Wandering mind is no slacker

Job shadowing, a component of CHS senior projects, led today's young writer Jacob Smith to The Press. The following is Jake's work - and first published column in a daily journal.

The bridge between the left and right brain is one well-traveled in today's society. Innovation, brilliance, genius - those are the effects of using both sides of the brain. Complete synergy among them is the difference between whistling and a full orchestra. One possible means of attaining that link is perhaps overlooked by many:

Daydreaming.

For a long time experts believed that the default network, or the area of the brain that churned when the mind wasn't focused on the outside world, worked separately from its analytic counterpart, the executive network. However, a 2009 University of British Columbia study showed that the executive network of the brain - a component in problem solving - is active during daydreaming.

This means self-absorbed thought, or mind-wandering, can help solve intricate problems. Albert Einstein worded this a bit differently some decades ago,

"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."

The study also showed that daydreams ignite key components of memory. I'm a testament to that magic mix of left-right rumination.

While toiling over a calculus problem recently, I concluded I couldn't answer it. I racked my mind for solutions, searching for something to clarify the equation, but soon fell in a sinkhole. Sleepy mornings spent in last year's trigonometry class flitted across my mind's eye. One particular memory surfaced like a life raft: Rewriting trigonometric equations.

In an intuitive rush, I conquered the problem. Daydreaming as a means of innovation and memory recollection had saved the day. It served me well and earned me an A on that assignment.

Now, in a broader perspective this sort of thinking, this brand of unleashed brainstorming, could be applied to everyday personal and work life. My classroom experience is not just an isolated incident, nor is daydreaming the ultimate answer. The base structure of the brain is a key component as well.

The left brain is analysis and logic incarnate, while the opposing right side is the fiery forge of creativity. Together these portions are the ying and yang of cognitive existence. For example, a study at the University of Texas at Dallas led by Dr. Jonkoo Park proved that the ability to manipulate numbers comes from the relationship and communication between the left and right brain.

Whether you are working in advertising, trying to sift through an equation, or doing anything else thought-provoking, daydreaming functions as a positive way to reach an innovative conclusion. Of course daydreaming isn't always the answer, and often it can literally go astray.

But for those few moments when there's no other way to go, perhaps a few minutes of uninhibited reflection may save the day. The effects can be extraordinary.