When you are short on time and money and you can’t get away for real, many of us get try to get away in our dreams! Who doesn't dream of being on a warm beach in the middle of winter?   And perhaps more than a few of us have been nudged back to reality with the well meaning admonition of “Pay Attention!”

New study data reveals that daydreaming can actually be good for your brain, offering a distinct cognitive advantage. (in which case I have a seriously healthy brain!!)

Researchers say mind wandering involves the activation of a gigantic default network involving many parts of the brain. This cross-brain involvement may be involved in behavioral outcomes such as creativity and mood, and may also contribute to the ability to stay successfully on-task while the mind goes off on its merry mental way.

It's thought this is the result of the "thought controlling" mechanisms of executive function converging with the "thought freeing" activity of daydreaming in the same area of the brain.

In an experiment, subjects who daydreamed actually had slightly improved performances on a task. (Daily Mail)

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