Often poorly perceived in a professional environment, the moments when we stare into space are not useless! A study from the journal Nature suggests that daydreaming stimulates the formation of new neural networks, promoting the assimilation and processing of information. This research, carried out via experiments on mice, reveal the importance of these phases of cerebral relaxation for memory and cerebral plasticity, thus opening new perspectives on the benefits of daydreaming, even at work.
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In the professional environment, an individual caught staring into space during a meeting is often perceived as disengaged or bored. However, recent work carried out by American scientists and published in the prestigious journal Nature suggest that these moments of absence might actually be beneficial for our brains. The study suggests that getting lost in thought can stimulate the creation of new neural networks, improving our ability to assimilate and process information.
The researchers conducted a series of experiments on mice. This involved observing the rodents’ brain activity while they were exposed to two separate images of checkerboards, projected onto a screen followed by a one-minute gray screen period. They discovered that although the mice were physically inactive, their neurons continued to emit image-specific electrical signals, even during moments of blank vision. Even more fascinating, when the mice stared at the gray screen, their neuronal activity did not stop; it imitated that observed when viewing the images, suggesting that the rodents were “dreaming” of previously seen images.
Essential reverie phases
This neuronal activity occurred mainly when the mice were relaxed, especially at the start of the day after being repeatedly exposed to the same images. The researchers observed that these phases of daydreaming appear essential for the distinction and memorization of the two distinct images.
The implications of this discovery are considerable. Periods of apparent inactivity contribute to brain plasticity – the brain’s ability to change and adapt. Although further research is needed to establish a definitive causal relationship between daydreaming and brain plasticity, the current results are promising.
