Subconcious abilities?

[alt_f13]

I've noticed over the past couple of years that many actions and activities that require quick thinking can be made much more fluidly or efficiently when I'm either not conentrating on the particular task, or I'm in what can be described as a state of trance. A few good examples of these activities are games that require fast and accurate reactions, like video games or baseball and other such sports, and even conversation.

 

I'm a musician, and notice too, that coming up with melodies is much easier in this state of mind. When I'm very tired, or in the state that comes right before falling asleep, I can even 'hear' new melodies or full on songs with little more than a desire to do so. I find this state also heightens the ability to do some of the actions mentioned above, particularly sports, games and other activities that require hand-eye coordination.

 

I find this state of mind is often accompanied by a loss of sense of self, thinking less in full sentences or thoughts and more flowing of 'ideas', and a sort of tunnel vision, where whatever I'm focusing on, be it a computer screen or thought (or combination, which is usually the case) becomes the only thing I see - everything else gets ignored, as it were, without the effort of my 'concious' mind.

 

I find that being in this state of mind is much like being in a dream, but being able to react to stimuli outside of your own head. It's the way you feel when you wake up from a dream and haven't quite realised you're awake yet (as you fight off some fantastical adversary, or grip your pillow believing it was the lottery money you just won).

 

For someone in the business of being creative, having the ability to use this state of mind at will would be somewhat of an advantage. I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed this phenomenon. Think there is a way to draw out this state of mind spontaneously (without the use of recreational chemicals)?

[reor]

Most of my creative works result from that state of mind. I love it, it feels like my head is flooded with feelings, images and ideas. As if worlds sprouted from the depths of my mind. A whole universe inside my head.

 

I had several experiences which make me believe it's possible to access specific abilities such as calculating or memory.

[bascule]

All of your sensory systems can develop ILMs at various stages of signal analysis which can trigger actions in the cerebellum. The more you repeat a given behavior (i.e. reacting to sensory cues) the more these ILMs start to develop. They short circuit having the sensory data go all the way into your neocortex/thalamus and thus the need for "conscious" processing.

 

I notice something similar playing music. I get into playing well rehearsed bass patterns, just going through chord patterns and switching up the rhythm. The more I try to focus on doing this, the worse it comes out. However if I start thinking about something completely different, sort of zone out into introspection, the music just flows with no conscious input. It's awesome.

 

Okay, I have to go play bass now...

[Kyrisch]

I noticed that pain is dulled an incredible amount in this "trance". I remember playing soccer and having half of my thumbnail ripped off and not realizing it until the play calmed down and I felt the gushing blood on my thumb...

[alt_f13]

I notice something similar playing music. I get into playing well rehearsed bass patterns' date=' just going through chord patterns and switching up the rhythm. The more I try to focus on doing this, the worse it comes out. However if I start thinking about something completely different, sort of zone out into introspection, the music just flows with no conscious input. It's awesome.

[/quote']

This is exactly the frame of mind I want to invoke at will. I'm hoping someone has some method of developing the ability to 'tap in' to that mind frame. For me it doesn't really have much to do with what I'm doing, but more the frame of mind I'm in when I'm doing it. Being overly tired tends to put me into that frame of mind quicker, as well as certain types of music (trance ) or watching repedative visualizations. That's probably why playing a racing video game with a trance soundtrack at 2:30Am on a friday tends to do it to me.

 

Now a big problem I have is staying in that frame of mind when I realise I'm in it :Z.

 

You are breathing. Listen to it. Now stop listening to it. See? Not going to happen.