Daydreaming A Key To Right Brain Functioning

By James Donahue

February 2006

I recently read a story in WebMD about how a Texas psychiatrist defends daydreaming as a beneficial and productive function that is part of the human creative process.

Dr. Stuart Twermlow lamented that society frowns upon daydreamers because it is commonly believed that daydreamers tend to be non-productive and lazy. But Twermlow says he believes daydreaming is something everybody does naturally, and it is beneficial because it helps the mind put things in perspective, solve problems and it actually boosts productivity.

The story said it is estimated that people daydream for one-third to one-half of our waking hours, although a single daydream only lasts a few minutes.

This writer, who devotes much of his day to creative output, tends to often find himself in a daydream state and recognizes the importance of something I like to call “deep thought.” It is a state of mind that requires quietness and solitude, although because of the chaotic world we live in, I have learned over the years to achieve it even in the midst of clutter and conflict. Try doing creative writing in the heart of a busy daily newsroom and you will get some feeling for what I learned to deal with.

Deep thought, or daydreaming, is the place where many of the concepts for the things I write originate. It also is a prelude to the state of mind required to achieve an out-of-body experience. It is not far removed from the state of mind needed to successfully remote view, or reach the “10 state” of mind described by Robert Monroe in the Hemi-synch training program he created. I sometimes think creative ideas are actually given to me in deep thought from outside sources, perhaps from alien interests.

Psychic Aaron C. Donahue describes a state of mind that goes beyond deep thought. He calls it “no thought.” It is a point where the esoteric practitioner of the arts reaches of state where the mind is completely devoid of thought. It is here, Donahue says, that the magick begins. It is the point where the magickian finds his power.

It takes years of discipline and practice to achieve the state of no-thought. But daydreaming is something everybody does, in spite of the criticism we sometimes take when we are caught gazing off into space by the boss, the spouse, or sometimes a parent.

Twermlow notes there are natural benefits to daydreaming that we need to consider before we allow the critics to send us on a guilt trip for doing it.

--It is a form a meditation. It gives the mind a break or a “mini-vacation in which to release tension and anxiety.”

--It is a way of mentally rehearsing a tense event . . . perhaps a confrontation with someone, a speech that needs to be given in a public place, or perhaps reliving a conversation or conflict to determine if there was a better way of handling it.

--Some daydreams involve relationships with a spouse, children, friends or relatives when they are absent. We think fondly of things we have done together and look forward to being with this person again. Thus daydreaming helps bind relationships.

--Simply taking a break from daily toil and indulging the mind with pleasant thoughts about a vacation trip, good experiences, or places we would like to visit, gives us the mental break we need to clear the head and return to the job in a more productive state of mind.

--Best of all, daydreaming is a wonderful way to relieve boredom. When we are alone in the solitude of a room, perhaps unable to leave it, and with nothing to do and nobody to talk to, we can let the mind take us anywhere we want to go. If we learn how to leave the body, there are no limits to the places we can visit.