While the Critic Sleeps
I like to write in the morning. The earlier the better. It’s not just because the world is quiet then. My thoughts are as well, mainly because the critical part of my brain–the part skilled at finding fault–is still sleeping. As a result, if I start early enough, I might get in an hour or two before the critic wakes.
Until recently, I considered the notion of my brain being home to two separate minds—one creative, the other critical—as being merely a metaphor, apt but fanciful.
But it turns out it might be more than that.
Into the Multi-Mind
Last night, while reading George Musser’s new book Putting Ourselves Back in the Equation, I came across the notion that the human mind is capable of sustaining several consciousnesses at once. However, since each operates independently of the other, the main mind is seldom aware it’s got company.
Sound crazy? Here’s an example from early in the book:
When your mind drifts on a long drive […] it may just be your “main mind” that drifts. A temporary minimind may form elsewhere in your neural circuits, literally an autopilot that remains conscious of the road and keeps control of the car.
From there, Musser explains how recent neuroscience and quantum physics studies support the notion of a multi-mind.
In the Zone
Interestingly, I’ve noticed something similar happen when I perform music … although in such instances the disconnect occurs late at night rather than early in the morning.
Indeed, the sensation is most pronounced during the night’s final set, when the pub is packed and the band and I have melded into a single entity. Not one of us is thinking about the music. We’re just playing it, riding a wave of sound that would collapse if one of us thought critically about what we were doing.
And I understand it’s much the same for athletes, who often refer to being “in the zone”—that state of mind when skill takes over and strategy goes along for the ride.
If we relied entirely on our main minds, Musser tells us, “we could never play a fast guitar riff or hit a baseball pitch.”
What do you think?
Have you experienced evidence of multiple minds? What strategies do you use to break free of doubt and let skill take over?
The comment box is open, as are the social media links at the bottom of this page. Don’t think about it. Just do it, and I’ll look forward to hearing from you.
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