Wednesday 17/01/2024
PHOTO: Laura Boj
Text: Anna Nagygyörgy, Viktória Farkas y Alejandra Misiolek
Probably, during the day your mind wanders and spends a few minutes imagining things that are not real. Should this worry us?
Various studies have shown that daydreaming has benefits in the real world so based on this, in this post, we reflect on the phenomenon of daydreaming.
We can define mind wandering as thoughts and images that appear when there is a drift of attention from external tasks and perceptions to our inner world (1).
An example of daydreaming is forgetting to get off the subway because we’re thinking deeply about our partner’s Christmas present, imagining the gift-giving situation, and trying to figure out whether he or she would be happy to receive it.
Dreaming: definition and change of focus
Most of the theorists considered daydreaming as a negative phenomenon that makes it difficult to pay attention to external information, impairs performance and, among other things, causes one to miss the metro station. Moreover, it was linked with psychopathology, together with fantasy.
One of the most influential theorists in the field is Jerome L. Singer, who contributed with his six decades of work to the fact that we now have a more sophisticated picture of daydreaming. With his colleagues, he laid down that this phenomenon is normal, widespread and adaptive. As it is written in the title, according to a large-scale study it takes 47% of the time we spend awake, which is an outstanding rate (2).
Why would we spend so much time mind-wandering if the costs are so high? Singer was convinced that there must be a benefit, maybe less obvious and tangible than the costs, and devoted his research work to bringing its advantages to the surface.
Differentiating daydreams
Singer was the one who determined three styles of mind wandering:
- Positive constructive daydreaming is a playful, wishful imagery or a creative, planful thought, for which an example could be imagining the gifting situation of our partner.
- Guilty-dysphoric daydreaming is way less positive than the former one, it refers to an obsessive fantasy that causes agony. An example could be ruminating about not paying enough attention to our deceased pet.
- Poor attentional control type is characterized by the lack of concentration on an ongoing thought or external task. This can be observed in the auditorium in the second half of a lecture.
The positive constructive type has several adaptive functions. It can reinforce and develop social skills, it can also be an efficient method to avoid boredom, or it can even be a source of pleasure. In addition, positive constructive daydreaming can serve as an opportunity to try out and run different plans for the future. Those who are engaging in this form are the “happy dreamers” who enjoy fantasy, have vivid imagery and have social curiosity.
Possible disadvantages of daydreaming: guilty dreams and excessive daydreaming
Apart from its beneficial effects, wandering can have a harmful side as well. For instance, guilty-dysphoric dreaming is usually centered on achievements and failures, which puts tremendous pressure on the person experiencing it. If we often find ourselves ruminating about certain situations – for instance, tasks at work -, it may lead to more negative emotions and depressive thoughts and images over time.
The third type, poor attentional control daydreamers are easily bored, distracted and have difficulty in elaborating on the content of daydreams. Experiencing this might be in connection with less satisfaction and happiness with life and ourselves. Furthermore, we might feel that we have less autonomy and less energy which may lead to even more distraction from tasks (3).
Causes of daydreaming
Our thoughts wander unintentionally, without us planning it – literature often portrays it as a mistake or a mental mishap with negative consequences. But can we sometimes choose to do it instead of staying present in a situation? Yes, mind wandering can often be intentional and by doing this, we are disengaging from external tasks and drifting our attention to pursue an internal thought. The reward may be immediate, coming in the form of a pleasing fantasy (for example thinking about our partner). It can also be more distant, like rehearsing upcoming scenarios (for instance giving a presentation at work) or projecting ourselves forward in time to a desired outcome (like getting a good grade at school). With the help of mind wandering, we are also able to make sense of certain situations (like a conversation with a coworker, or a fight with our partner) and even develop our understanding of ourselves in the world.
Can we daydream on purpose?
Everyone is capable of intentional daydreaming but for some people, it might be easier than for others. The ability to switch back and forth between different streams of consciousness requires some skill and differs depending on the person. For instance, positive constructive daydreamers, who consider daydreaming as something positive are more likely to engage in daydreaming on purpose. However, those who experience mind wandering unpleasantly would be less likely to engage in voluntary mind wandering. This latter group would include guilty-dysphoric daydreamers and poor attentional control daydreamers. They tend to show anxiety, and low levels of conscientiousness, and have a hard time focusing on the internal information stream or external task demands.
Nevertheless, the good news is, that the more a person does it, the easier it is likely to become. By practicing positive-constructive daydreaming, the more possible it will be to enjoy the beneficial sides of mind wandering – which now we know – takes up about 47% of the time we spend awake.
Sources:
- McMillan, R. L., Kaufman, S. B., & Singer, J. L. (2013). Ode to positive constructive daydreaming. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 626. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00626
- Killingsworth, M. A. and Gilbert, D. T. (2010). A wandering mind is an unhappy mind. Science 330, 932–932. doi: 10.1126/science.1192439
- Blouin-Hudon, E.-M. C., & Zelenski, J. M. (2016). The daydreamer: Exploring the personality underpinnings of daydreaming styles and their implications for well-being. Consciousness and Cognition: An International Journal, 44, 114–129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.concog.2016.07.007