To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk. ~ T. Edison
Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you anywhere. ~ A. Einstein
Have you ever wondered how Edison came up with all those inventions – how Einstein conceived the theory of relativity? They did it using their beautiful, brilliant brains (of course) – specifically by harnessing the power of imagination & you can too!
Our brain uses electrical impulses (each linked to a specific state of consciousness) to process information that comes into it. Here are the main types of brain waves & how we primarily use them:
1. Beta –When awake & actively concentrating (e.g., listening to a lecture, preparing a presentation etc.).
2. Alpha – When awake & responsive yet resting (e.g., gardening, swimming, showering etc.)
3. Theta – When in a drowsy state of light sleep (e.g., daydreaming, very relaxed, during meditation, in a state of flow).
4. Delta – When in deep sleep. Delta waves are the longest & slowest brainwaves we have, we need them to heal & rejuvenate.
Here’s the catch… When you are actively paying attention to something (Beta waves), your brain is only ~30% effective! Later, when you’re relaxing (Alpha waves), your brain is digesting the information & it’s ~60% effective (twice as much)! When you get a good night’s sleep (Delta waves) your brain is running at full capacity!!
What does this mean? Simply put… to figure out the answers to life’s toughest questions, we often need to work smarter not harder! We need to harness the power of imagination rather than over-thinking. The next time you’re faced with a conundrum see if you can become fully immersed in the moment – enjoy the experience rather than worrying about an outcome – relish in the process of purposeless pleasure!
Numerous benefits come as we develop our imagination:
• Increased emotional memory formation, consolidation & retrieval,
• Supercharged learning through information retention,
• Fueled creativity, goal setting & innovation,
• Mental clarity & help viewing problems in new ways,
• Enhanced relationships & teamwork,
• Refreshment of mind (by lowering anxiety, onset of dementia & increasing endorphins) & body (by strengthening heart & lungs),
• Overall enhanced well-being
Want to go a step further and be inventive and imaginative like Edison & Einstein? You can by learning to harness the power of Theta waves! This beautiful brain frequency only occurs when you are falling asleep/waking up – when your body is super heavy, your bed super comfortable & your mind super clear. The process goes like this:
• Before you go to sleep ask yourself a question,
• Catch yourself right before you fall asleep (this is the tricky part). To help him, Edison clutched a ball in each hand, Einstein a pie plate. Right before they succumbed to sleep the objects fell out of their hands, made a noise & startled them awake,
• Once awake, write down whatever you are thinking.
You can train yourself to do the same type of procedure while waking up. Consciously keep yourself in the ‘twilight zone’ & notice any thoughts that come into your head. Make sure to write them down immediately upon waking – don’t worry if they don’t make sense. Come back to these thoughts later & then periodically to see what message your brain was trying to tell you.
I hear your skepticism; I was dubious too – until I tried it. I need to do a better job practicing this discipline more regularly, but when I have done it, the results have been amazing! Specifically, I have used the process as a spiritual discipline (linked to prayer and the Christian meditation practice of Lectio Devina) to better hear the voice of God.
Whatever your reason, try developing your powers of imagination – you’ve got nothing to lose, creativity to gain and possible inspiration to be found (and you might not even have to get out of bed)!!
More about Edison & Einstein’s Process:
Other Resources:
• David Elkind: The Power of Play: Learning What Comes Naturally
• Rick Rubin: The Creative Act: A Way of Being
• St. Ignatius of Loyola: Spiritual Exercises
• St. Teresa of Avila: Interior Castle
• There are recordings on You Tube designed to put your mind into various brain wave states – I have not tried these & can’t talk about their validity