2.4
December 20, 2010

A Shower: Meditation for Amateurs.

Reading the Sunday NY Times today—in the bath, no less—I was struck by a few articles in particular that, taken together, discussed how energy drinks and hyperactivity were on the wane, whereas relaxing and providing some space was where true happiness—and productivity, and ideas—comes from.

Love it.

Exhibit A:

To Patnaik, the traditional groupthink session — even with modifications — misses something crucial about how great ideas are often generated. A lot of breakthroughs are born in meditative states, he says, the mind-set you’re in when alone and driving, for instance. In the past 20 years, he says, neuroscience has found, with the aid of devices like EEGs and fMRIs, a link between the slower rhythms associated with zoning out and creativity. “Why do you have great ideas when you’re in the shower?” Patnaik asks. “You’re at ease. Your sense of judgment is quieted, you’re making nonlinear connections, you’re more likely to come up with great ideas. A shower is basically meditation for amateurs.”

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