Journal.
issue 1 January 2015
Every free moment becomes an opportunity to get something done….These “wasted” moments are the ones in which we often unconsciously connect the dots. The space is what provokes cognitive flexibility on an unconscious level. American journalist, John Lehrer, similarly discusses the idea that solving wicked problems, the Eureka! moments, happen below consciousness; he explains how creative insight is a combination of idea incubation, tacit knowledge, relaxation, positive emotions, and de-focus attention. Scientists have argued that when we pay attention to the world, consciousness is focused, but when we are in a relaxed mode, attention is de-focused and goes inwards for more creative insight. Similarly, when tired, the brain is not able to sustain focused attention, and it is less efficient in remembering learned patters and connections between ideas and concepts—this state allows for more lateral, divergent, thinking. When less focused we are able to consider more information, random connections and diverse interpretations hence fostering innovation and creative insight. Researchers at Leiden University in the Netherlands found that focused-attention meditation did not help creativity but open-monitoring meditation perform better in ideation. In order to approach problems creatively, the situations need to be reframed; creative thinking is about seeing the problem anew, unlearn what we belief as true, in order to retrieve different types of tacit knowledge from memory. This process of breaking learned patterns is known as cognitive flexibility—the ability to see situations in multiple ways. Nobel prize winner (2000), Eric Kandel, in his book The Age of Insight argues that, in order for creative insight to happen, the brain needs to integrate information unconsciously, at certain rates, in specific parts of the brain. Subsequently, the Aha! moment is the result of right/left brain consensus, when in a process of conscious and unconscious feedback loops—Winnicott’s inner (unconscious) and outer (conscious) space. EEG technology can be used to trace the moment of insight eight seconds before it happens, which has been found to be the moment when the brain reaches alpha waves. When in alpha waves, the attention goes inwards, allowing the person to access tacit knowledge stored in the long-term memory and retrieve collected content; when too focused, the attention goes outwards, and the mind concentrates too much on finding the correct solution to win an external reward, rather than exploring possibilities.
TO SEE
without STRESS Thumbnail for Mindfulness in the Workplace :: Mindfulness in the Workplace A great article on mindfulness ht +Michael Josefowicz - Dan Durrant - Google+
"Mindfulness is a tuning to what we already are, a freeing from the tyranny of shoulds, oughts, and wishes to be better, faster, and more efficient, which are endemic in workplace settings." Excerpt from Ed Halliwell, a mindfulness teacher and writer:
DAN DURRANT Notice: As we get in touch with our
further in awareness and resilience,
experience through stillness and
we might make choices that reflect
Another source says
someone
presence, we may become more
a – perhaps newly discovered –
(http://goo.gl/NrhiWN):
enlightened or less stressed out
aware of our relationship to work. We
inner alignment. This may mean
When we sit still for long periods of
— to being exactly who we are, we
can start to see and feel clearly what
we become more curious, creative,
time, we shed our need for an ROI
exercise an entirely different set
drives us, and whether following
and centred in our existing work,
and instead seek to engage exactly
of spiritual muscles. Rather than
these drivers result in satisfaction.
or it might mean recognising an
who and what we are — to explore
achieving,
We start to see the influence of the
uncomfortable mismatch between
our experience honestly and to
rather than accomplishing, we are
wider workplace culture, and notice
our current career and a deeper
touch our lives directly — which
recognizing; rather than mastering,
whether it nurtures or depletes us,
calling, spurring a decision to shift
requires courage, gentleness, and
we are expressing.
and is of benefit to others. As we train
direction.
poise. When our ambition shifts
from becoming someone else — less
we
confused,
are
more
discovering;
THERE IS A "SLOW WEB" MOVEMENT "Timeliness. Rhythm. Moderation. These things dovetail into what I consider the biggest difference between Slow Web and Fast Web. Fast Web is about information. Slow Web is about knowledge. Information passes through you; knowledge dissolves into you. And timeliness, rhythm, and moderation are all essential for memory and learning." Excerpt from Jack Cheng, on the Slow Web
SLOW DATA FROM THE PERCEPTUAL EDGE "I believe that it is time to extend the Slow Movement to the realm of information technology. In this time of so-called Big Data, too much is being missed in our rush to expand. The entire point of collecting data—using information to better understand our world and then make more informed decisions based on that understanding—has been forgotten and is certainly not being achieved in our manic rush to throw more technology at a problem that can only be solved by making better use of our brains." Excerpt of Stephen Few (author of intro book to visual data analysis, entitled Now You See It)