Losing oneself in one's thoughts is anunderappreciated activity that is more rewarding the more it is practiced, according to an academic study.
The psychologists who studied a group of more than 250 people who were encouraged to engage in directionless contemplation or free-floating thinking said that the activity was much more satisfying than they had expected.
The academics at the University of Tbingen wanted to find out why humans are reluctant to use their ability to sit still and think to themselves.
Some people still find it strenuous to let their minds wander once they have the chance to do it, but they say their series of experiments shows that people enjoy letting their minds wander once they have the chance to do it.
Previous studies have shown that losing yourself in your thoughts can help solve problems, increase creativity, and contribute to a sense of self-worth.
Most people are more likely to let themselves be distracted than to pay attention.
The authors believed that the loss of the habit of free thinking was due to the fact that it was easier to seek and find distraction when using a mobile device. They said that some people found it difficult to spend time with their own thoughts.
The leader of the study, a professor at the University of Tbingen, said that people found it hard to estimate the extent to which contemplation was something to be valued.
It's possible that people prefer to keep busy rather than enjoy a moment of reflection or let their imagination run away with them.
The study was published in the journal of experimental psychology.
The participants were asked how much they would like to sit on their own and think to themselves for 20 minutes. They weren't allowed to use a phone, to read or to walk around.
They found their enjoyment at letting their minds wander far greater than they had anticipated. When the experiment conditions were changed, such as putting participants alone in a sparse conference room, placing them in a dark tent or cupboard, or letting them sit alone for just a few minutes, this remained the same.
They would be asked to comment on how they were feeling in the middle of the sessions. The participants said their enjoyment was more than they had expected.
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A group of people were given access to digital devices and were able to read the news on the internet. The expectation was that those who were given digital devices would enjoy the activity more than those who didn't.
Both groups gained the same amount of enjoyment from their activities after completing the questionnaires.
The results of the flood of information are important.
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