Educating Through Attentional States of Consciousness, an Effective Way to Develop Creative Potential?
Frontiers in Education March 17, 2022 DOI: 10.3389/feduc.2022.774685 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Consciousness Mind-wandering Creativity Boredom Attentional blink Cognitive psychology Perception Cognitive science Cognition Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 12 |
| Key findings | Proposes that a global approach to attentional states of consciousness—including hypnagogia, mind wandering, mindfulness, and flow—is needed to understand their relationships with creativity and to develop creative potential. |
Abstract
Researchers have recently turned their focus to a specific area: the links between altered states of consciousness and creativity. A spectrum of attentional states of consciousness exists, from hypnagogia and mind wandering to mindfulness and flow. These attentional states of consciousness are present during a variety of activities (e.g., sports, music, painting, writing, video games, theater, and meditation) as well as in situations characterized by boredom. They are also present in many professional fields and practices (e.g., education and teaching). Moreover, researchers and educators focus sometimes on only one state of consciousness (such as mind wandering) or only on attention, and do not question relationships with others (such as mindfulness or flow) or the links with intention, the different levels of consciousness involved and the changes in perception of time, self and space. Additionally, as we know that a state of consciousness rarely occurs alone or that it can have two forms (such as spontaneous and deliberate mind wandering), we propose a global approach allowing to grasp the stakes and perspectives of what we call attentional states of consciousness. Thus, to our knowledge, this is the first theoretical review highlighting the historical, empirical, theorical and conceptual relationships between creativity, attention, mind wandering, mindfulness and flow by offering concrete and empirical avenues and bases for reflection about educating for creativity and developing creative potential.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Differential effects of digital mindfulness-based interventions on creative potential and responsibility among middle school students. British Journal of Educational Psychology September 1, 2024
- “Diversity makes the richness of humanity”: The emergence and persistence of mental imagery after self-reported psilocybin truffles intake in an autistic woman with “blind imagination” (aphantasia): A 33-month retrospective case report Journal of Psychedelic Studies June 17, 2025
- Cyberdelics: Virtual reality hallucinations modulate cognitive-affective processes. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience December 1, 2025
- Ethics and Meditation: A New Educational Combination to Boost Verbal Creativity and Sense of Responsibility. Journal of Intelligence August 7, 2023
Cites 48
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness Training Improves Working Memory Capacity and GRE Performance While Reducing Mind Wandering Psychological Science March 28, 2013
- Psychometric Evaluation of the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (OAV) PLoS One August 31, 2010
- Altered States of Consciousness Archives of General Psychiatry September 1, 1966
- Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. Emotion February 6, 2012
and 43 more in the library