meetings and at least seven hour-long assignments. Constant attention is not possible. If I stay tuned in all day, I'd be an android by now! I slip into the li'l spaces in my headu2026 sometimes it's a movie, sometimes, a log cabin I want to build in the Himalayas. And then, sometimes, it's a situation that's tearing me apart fighting with an image of me carrying a beer mug.
Jeet Sachdeva, runs a popular adventure blog
Dreams give us the platform to build our world the way we want to see it
Sitting in a cubbyhole that's a government institute's hostel room five years ago, I had nothing to do but feed off random thoughts. I started scribbling them down, laughing at it all, but somewhere, it all made sense. Over weeks and months, I wrote about a 100 such pieces, songs, poems. And it turned into a mental exercise that I continue to use to interpret issues better.
Meet famous members of Dreamcatchers Inc.
If you thought abstraction was for idealists, meet some young desi pros who have translated their fantasies into success:
Shibani Kashyap,
Indi-pop singer
I'm a diehard daydreamer. If I don't dream, how do I get there? Escaping to another world may not make you succeed immediately, but it brings you close to it. Dreaming is another form of desiring, as The Alchemist says. If your subconscious is fixated with it, the whole universe conspires to let you have it.u00a0
Rajneesh Duggal,
Actor
I visualise a lot about things I want my own island, a ship, a Boeing 707. It keeps me going. Dreaming big helps you become big. Thoughts are a precursor to most achievements.
Shrink suggests you guide those thoughts
"Contemplation is never a waste, but it depends on how you channelise it. Individual perception of imaginary, future, or real situations are personality-related, and likewise, this can have a positive or negative effect on how things are going. To channelise daydreaming into fruitful realisation, prioritise your goals and desires, and then, let the collective subconscious take over," suggests Dr Bhavna Burmi, senior clinical psychologist at Escorts Heart Institute.
"Children do it all the time, because their lives are less structured than ours, and dividers between the real and make-believe are diminished. Women do it more than men, because by nature, they are more creative at "what-if" thinking. The best way is to follow up the free-flowing ventilation on paper. Jot down those thoughts. See if they can help you achieve what you want. And then, pursue them actively; visual imagery makes manifestation easier. If it's just aimless rumination, use it to evaluate where you are going, review your life, and make changes if necessary. The biggest myth is that daydreaming is a frivolous fancy. Everything has an important message in it," she says. Freud would agree.
Daydreaming What can it do
A ride through Mullholland Drive has enough benefits to shut the cynics up.
Here are the major ones:u00a0
* Wikipedia says the "default" mode of thought is a crucial tool for creativity. "It allows the brain to engage in abstract imaginative thought, which in turn allows the mind to make vital new associations and connections that you would not otherwise think of."
* It helps us visit the deepest seats of our desires, the subconscious and unconscious minds.
* It can help you manage conflict efficiently by replaying challenges, and maintain better relationships, says Susan Bernstein, leading life coach in the US.
* Conjuring pictures of positive settings and situations can help you relax and de-stress without having to get away physically.
* Having your head in the clouds gives you a fresh, faraway view of what's really going on down below, thereby letting a new perspective take over in your approach to life.
* Seemingly mindless musings can often result in the most profound findings, inventions and innovations, since free thought can take on unimaginable dimensions. Einstein, for example, was quite an airhead.
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