Hi all, I'm curious about this. I downloaded a YouTube video that is music layered over brainwaves, apparently designed to enhance creativity. I decided to listen to it while I was at work, and suddenly later in the day this idea came to me. I had two main characters, then they meet a character who I already had a vague idea of who he was (changed slightly as I wrote on further), knew how they escapped, where they went, what happened when they got back. A possible ending then came to me so I started seeing things appearing (key points in their literal journey to the location of the possible ending). Is this what it means to have creative flow? I've never experienced this before. Usually I'll have one idea and then it will end and I'll have another completely separate idea but based on the same characters. I then jotted down three or four small sub-plot. One being the two main characters. Another being the character they meet on their journey and a brief idea of why he turned against his own people to help them (thematic choice being guilt and redemption). Then I got to the protag's parents and that's when the juices slowed down. Thanks!
Yeah, that's what it feels like to have creative flow. But single ideas are a part of it too. Not sure though whether the music from You tube delivers specifically what it claims, most music fosters creativity, so it could've been a coincidence. In any case, I'm always happy to accept inspiration, no matter where it comes from
@jazzabel Thanks for the reply. Well the music on the video has a brainwave binaural beat added to it. I don't know how I feel about binaural beats exactly but the idea is that one beat goes in the left ear and a slightly different goes in the right ear. The brain changes them to match and the minds brainwaves start to match that difference, and supposedly this one brings the mind into the creative state.
As a recording engineer I can assure you that audio waveforms and waveforms from monitored brain activity have nothing in common. You have been bamboozled by snake-oil salesmen.
@Monte Thompson Have you actually dealt with binaural beats specifically, or are you referring to the waveforms of general music? The two are very different. Technically binaural beats are two beats played at different frequencies. The mind creates the difference. Because there has been studies that demonstrate the possibility that binaural beats can assist a least with relaxation. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17309374 By the way, I didn't buy anything. And I find it interesting I had such a powerful story idea come to me. Will test it tomorrow to see if it was just a fluke.
Binaural beats do work at a certain level; such as relieving stress, helping with sleep, causing temporary wakefulness, etc. But for such things like creativity, I'm not sure it could be validated. But the mind is a powerful thing, and if it works for you and you're not emptying your piggyback then just use it.
Time to check the actual scientific evidence. https://skepticdetective.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/quantum-mind-power-system-will-not-help-you/ http://www.skepdic.com/news/newsletter109.html If you like the sounds and they make you feel relaxed, go for it. If it costs much money, buy the less expensive CD of ocean waves on a beach. If you feel more creative, chances are it's coming from within not from without, but then who cares? I think it matters we think critically, and we don't get ripped off by these schemes. But people buy CDs they like to listen to all the time, so on that level.... meh.
Just read that abstract you linked to, decrease in dopamine sounds fascinating. Dopamine, in my opinion, has a lot to do with creativity, and I always thought it would be interesting to explore the connection between it and various forms of art (primarily visual but I wonder if all creativity is affected). I had a boss once who did a lot of lecturing on sensory perception and mental illness, but the actual research is very few and far between. Be as it may, I'd be reluctant to mess with my dopamine levels on purpose. It could, perhaps, end up causing an imbalance in a healthy person, especially with prolonged use (just theorising). And before you know it, you could end up with side effect of depression or something. Not saying it will happen, but if it's proven to have an effect on neurochemistry, I'd be cautious.
Judging the results of my Rorschach tests, my psychiatrist told me that my creativity is altered by depression. Turns out I'm constantly afraid of doing things "the wrong way", resulting in an impossibility to fully express myself.
Heh, I haven't seen Rorschach used in absolute ages! But they are good fun, aren't they? If you're afraid, it sounds like you have issues with anxiety, they are very common adjunct to depression. Or even source of it. I hope you are managing to make progress in therapy, though.
Haha, close enough, it was 2010. I have lots of anxiety issues, probably that's the reason my Doc wanted to use Rorschach. But I lived in Italy at the time, and it's still used a lot there, from what I know.
@Michael Collins : That's interesting! Psychiatry can very markedly between places, I didn't realise Italians are still using Rorschach, but it makes sense because they are such artistically oriented nation, and that is a sort of art-based test. I wish I lived in Italy though, such an awesomely beautiful place. Stunning light too (I do a bit of photography and I always miss Italian lighting. Light in the UK is so cold and harsh)
