The benefits of daydreaming - Elizabeth Cox

翻译人员: Gia Hwang 校对人员: Grace Man

On a daily basis, you spend between a third and half

每天你醒着的时候，

your waking hours daydreaming.

三分之一到一半的时间在做白日梦。

That may sound like a huge waste of time,

这听起来可能是对时间的巨大浪费，

but scientists think it must have some purpose,

但科学家们认为存在即合理，

or humans wouldn’t have evolved to do so much of it.

否则，人类不会演化成 花如此多时间做白日梦。

So to figure out what's going on here,

因此，为了弄清楚这是怎么回事，

let’s take a closer look at the mind-wanderer in chief:

一起仔细看看这位首席走神家：

the bored teenager.

无聊少年。

Wouldn’t it be cool to discover something, anything.

如果能有所发现会不会很酷，

Like even this plant.

即使发现像这植物一样的任何东西？

Just to be one of those explorers who sails around drawing stuff

如那些探险家，常年航行， 并把看到的都画下来，

for years on end and everyone thinks they’re a genius.

大家都认为他们是天才一样？

But does anyone even do that anymore?

但现在还有人这么做吗?

Is there anything left to discover?

还有待发现的东西吗?

And would I be tough enough to deal with the dysentery or scurvy

我能坚强到对付痢疾或败血症、

or piranhas or whatever?

抑或食人鱼什么的吗?

I barely have the endurance to make it through track practice...

我几乎没有耐力完成赛道练习，

but I will.

但我会的。

Any day now, I’ll have the discipline to show up before sunrise

从现在起的每一天，

and practice.

我会自律地在日出前起床、训练，

I’ll win all my races.

我会赢所有跑步比赛，

Winning will become so easy, I’ll pick up other events just for fun.

胜利将变得易如反掌， 我会选择其他活动，只为好玩。

And once I'm in the Olympics,

一旦我参加了奥运会，

they’ll have no choice but to crown me team captain,

他们只能让我当队长，

which I will graciously accept.

我会欣然接受。

And will I be nasty to the teammate who yelled at me?

我会和冲我大吼的队友闹别扭吗?

No.

不会！

I’ll just calmly say, “hope you’re in a better mood.”

我只会平静地说， “希望你心情好多了。”

Okay. Yours and other people's daydreams might sound or feel something like that.

好了，你和其他人的白日梦 可能听起来或感觉亦与此类似，

Let's see what was going on.

我们一起看看到底发生了什么。

To see what parts of the brain are active

为了观察你在执行任务、 思考或做白日梦时

when you’re doing a task, or thinking, or daydreaming,

大脑的哪些部分是活跃的，

scientists use brain imaging techniques that show

科学家们使用大脑成像技术，

increased blood flow and energy expenditure in those areas.

显示这些区域 血流量和能量消耗增加，

These brain areas are active,

说明这些大脑区域活跃，

working together and communicating with each other.

它们相互协作和交流，

Taken together, they're called the executive network.

总的来说，它们被称为执行网络。

When your mind starts to wander,

当你开始走神时，

a different set of brain areas becomes active.

一组不同的大脑区域变得活跃,

These areas make up the default mode network.

这些区域就构成了默认模式网络。

The name default mode makes it sound like nothing is going on.

默认模式这个名称 听起来好像什么都没发生，

And in fact, for many years,

事实上，多年来，

scientists associated this pattern of activity with rest.

科学家们将这种活动模式 与休息联系在一起。

But a closer look reveals that these are the brain areas involved

但仔细观察会发现，

when we revisit a memory, when we think about our plans and hopes,

当我们重温记忆、 思考计划和希望时，

and yes, when our minds are wandering off on a wild daydream.

没错，还有当我们的思绪 在狂野的白日梦中游荡时，

这些都是活跃的大脑区域。

The mind can wander to unproductive or distressing places

思维会徘徊在徒劳 或令人苦恼的地方，

and brood over negative past events, like an argument.

会对过去的负面事件 耿耿于怀，比如争吵。

It can also wander to neutral, everyday matters,

它也可以转到中性的日常事务上，

like planning out the rest of one's afternoon.

如计划如何度过下午的剩余时间。

But where mind-wandering really gets interesting

但是，走神真正有趣的地方

is when it crosses into the realm of free-moving associative thought

是当它跨越到

并非你有意引导的 天马行空的联想领域，

that you aren’t consciously directing.

This kind of mind-wandering is associated with increases in both ideas

这种走神

and positive emotions,

与想法和积极情绪的增加有关。

and the evidence suggests that daydreaming can help people envision ways

有证据表明，白日梦可以 帮助人们设想实现其目标的方法，

to reach their goals and navigate relationships and social situations.

以及驾驭人际关系和社会状况。

Scientists think there may be two essential parts to this process:

科学家们认为，这一过程 可能有两个基本部分:

a generative phase of free-flowing ideas and spontaneous thoughts,

由默认模式网络产生的

courtesy of the default mode network,

自由流动的想法 和自发想法的生成阶段，

followed by a process of selecting, developing, and pursuing

然后是由执行网络的逻辑思维驱动的

the best ideas from that generative burst,

从生成爆发中选择、发展

driven by logical thinking thanks to the executive network.

和追求最佳想法的过程。

A host of imaging studies suggest that these two networks working in sync

许多影像研究表明，

这两个网络同步工作 是创造性思维的关键条件。

is a crucial condition for creative thinking.

Taken together, the evidence clearly suggests

综合来看，

这些证据清楚地表明，

the logical realm of the executive network

执行网络的逻辑领域

and the imaginative realm of the default mode network

和默认模式网络的 想象领域密切相关。

are closely related.

And as you can see, the executive network is still playing a role

正如你所看到的，当默认 模式网络在做白日梦时，

when the default mode network is doing its thing during daydreaming.

执行网络仍在发挥作用。

In teenagers,

在青少年中，

the prefrontal cortex and other areas involved in executive function

前额叶皮质和其他 与执行功能有关的区域

are still developing,

仍在发育中，

but teens are perfectly capable of thinking through their problems and goals,

但青少年完全有能力 思考他们的问题和目标，

especially when given space to do so on their own.

特别是在给予他们 独立思考空间的时侯。