By using the dorsomedial part of what scientists refer to as the brain’s “default network,” creative people can stretch their imagination to more distant futures, places, perspectives and hypothetical realities. The default network consists of a group of interconnected brain regions, including the medial prefrontal cortex, the posterior cingulate cortex, the angular gyrus and the hippocampus. These brain areas talk to each other when we daydream, recall memories or think about the intentions of others.
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To see these imagination muscles in action, [researcher Meghan Meyer] asked 27 creative types and 26 control participants to go through simulation tasks while lying in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner. Brain activity of the creative adepts and controls was similar when imagining the next 24 hours but to the researchers’ surprise, the creative group alone engaged the dorsomedial default network when imagining events further into the future.
The dorsomedial default network was not active at all among the control group. Yet, this network was switched on even when creative professionals were at rest. “This is a big step forward in understanding the creative brain,” says [psychologist] Roger Beaty.
Read full, original post: Creative Types Reserve a Special Corner of the Brain for Dreaming Big
