Innovation, Creativity, and Brain Integration

Abstract

The heart of creative thinking is the incubation stage, in which ideas freely move on a subconscious level going beyond the limits of the problem space to create new solutions. The incubation stage might be fostered through meditation practices that lead to transcending, such as the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique that cultures greater brain integration in which the brain functions more as a whole. Higher brain integration is seen during the TM session within a few weeks of practice, and after the TM session with regular practice over time. Higher brain integration is associated with higher creativity and greater success in life. Adding the experience of transcending to enhance incubation of creative ideas is innovation from the inside. Training in transcending could be part of forward-looking graduate programs to help their graduates thrive in an ever-changing workspace landscape, and could be a workplace skill to support better performance in many professions.