The Neuroscience of Creativity: Beyond an Aha Moment

Think of an elephant riding a unicycle. This is quite a strange idea, no? You’d need to be pretty creative to come up with something like that. But what exactly is creativity? Is it just an Aha moment, a flash of thought that passes across your brain? Not quite. It’s not just one part of your brain sending repeated signals either. It's an interconnected system between idea generation and idea consideration that occurs throughout the entire brain, and with the right tools, you can harness it. 

Brain Networks Behind Creativity: Default Mode and Executive Networks

You can consider the Default Mode Network as the brain’s activity at rest. It's active when your mind is wandering, not focused on a specific task, but simply thinking and having your body run its basic functions. It often has a strong involvement with self-reflection, as well as envisioning the future. It can help consolidate and learn from your memory, as well as integrate them to new ideas. Therefore, through letting your mind wander, the Default Mode Network is primarily involved in generating innovative thoughts, often ones that may seem random at the time.

On the other hand, we have the Central Executive Network. It is involved in active thinking, such as doing math, writing a blog or working on another task that requires heavy brainpower. Interestingly, it also involves strengthening behaviors we learn through observation, or visually learned behaviors. This emphasizes  the active role focus plays in learning; the CEN enables us to focus and actively learn. The CEN works hand in hand with the Default Mode Network as well—it considers the ideas generated by the DMN, and helps decide whether or not to incorporate, or act, on them. Therefore, it completes the cycle of creativity, considering, and potentially implementing, the random ideas our brain generates.

Brain Areas Powering Creativity: Hippocampus and Temporal Lobe

Though these networks utilize the entire brain to develop creativity, some areas of the brain are more involved than others in them. A study involving fMRI analysis of creative and revision processes found high activity in the hippocampus when artists were performing creative tasks. Therefore, the hippocampus is often involved in creativity, and researchers are reasonably able to infer that memory holds a key place in creativity development. Furthermore, in a separate study, the researchers found that specifically the bilateral hippocampus was primarily involved in memory, imagination, and creative thinking.

Divergent vs. Convergent Thinking: Unlocking Your Creative Potential

Now here’s a topic you might be a bit more familiar with! Over the last few years, the ideas of divergent and convergent thinking have become extremely popular, even being taught in school as a way for students to grow. 

Divergent thinking is the idea of looking at a problem assuming it has multiple solutions. People often use it with the idea of a growth mindset, where you learn from your mistakes, seeing them as opportunities for growth rather than treating them as “failures.” It often involves looking at things with a broader perspective and is typically seen to have more creativity involved. A PubMed Study focused on mapping the human brain found that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) were primarily involved in this form of thinking, generating new ideas and spiking creativity.

Convergent thinking, on the other hand, looks at the problem as having a singular solution. It often narrows down and involves itself in a specific focus. This can often be useful in certain professional settings where you need to narrow down on a specific task, as that is how you can be highly focused and derive a specific solution. A Leiden University Sstudy found that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is also involved in convergent thinking; however, the pathway it follows is one of persistence, critically evaluating a set of ideas, in comparison with the flexible one found in divergent thinking.

Tapping into Alpha and Theta Waves for Deeper Creativity

Well, now that you have a basis for what creativity is, how do you achieve it? Well, Thomas Edison, a figure famous for his innovations, had an interesting way of boosting his creativity. He would sit in a chair, holding metal balls in his hand above a pan, and go to sleep. Thus when he drifted off, his grip would loosen and the balls would hit a pan, creating a loud noise that would wake him up. Essentially, what he was doing was putting his brain into non-REM stage 1 sleep. In this semi-lucid state, he was able to achieve greater creativity, as well as recall the ideas he developed. Through escaping the deep-sleep state, yet tapping into the dreamlike, semi-lucid state, he was able to heighten his creativity. He was able to tap into the creative genius of his subconscious mind - and you can, too!

During Stage 1 sleep, a key type of brain waves are alpha waves. Alpha waves are especially common in more relaxed, dissociated states, thus typically when the Default Mode Network is active. Yet by going a step deeper, into a more relaxed state, you will find theta waves. These are more associated with internal focus and meditation. Therefore, Alpha-Theta neurofeedback is commonly used to establish a balance between the two. By preventing one from dominating the region, your brain can remain active while resting and your DMN can generate new ideas. In fact, this regulation has been seen to develop greater creativity, as well as bolster musical performance.

Enhancing Creativity with Neurofeedback

So even if you know all of this about creativity, what's the best way to utilize it? The truth is there are various methods that hold the potential to boost creative thinking to a great degree. For example, neurofeedback is a key method of enhancing your performance. Not only this, but it could address either factors, such as procrastination and inattention, thus boosting your creativity. Furthermore, it enables you to train your brain, developing a proper balance of alpha-theta waves and enhancing your creativity to its maximum potential. So why wait? Book a consultation today and shoot your creativity to the stars!