Are some people more creative than others? If so, why?

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-06/muom-dpm052914.php

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 4-Jun-2014
Contact: Ken Chawkin
Maharishi University of Management
Does practice make perfect? Or are some people more creative than others? If so, why?

Study finds brain integration correlates with greater creativity in product-development engineers

Creativity may depend on greater brain integration, according to a new study published in Creativity Research Journal (26:2, 239-243) by Maharishi University brain researcher Fred Travis and University West quality management researcher Yvonne Lagrosen.

Scientists refer to brain integration as mind-brain development. People with high mind-brain development are alert, interested in learning new things and disposed to see the whole picture. They think in wide circles and are emotionally stable and unselfish.

"It's a simple fact that some people stand out, and we're trying to tease out why," says Dr. Travis. "We hypothesized that something must be different about the way their brains work, and that's what we're finding."

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In all of his studies so far, top-level performers consistently show higher levels of brain integration. Previous studies by Dr. Travis and colleagues have found that greater brain integration is present in world-class athletes, top managers, and professional musicians.

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A canonical correlation analysis of these data yielded strong correlation between higher flexibility and originality in verbal and figural creativity tests and higher levels of brain integration, faster brain processing, faster speed of decision making, and a sense of being in control of one's situation.

"Our empirical findings highlight that creativity, in the form of flexibility and originality, is connected to whole brain functioning and psychological development," says Swedish research collaborator Dr. Lagrosen. "Since creativity is highly important for individual success, optimizing brain functioning should be a priority for every student."

"While there's a common notion that 10,000 hours of practice is necessary for high achievement, some people put in long hours and do not excel," adds Dr. Travis. "This work and other work with my Norwegian collaborator, Dr. Harald Harung, and Dr. Yvonne Lagrosen suggest that brain integration may be the inner factor that leads to outer success."

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Regular practice of the Transcendental Meditation technique has been found in random assignment studies to increase levels of brain integration. "People who want to excel in any field should consider learning Transcendental Meditation," says Dr. Travis, "and see for themselves the effect of regular transcending on inner happiness and outer success."

Dr. Frederick Travis is Director of the Center for Brain, Consciousness, and Cognition at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, which specializes in Consciousness-Based Education. http://www.mum.edu

Dr. Yvonne Lagrosen is Associate Professor in Quality Management, Department of Engineering Science at University West in Trollhättan, Sweden, which specializes in Work Integrated Learning. University West helped fund this research.