Wikimedia, Journalist1980Many people have had one of those inspired moments—the moment when suddenly the world goes mute and creative nectar pours out of one’s mind in an unobstructed deluge that soaks the blank paper, canvas, or instrument before you. If not, imagine the unbridled rhymes that burst from freestyle rap artists down at the intersection of poetry, music, and improv. That’s the common example of creative flow a group of neuroscientists recently chose to study, at least.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health used functional magnetic resonance images (fMRI) to scan the brains of freestyle rappers as they wielded their lyrical skills. The images, which track blood through the brain, indicating which areas are active, could help neuroscientists better understand the wellspring of creativity.
“I think this idea of flow is really interesting,” says neurologist Psyche Loui of Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the study. “This idea that you have your skill level and your challenge level and when those two are in perfect balance you’re in this zone and coasting along.” But it’s a very elusive stream to follow, she adds.
To explore the roots of creativity, lead researcher Siyuan Liu, senior researcher Allen Braun, and colleagues ...
