August 20, 2015
Rex Jung —
Creativity and the Everyday Brain


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The Brainstorming Myth

Read The New Yorker article on brainstorming that Rex Jung and Krista discussed in the show, which includes discussion of MIT's Building 20 — and scholarship on brainstorming curated for further reading:
» Groupthink: The Brainstorming Myth
» Influence and Persuasion in Small Groups

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Brainstorming as we know it is hardly the best way to generate new ideas. A lot of challenges in the process, including:

1) lack of preparation of the participants in a brainstorming session hinder the flow of creative ideas;
2) introverts and extroverts have different ways to approach a problem/opportunity and, hence, a potential solution or idea. Extroverts usually take over most of the "air time", while introverts, regardless of the quality of the ideas they might have in their minds, stay in the back of the room afraid of participating because of this frightening scenario and
3) ideas are a comprehensive construct that is the result of our experiences, stories, other previous ideas, failures, successes, learning and wisdom. When we subject all of those sources of idea-creation information to the limitations of a "brainstorming" session, most likely whatever is on top of our memories and consciousness is what will come up.

We need to have the time to dig deep in our conscious minds, to then have the opportunity to share those thoughts with others and produce even better and greater ideas.

This process is part of a concept that I am creating called "The Evolving Mindset".












The Blue-Eyed Man in a Suit


Mom, 1938-2011

Eating Sushi at Stoplights (published in Crate Literary Magazine)

And the eulogy I read at her funeral:


David Olimpio






















Questioning Krishnamurti, p 165

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Awesome site!







Great pictures...

A huge Thank You to Dr. Jung and Krista Tippett. As a graduate student in Clinical Psychology, I found this conversation as insightful and exciting as any I've heard on OnBeing before. It's my new favorite.

I would be particularly interested in hearing Dr. Jung's thoughts on the supposed relationship between creativity, hypofrontality, and neuroticism, an idea that he humorously labeled "neuro-mythology" in this conversation. The belief that creativity and misery go hand-in-hand seems common both in- and outside of scientific circles.

In fact, that chronic hypofrontality (emphasis on "chronic") may be a correlate of anxiety and depression is not a new idea in clinical research. If transient hypofrontality (emphasis on "transient") is a correlate of creativity, perhaps further research will reveal that hypofrontality mediates the relationship between creativity and neuroticism, thereby giving credibility to the common notion that with genius comes misery.

Again, thanks for sharing this wonderful talk. Best of luck to Dr. Jung in his line of research!

I am an artist and know many many creative artists. Just from an observational point of view (knowing artists for over 50 years now)creativity and suffering - often physical suffering - go hand in hand. Not always, but often. I don't know if they/we are neurotic but many do have neurological "issues". I myself suffered from trigeminal neuralgia for 7 years before a successful brain surgery. I have nerve issues/pain in a new and different way now. For people who have suffered huge traumas like pain, family, violence etc. doing art and just letting themselves simply get taken into their drawing (for example) is hugely healing. Works for very little kids, prisoners, vets, and in grief too.

I've been studying/filming people under deep hypnosis for the past 6 years. Subjects are chosen for their belief that they can't be hypnotized, or that they're skeptical about an afterlife or past lives in general. I've worked with a number of hypnotherapists trained by Michael Newton, but in a nutshell, each therapists asks roughly the same questions over a four to six hour period. The results are remarkable in their consistency. (I've got a doc and a book called "flipside" which details the process. I've also corroborated the results with the case work of Dr. Helen Wambach, who did the same kind of studies in the 1960s. People talk about creativity during these sessions, talk about their own path and journey to it over many lifetimes. Everyone has their own path - but some of the answers are fascinating. I've heard that "creative energy is located near healing energy in the universe, and we call upon it to help and heal others." That the act of creating something is of value unto itself - that the energy behind the creation of the work (book/song/painting/whatever) uses quantum energy, some part of your intent and energetic makeup to create the object,and everyone who hears it/sees it/experiences it accesses your intent. "Every thought action word or deed contains your energy and that can be a healing one." I've heard that "comedy is the quickest way to heal or change a person's disposition; tears work but they require catharsis." I also heard, and am still working on "It doesn't matter whether the work itself has success, the effect on the universe is the same." Once a person creates something and it moves out like a wave into the universe, according to this one account, its the same energy whether others experience it or not. (gives hope for all my projects gathering dust). Finally, that we choose our lives, choose the best medium for us to express ourselves - it may be through banking, or teaching - it doesn't need to be "creative" per se to have the same effect. If you've signed up as a healer, you can do that in a myriad of ways. It's worth noting that the idea of consciousness existing outside the brain is echoed in near death studies, can be found explained by Dr. Bruce Greyson in his "Is Consciousness Created by the Brain" talk on youtube, is part of post materialist science, including neuroscientist Mario Beauregard's "Brain Wars," Gary Schwartz's PhD's work on ESP. They all point to the same research, that consciousness is not confined to the brain, and it's not confined to one particular lifetime. So when you add that to the mix "Oh, I've had a few lifetimes doing the same kind of work" you get a clearer picture of the genesis of creativity. My two cents.

Playground Duty
There are no tennis nets
only the metal frames
placed next to each other
She is only a little higher
than the end of the frame
her long black hair
tied in two bunches
with effort and concentration
she turns a handle of
the frame around and around and around
There is no product
only curiosity
and repeated action
a joy in the moment
the pleasure of doing
without an end in mind
When?.........I ask you
when did you last do
something like this ?
The thought went around and around
and around
and she never knew
how intently I watched her

With due respect, as I was listening to this episode on Creativity and the Everyday Brain with its "transient hypo-frontality" and other such plumbing or electrical engineering concepts, the image that came to mind was that of an enquiry about wildlife being conducted in the meat department of a supermarket. Creativity explained would no longer be creativity just like "art" cannot be computer generated in its etymological meaning which is a synonym of "yoga".

Hello, I am a huge fan of yours! I can't always catch your show but did manage to tune in for the last 15 minutes tonight. I'm going to listen to the entire thing tomorrow, but already I want to thank you. Thank you 1) for being a great interviewer, listener, questioner and thinker 2) for getting such engaging guests and 3) please send a big thanks to NPR to have a show like yours (and a few others too). I am not a 'church person' but am 'religious' in a sort of way. I can always relate to your show tho, and always find it a joy and really heart/thought provoking. Just wanted to let you know. K

May I ask concerning Krista's question on communities centered around people with disabilities (and my interest in particular, mental retardation). I would like to investigate this topic and request the name of the individual mention (sounded like Jon Vaniar, Marsh Movement).

In appreciation, Dorothy

I am a bit at odds with the description used here for creativity. Why is "useful" one of the pinnacles of this endeavor? How one defines "useful" makes all the difference. As an artist, I find that if I adhere to this standard that my ideas must be useful, my creativity shuts way down.

I love your show, Krista. Thank you so much.
I am troubled that a neuroscientist would so highly praise IQ tests. IQ tests are not reliable, do not give consistent results, and have been shown again and again to reward practice, like anything in life.

This is one of the most pernicious mythologies out there - but keeps rearing its head from time to time. Indeed the opposite (in every instance) is true and very well documented in the experimental literature. I would recommend Stuart Ritchie's excellent and highly readable book Intelligence: All That Matters () - showing the best evidence that IQ is one of the most reliable, consistent, and important measure of human behavior that humans have developed. Take a look (if you dare) ;)

The most interesting thing Jung talks about is the idea of groupthink, or brainstorming in groups. I studied in sociology and psychology that these hinder ideas as the people in the group are likely to conform to what benefits the group and can lead to radical ideas as many of the group members will not oppose others for fear of being outcast be the others. Mr. Jung expands on this and says that the quality of the ideas are greater when done individually because the person is not trying to please the others or group members, but instead they "push the envelope."