11.22.2013

The Altered Consciousness of Zen Blue Brain

©2013 Erin K. Nolan  "What Happened to the Honey Bees?"
There are times when I become engrossed in a creative task.  Time seems to pass more quickly; my attention to the project at hand is all-encompassing.  I am not aware of human needs such as food, drink, or sleep. The next thing I know hours have come and gone. It is almost like a productive trance. I call this state my creative hum.  Other creatives that I’ve spoken with have this same sensation. Thanks to science, we now have a name for it: the Blue Zen Brain.

While reading an article by Ann Holm I recognized a description of my creative hum.  It is called a synchronous brain state–where all regions of the brain are working together in harmony and at maximum amplitude. The mind is both focused and relaxed and is shown as blue on an EEG.

This state is often achieved when a person is engaged in an area of expertise; however, it is also reached when grappling with an unfamiliar problem or envisioning the future. The entire brain is activated in order to realize an answer. This answer is many times a fully-actualized, complex solution; yet how the person arrived at this solution is difficult to discern or verbalize.

So, why would one want to achieve this state?  Through personal experience, I find that I am more creative, have enhanced problem-solving abilities, am productive, focused, happy, and can work on a single project for longer periods of time.  Left-brain, right-brain theory agrees. 

Now that we are “living in the future,” there are devices such as NeuroSky which teach a Blue Zen Brain state through biofeedback.  The device, which is worn like a set of headphones, monitors when a mind is simultaneously alert and calm–just the right state of mind to learn mathematics or a new language. There are brain wave sensor products for gaming, academic, business and medical applications as well. 

In my life, working on my artwork activates this altered state of consciousness, but others find that repetitive tasks, music, or simply daydreaming takes them there.

What activities do you participate in which activate your Blue Zen Brain?  Let me know!