Best Of Gillian Deacon's "A Love Affair with the Unknown"
Here is a selection of memorable quotes from A Love Affair with the Unknown: Leaning into the Uncertainty of Modern Life by Gillian Deacon Harvard psychologist Shelley Carson has studied brain imagery in highly creative people to get a scientific understanding of what neurochemistry is at work during acts of invention. Carson's research shows that creative people spend less time using the executive control functions of their brains—things like reason, evaluation, and judgment—and more time in what neuroscientists call the default mode network—absorbing, connecting, and envisioning. The key to achieving those states is something Carson identifies as "cognitive disinhibition," a state in which we are more alert and aware of the unfiltered details around us. A mind that is open to new experiences and ideas is the gateway to so-called aha! moments. What seem like flashes of cognitive inspiration are actually formulated below the level of conscious thought. If we don't...
