Does meditation squelch creativity?

Q: I just watched "Creating A-Ha Moments."  Being rather creative in my work, I could very much relate to what you said. One thing however troubles me. I have been reading and enjoying Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn's books on mindfulness, and have been "practicing" as best as I can awareness through out the day. It seems to me that the need for day dreaming as a conduit to "A-ha" is somewhat contradictory to awareness. I am aware of that clutter of thoughts that endlessly flows through my mind and how valuable Awareness is. But on the other hand, I also know the value of day dreaming under the shower or walking my dog, which is when I get my best ideas. How do you suggest one might reconcile those two apparently contradictory states of mind?

A: There's a good reason your best ideas come to you in the shower or while walking your dog: the mind makes more associations while in a relaxed state. Creativity comes from finding fresh connections, and when you relax your brain goes into an alpha wave state that activates your right hemisphere. The right hemisphere makes more and wider connections to the rest of the brain than does the left, which is active when we are task-focused.

When you are practicing mindfulness, your stance toward the contents of your stream of awareness is neutral: your worst fear and your best creative insight are supposed to be treated the same – you just note them and let them go.  As Jon Kabat-Zinn (an old friend) has shown, this change in our relationship to our thoughts has huge benefits for many people who suffer from chronic disease or intractable pain. And a stream of new clinical benefits from mindfulness-based stress reduction, which Jon developed, continues to be discovered.

One area that strict mindfulness may inhibit, though, is creative insights. You may get into a relaxed brain state while practicing mindfulness, and have Aha! moments, but if you are rigorous in following the instructions, you are supposed to just let these go.  When I first tried mindfulness while in my 20s with a teacher in India, I told him I was frustrated that I'd get a great idea, but have to just let it go. He advised me to keep a notepad nearby and make a quick note if I had a fantastic insight, then just continue with mindfulness and follow the idea up afterward.

There are, of course, many ways to get into a relaxed state. Jon Kabat-Zinn and I collaborated on some research years ago on which relaxation methods worked best for which people – not everyone, for instance, relaxes best with yoga or with meditation. That's why I made "Relax"which gives instructions in six different relaxation methods, so folks can try out several and then stick with the one that appeals most to them.