Interesting article in the October 6th New York Times Science Times entitled Mind: How Nonsense Sharpens the Intellect

The thrust of the article is that our minds naturally seek to create patterns. When presented with information that does not fit any pattern (nonsense) our creative ability to find patterns, and solutions is enhanced.

This article reminds me of the way in which koans are used in Zen practice. By asking a question that is beyond our logic (Does a dog have Buddha nature?) our minds look for patterns and ways of responding that are outside of habitual ways of thinking and ways of solving problems.

This is a core tenet underlying the ideas and practices of accomplishing more by doing less, an idea itself that challenges our rational thinking. (And, which some have called nonsense.) How could doing less result in greater accomplishment? This study demonstrates that by changing and reducing our assumptions, our ability to find innovative solutions is increased.

How can this study, this information be put into practice? A few ideas that come to mind:

- listen to a type of music that you are completely unfamiliar with, or read and absorb a book or article that is outside of your usual realm.

- experiment with disrupting some routines -- get out of bed on the other side; wear your watch on the other arm...

- try eating a type of food you haven't tried; take an improv class; visit a foreign country...