Dr. Tomasz Kopec – I am sure everyone has had an ‘aha’ moment. It is when something becomes obvious and we know this is the best way forward or the best solution to a problem. These moments often happen suddenly, when we least expect them, like when driving, walking,  showering,  or  daydreaming, not thinking about anything in particular. They often happen to me just before falling asleep or when I wake up in the morning. You may remember the story of Archimedes who had his ‘eureka’ moment while relaxing in a hot bath. He ran naked across the city to share his solution with the king. You can see a short story about Archimedes here.

On the other hand, many people say that the harder they try the less likely it is they will come up with a new, fresh idea. They might be, for example, in a meeting at work and want to impress others by suggesting something particularly clever, but they just can’t seem to come up with an idea. Stress does not help either, and most people cannot think cleverly when in the middle of an argument with a colleague at work.

What Is Creativity?

According to the Oxford Dictionary, creativity is the ability to use skill and imagination to produce something new or to produce art; the act of doing this. I would suggest simplifying it a bit and say that creativity is when we invent something new by connecting many elements of reality together in one piece. These elements could be shapes, colours, notes, thoughts, words, ideas, needs, feelings, beliefs, etc.

Say, if we connect

✓    a need – ‘to pour a liquid into a hardly accessible container,’
✓    a shape – ‘funnel,’
✓    a material – ‘silicon,’
✓    a colour – ‘green,’ and
✓    a ‘mechanism of folding,’

we can create a cool looking mini collapsible silicone funnel like the one you see below.

This is the essence of a creative idea. It forms by merging a few already existing elements of reality in a new way. They become connected and then together they become something new.

Where & How New Connections Happen

The fact is that the brain shapes the way we perceive reality. You can watch a TED talk below if you need an explanation of this statement.

[youtube=https://youtu.be/Rl2LwnaUA-k]

Another fact is that the brain operates by using small electric currents. The brain itself does not see, hear, or smell. It understands the world only after it is translated into electricity. It is because everything that we see, hear, smell, or touch, once detected by receptors in our eyes, ears, and nose, becomes an electric current traveling along our nerves towards the brain. 1 Then this current starts oscillating along brain cells and starts representing an element of our reality. There are billions of  them forming in our brains every second. Billions more are stored in our memory. We still do not completely understand how the brain builds the whole impression of reality that we perceive, but we can say that two or more elements of reality (represented by oscillating electrical currents) become connected when they are in synchrony. 2, 3, 4

You may remember the model of synchronising metronomes placed on a board I presented in the previous article. It was proven that the number of oscillators does not matter and they always eventually synchronise. Please, watch the video.

[youtube=https://youtu.be/5v5eBf2KwF8]

In the video above, all metronomes eventually synchronise thanks to gentle movements of the board they sit on. Yet before it happens, they start clicking together in groups (see 1m10s). It is as if some of them found ‘agreement’ or ‘common ground’ easier than others. We can say that they are synchronised between themselves. This is how a new connection between oscillators is established.

Now, imagine that every metronome represents an electric current oscillating along the brain cell and coding an element of reality. For example, when

✓    one represents ‘a feeling of frustration when you look for something and you cannot find it,’
✓    one represents ‘the shape of a little, plastic, transparent jar,’
✓    and one stores information of ‘unused free space in your garage’

the moment when they start clicking together you have the sudden realisation that you can attach a little jar under the shelves to keep little screws and nails where you can easily find them.

Now, if we assume that a process of generating a new idea is represented by synchronisation, it should fulfil “the conditions of successful synchronisation”  I outlined in the previous article.

• Firstly, a new idea should connect elements of reality (represented by electric charges) which are initially independent from each other; for example ‘a funnel,’ ‘a colour green,’ and ‘a mechanism of folding.’
• Secondly, it requires a medium (something which allows them to communicate).
• Thirdly, it happens on its own when we stop trying and we relax (in other words we cannot make it happen).
• Fourthly, it needs time to emerge (however it varies between people).
  

I hope number one, three, and four are clear for you, but… what is a medium which helps electric charges (elements of reality) to communicate?

Diffused Attention

Diffused attention is a term coined by Dr. Lester Fehmi, neuroscientist and psychologist from Princeton, US. According to Dr. Fehmi, when our attention is diffused we become simultaneously aware of everything that we hear, touch, smell, taste, think, and feel, together with space between and inside solid objects. Diffusing attention is related to relaxation and letting go efforts to focus on any particular issue. He posits that when we diffuse attention the brain generates synchronous waves in alpha frequency oscillating across the whole brain. 5 There are many reports documenting that alpha brain waves are generated by the brain during creative thinking. 6, 7, 8

Dr Fehmi designed a series of mind exercises which help to practice diffusing attention. They sound gentle and soft, rather like guided meditation, but they are backed up by his neuro-feedback research conducted over the last forty years. I am a great enthusiast of his approach and I promote his work on my website. I have designed many diffusing attention exercises myself and the last one you can see here.

Now, look at the video with metronomes sitting on the board again.

Imagine that metronomes on the board represent electric charges in fast (gamma) frequency oscillating along specific brain cells. They are localised in brain regions storing information about colours, shapes, feelings, etc.

The board is represented by electric charges in slow (alpha) frequency oscillating across the whole brain when your attention is diffused.

After some time the mechanism of synchronisation allows some of the fast charges  to click together in sync, bringing a feeling of sudden insight or realisation. 9, 10 As usual when a new synchrony happens in our brain, we feel pleasure, joy, sometimes even excitement and a surge of energy.

How Can You Create A New Idea?

First, do some research. Collect information about a problem. This will become elements of reality (electric currents oscillating in your brain in fast frequency) which will possibly connect. Then do one of the diffusing attention exercises and just let it happen to you. When your attention is diffused you will produce synchronous, slow brain waves across your brain, which will work like a board for metronomes. You will feel very relaxed.

The better you are at diffusing your attention the easier it becomes. You may notice an idea or solution directly during an exercise but it may happen even a few hours after the exercise is finished.

When I discovered this process for myself I was shocked to see how effective it is. I make some preparations (envisioning what I would like to do, making notes, doing research, sketching the plan) and then I do an exercise. After a few minutes I start noticing new ideas. They pop into my mind one after another. I used to be nervous about forgetting them and I was taking breaks to make notes. Now I know that sooner or later they come back to me. Good luck!

Sources

1. Oscillatory gamma-band (30-70 Hz) activity induced by a visual search task in humans.
Tallon-Baudry C, Bertrand O, Delpuech C, Permier J  J Neurosci. 1997 Jan 15;17 (2):722-34.
[PubMed]

2. Oscillatory synchronization in large-scale cortical networks predicts perception.   Hipp JF, Engel AK, Siegel M   Neuron. 2011 Jan 27;69(2):387-96   [PubMed]

3. Functions of gamma-band synchronization in cognition: from single circuits to functional diversity across cortical and subcortical systems.  Bosman CA, Lansink CS, Pennartz CM,  Eur J Neurosci. 2014 Jun;39(11):1982-99  [PubMed]

4. Neuronal gamma-band synchronization as a fundamental process in cortical computation.
Fries P, Annu Rev Neurosci. 2009;32:209-24. [PubMed]

5. Attention and Neurofeedback Synchrony Training: Clinical Results and Their Significance. – J. T. McKnight, PhD L. G. Fehmi, PhD, . Journal of Neurotherapy, Vol. 5(1/2) 2001, [JoN]

6. EEG alpha power and creative ideation. –  Andreas Fink, Mathias Benedek, Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2014 Jul; 44(100): 111–123  [PubMed]

7. The time-course of EEG alpha power changes in creative ideation. – Schwab D, Benedek M, Papousek I, Weiss EM, Fink A,  Front Hum Neurosci. 2014 May 13;8:310 [FiHN]

8. EEG alpha synchronization is related to top-down processing in convergent and divergent
thinking. Mathias Benedek, Sabine Bergner, Tanja Könen, Andreas Fink, Aljoscha C. Neubauera
Neuropsychologia. 2011 Oct; 49(12) [PubMed]

9. Different frequencies for different scales of cortical integration: from local gamma to long range alpha/theta synchronization. – von Stein A, Sarnthein J, . Int J Psychophysiol. 2000 Dec 1;38(3):301-13
[PubMed]

10. Deconstructing insight: EEG correlates of insightful problem solving. –  Sandkühler S, Bhattacharya J, PLoS One. 2008 Jan 23,  [PubMed]

Art by Martin Roller

Tomasz Kopec writes “I enjoy helping people and making the Universe a happier place. Fortunately, I work as a family doctor and this is a part of my job description 🙂 For many years I had some questions at the back of my mind like what is happiness, what is love, who we are, where we go after death, where this all suffering is coming from… I know many people would not be bothered with it but somehow I was. I was a regular meditator (mostly ZEN tradition) and I was searching for answers in my head and in my heart.

My turning point was reading a book The Open Focus Brain by Dr Lester Fehmi. He runs a neurofeedback clinic for attention disorders at Princeton, New Jersey, US. I enrolled an Open Focus workshop and I became a true enthusiast of Dr Fehmi’s approach. I love it because it beautifully connects the western scientific way of thinking with far east approach to reality. It also gives a very simple, practical solutions to a physical pan, anxiety, insomnia, creativity etc. I believe, a healthy lifestyle includes – physical activity, healthy diet and balancing attention. I would like to make Open Focus a lot more recognizable because it is worth it!”

SF Source Collective Evolution  Oct 2015

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