A Research Paper By Marijn Sissingh, Life Coach, Non-profit Leadership Coach, NETHERLANDS
Explore What Is Happening in Our Brain During Imagination
Alice has been working for 15 years at an IT company and currently leads a team of eight people. Her main tasks are setting up complex information infrastructure at large corporations. She likes managing projects and team members. At the same time, in the last couple of years, a feeling that something is missing has grown. She sees around her that the more technological solutions advance, the larger the technological divide in society. Part of the population does not seem to get on board with the newest technology and does not benefit from the potential advancement that it brings in terms of social connection, life satisfaction, and well-being. In fact, as more and more solutions move online, less tech-savvy individuals experience disadvantages from these technological innovations and become more and more excluded and isolated. Alice decided that she wants to bring these people on board through training and coaching, and by supporting non-profit organizations to enhance the inclusivity, accessibility, and user experience of their services.
With her experience in implementing complex information infrastructure at large cooperation, Alicia thought she is well placed to help less tech-savvy individuals and small organizations with technological solutions. Her energy was vital until she realized that she had in fact no idea where to start. She didn’t have direct contact with less tech-savvy individuals, did not understand what exactly prevents them from using social apps and other online platforms, and did not have clarity on how to approach non-profit service delivery organizations. She quickly realized that the world that she entered was very different from the world where she has been working so far. She decided to work with a personal coach to create more clarity on what steps to take to start her social enterprise.
In the first coaching session, the coach invited her to vividly describe the world that she wanted to create in all its details as well as how she could create this world. What does this world look and feel like? Who is living in this ideal world, what are these individuals doing, and what is the effect of these actions? How does Alice contribute to this world? The coach invited Alicia not to focus on her previous experience or on any evidence for this ideal world or personal contributions. The coach invited her to look to the future without much consideration for the past. Just to imagine what could be.
What is the reason that the coach invited Alice to do this? How does imagining the future in all its detail help Alice to create an impactful social project? What evidence exists about the value of imagination? These are the questions we will focus on in this research paper. We will explore what is happening in our brain during imagination and what this means for coaching, both in terms of the coaching approach and practical exercises.
Imagination Definition
Imagination is the act of forming a mental image of something that is not present to the senses or was never wholly perceived in reality.[1] This can help individuals to visualize the future and use this image to formulate solutions and action plans, and ultimately take action. To guide the coachee in an effective way, a coach must understand what imagination is and what factors influence it. Neuroscientists increasingly understand what happens in the brain during imagination and we will use this insight to inform the coaching practice.
In this report, we will particularly focus on starting social entrepreneurs, like Alice, who have the ambition to leverage their expertise for the social good but are confronted with realities which they are less familiar with. Starting social entrepreneurs often quickly realize that they miss a detailed understanding of the world that they wish to change and need more awareness and new ways of thinking to be able to build an impactful social project.
Three Brain Networks Involved in Imagination
Starting social entrepreneurs may not yet fully understand the world that they want to create but they can imagine this world, including what people do in that world and how this is different from what they do now, and what the social entrepreneurs themselves do to make an impact. Having a clear picture of what could allow starting social entrepreneurs to design and implement innovative projects with awareness and thoughtful consideration.
Neuroscientists have identified three brain networks that contribute to the imagination in different ways: Imagination Network, Salience Network, and Executive Attention Network.[2] Understanding how these brain networks work helps the coaching practice.
People use their Imagination Network to memorize past experiences, reflect on who they are, empathize with others, imagine the future, and develop scenarios until the right scenario causes an ‘aha’ moment.[3] As brains are generally lazy, we tend to build on past experiences to imagine new situations and scenarios.[4] This automatic link between past experiences and imagination may limit social entrepreneurs to imagine an innovative and creative future. By building too much on old experiences, social entrepreneurs risk putting old wine in new bottles. Fortunately, neuroscientists have identified techniques that allow an individual to escape from strong influence from past experiences. Social entrepreneurs can detach themselves from previous experiences by considering new pieces of information, learning new skills, changing environments, meeting unknown persons, doing something different, or building new routines. This detachment leads to new stimuli that prevent the brain from using shortcuts, increasing curiosity, and stimulating new ways of thinking.[5] The more radical the change, the more likely an individual can imagine an innovative future or idea. One consideration is that the harder an individual tries to change, the more rigid the current thinking becomes.[6] Therefore, the way forward is to not focus on the desired change but on doing new things and imagining new scenarios that never have been experienced before.[7] Here the starting social entrepreneur who is moving to an unfamiliar terrain has an advantage. By entering new professional environments, they will automatically get access to new information, meet new people, and do something different.
A social impact coach can leverage this change of environment by helping the entrepreneur to become aware of the various new elements, stimulate curiosity, support new ways of thinking, and develop solutions that were yet unknown. The role of the coach is to invite the social entrepreneur to open their mind and fantasize about what could be without too much pressure. Here it is important that the coach creates a safe and playful environment and ask open questions that allow the social entrepreneur to share whatever comes up and build this further without attachment or critical analysis. The coach and social entrepreneur ideally meet each other in a stimulating environment that is new for the social entrepreneur, for example, an alternative co-working space, play yard, or sports center. An informal coaching session without too much structure and direction offers a space for social entrepreneurs to open their minds fully. Entering a creative mindset is more important for the social entrepreneur than verbalizing everything that pops up and there is no need for the coach to invite the social entrepreneur to do so. The questions of the coach are ideally so inspiring that the social entrepreneur continuously reflects on them spontaneously in the time between coaching sessions. Examples of such questions are: How does your dream world look like? What would make you happy? What is possible in the ideal world? If everything is possible, what would your ideal world look like?
The coach can organize these creative sessions at any time in the coaching relationship when there is a need to move out of old thinking and conventional solutions. The beginning of the coaching relationship where the social entrepreneur is still developing directions for their social impact project is often a good moment. Also, later in the coaching relationships, when the social entrepreneurs feel stuck with a specific element of the project, such low-intensity brainstorming sessions may be helpful. In addition, the coach may invite the social entrepreneur to schedule moments of doing ‘nothing’ that facilitates mind-wandering. More about this in the next paragraph about mindfulness.
During this creative process, memories and conventional ideas may come up. Although these may not support innovative and creative thinking, it is important that the coach allows the social entrepreneur to express these without diving into them. The social entrepreneur may need to release negative emotions before they arrive at a stage where they can broaden and open to new ways of thinking. In addition, if the coach continues to invite the social entrepreneur to share ideas, they will automatically arrive at a space where every old idea has come up and more intuitive ideas will emerge. Instead of putting pressure on the social entrepreneur to arrive at this point, it is enough that the coach creates a relaxed, safe, and stimulating space.
It may happen that the conventional ideas reveal habitual thinking or other barriers that prevent a social entrepreneur to move in a new direction. If the coach notices that a social entrepreneur is stuck in this way of thinking and is unable to move into a space where they can imagine creative scenarios, there may be a need to advise other types of support than coaching.
The Salience Network monitors external events and the internal stream of consciousness and chooses what is most important to solving the task at hand.[8] The salience network decides what pieces of information are most important for a task at hand.[9] In this way, the salience network bridges the Imagination Network and the Executive Attention Network where the social entrepreneur has a stronger problem-solving focus. After the free and intuitive imagination with the Imagination Network, the social entrepreneur chooses what is most relevant and explores this further with the Executive Attention Network. You could say that the Salience Network chooses concrete topics and outcomes for a more formal coaching session.
Individuals use their Executive Attention Network to deliberately focus on a task at hand, including the task of imagination.[10] During the imaginative process, they make conscious choices about what to consider and what to do in their thinking process.[11] By deliberately giving attention to specific experiences or mental images, they reinforce these and ultimately deepen and strengthen these new connections.[12] The choice to consciously focus on new situations and ways of doing things puts heavy demands on working memory and costs a lot of energy, especially if imagined scenarios are far in the future.[13] Over time, with the deepening of new brain circuits and new habits being formed, the energy to perform a task becomes less.[14] Interestingly, these brain circuits do not only deepen with active performance but also through mental rehearsal. This means that individuals can form new habits by regularly imagining that they perform the behavior.[15]
A coaching relationship offers a structure where a social entrepreneur can concentrate on a challenge with the coach supporting the thinking process. The coach can invite the social entrepreneur to imagine scenarios in vivid detail, consider what it requires to realize these scenarios, and what their role will be. As perception and imagination use the same neural mechanisms, these imaginations are perceived as real and will come back as a lively memory once the individual experience the situation.[16] Therefore, coaches who invite social entrepreneurs to vividly imagine and mentally rehearse a future scenario and their role are increasing the likelihood that the social entrepreneur will succeed in that scenario.
Some social entrepreneurs are uncertain about what they could do, doubt their own competencies, and are generally skeptical about what is possible. If this is the case, a coach could invite them to reflect on past experiences that had positive results and use these to build confidence and inform future scenarios. In line with this, Appreciative Inquiry proposes that individuals develop scenarios where they leverage their character strengths or use these character strengths to develop scenarios.[17]
There are more techniques that the coach can use to activate the Executive Attention Network. One of these is to compare ideal scenarios with other scenarios and ask social entrepreneurs what they would miss out on in these other scenarios.[18] Another technique is developing future-oriented gratefulness where individuals imagine every day three good things that will happen to them in the near future. This does not only increase the chance that good things will happen but doing the exercise already leads to more happiness.[19] Other techniques are starting the day by imagining the best possible day, pausing for an imagination break before a new situation, and ending the day by reflecting on a better tomorrow.[20] The key to success in all these techniques is making it feel real.[21]
Neuroscientists suggest that a creative thought process requires some unconstrained imagination through the Imagination Network before the Executive Attention Network evaluates the ideas and potentially stimulates a revision of whatever was imagined.[22] The result of this cooperation is that new ideas are both creative and useful at the same time. Other neuroscientists suggest that the Imagination Network has already an imaginative and evaluation part, which implies that the evaluation is already done without considerate attention through the Executive Attention Network.[23] Whether this evaluative energy comes from the Executive Attention Network or the Imaginary Network, the role of a coach is to balance imagination with evaluative thinking in a way that is most useful for the client. They either invite the client to imagine new scenarios with limited evaluation or motivate the social entrepreneur to evaluate the usefulness of ideas, whatever is most helpful for the client. In collaboration with the social entrepreneur, the coach chooses the path that is most useful to reach the coaching objective and given the current state of awareness of the social entrepreneur.
Stimulating the Brain Networks With Mindfulness
So far, we have discussed the various brain networks and how the coach can use these brain networks in a coaching session. In this paragraph, we will review how a coach can support social entrepreneurs to consciously activate each of the brain networks through specific mindfulness-related practices.[24] Here we separate Mind-Wandering, Open-Monitoring Meditation, and Focused-Attention Meditation with Mind-Wandering stimulating the Imagination Network, Focused-Attention Mediation activating the Executive Attention Network, and Open-Monitoring Mediation probably related to the Salience Network.[25]
Mind-wandering is shifting the attention away from the present environment without the conscious intention to find creative solutions. This shift of attention supports the unconscious re-combination of information leading to the creation of novel ideas and untypical solutions. As the processing and reconnection of information happen unconsciously, an individual may have the idea that the new insight came out of nothing.[26] A mindfulness practice that stimulates mind-wandering encourages individuals to allow and accept everything inside and outside themselves without giving it particular attention, trying to change it, or even verbalizing it.[27] This headspace requires the absence of distractions, such as loud noise, interactions, or worries.[28]
Although there is no intention to find solutions, individuals can create conditions that increase the likelihood of creative insights, for example by putting down their smartphone, sitting in a park, observing the sunset, or going for a walk without any specific destination.[29] Coaches can support social entrepreneurs to enter this stage of wakeful rest by teaching mindful mind-wandering strategies or by facilitating a mind-wandering mediation.[30] Although the social entrepreneur would not give words to whatever comes up during the meditation, it may be interesting to invite them to vocalize afterward what came up during the meditation and explore this further. As the imaginations and ideas that came up may be unconventional, it is important that the coach create a safe environment without any judgment.
Open-Monitoring Meditation is a more attentional practice than mind-wandering where individuals are open and attentive to whatever arises in their experience from moment to moment, including thoughts, feelings, and emotions.[31] Open Monitoring Mindfulness allows individuals to become aware of thoughts about the past and reflections on the future, which would allow them to consciously focus on what is most relevant and let go of what is not important.[32] Open-Monitoring Mediation increases creativity and is useful when individuals are stuck around a particular issue.
Coaches can facilitate Open-Monitoring Meditation at the start of a session to enable the social entrepreneur to choose a topic or session objective that is most relevant for the social entrepreneur. In addition, coaches could train this practice and encourage social entrepreneurs to use it every time they feel stuck on a particular problem.
In Focused-Attention Meditations, attention is directed and sustained on a selected object sound, or sensation.[33] During meditation, the Executive Attention Network is activated and strengthened. Focused-Attention Mindfulness stimulates creativity in a different way than Open-Monitoring Mediation. While the latter leads to divergent thinking, Focused-Attention Mediation improves convergent thinking which allows individuals to keep their attention on track and find solutions to well-defined problems. In addition, Focused-Attention Meditation relaxes the nervous system and improves psychological and physiological well-being.[34]
Coaches could facilitate a Focused-Attention Mediation prior to a session that focuses on finding solutions in a convergent way. By activating the Executive Attention Network, social entrepreneurs may increase their focus and come up with higher-quality solutions.
Compared to Mind-Wandering, Open-Monitoring, and Focused-Attention Mindfulness are effective for individuals who follow a more analytical approach to creative problem-solving. These individuals are aware of their reasoning and consciously consider rejecting inadequate ideas and accepting those that they find relevant.[35] This means that individuals who are less analytical may benefit less from mediation and more from techniques that stimulate the Imaginary Network. In collaboration with their clients, the coach needs to find out what techniques work best with each individual and in each situation.
Stimulating the Imagination Network
Social entrepreneurs want to leverage their expertise to make a positive impact in their community. An absence of detailed understanding of their new environment may prevent progress and ultimately discourage them. A coach could help social entrepreneurs gain clarity by inviting them to imagine the world they want to create in vivid detail, including the role they want to play. Coaches can choose various ways to do this with each stimulating different parts of the brain and leading to different results. Stimulating the Imagination Network requires that coaches create a playful and inspiring environment where social entrepreneurs can imagine a future that no one has seen before. Focusing on the Salience Network allows social entrepreneurs to identify what is most important or relevant at a particular moment, which helps social entrepreneurs to choose a topic and session outcome for the coaching session. By asking more specific questions related to problems, a coach activates the Executive Attention Network which allows social entrepreneurs to explore in a more focused way. Instead of asking questions, the coach could stimulate the various networks through specific meditation practices or train social entrepreneurs in these areas. Although neuroscience is a field of work that is largely in development, this paper has made clear that understanding the various brain networks informs the coaching approach and practice.
References
[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/imagination
[2] https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/the-real-neuroscience-of-creativity/
[3] https://www.fastcompany.com/3026510/the-neuroscience-of-imagination;
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/10/imagining-the-future-is-just-another-form-of-memory/542832/
[4] https://www.fastcompany.com/1007044/neuroscience-sheds-new-light-creativity
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[6] https://www.fastcompany.com/1007044/neuroscience-sheds-new-light-creativity
[7] https://www.fastcompany.com/3026510/the-neuroscience-of-imagination
[8] https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/the-real-neuroscience-of-creativity/
[9] https://exploringyourmind.com/neuroscience-of-imagination/
[10] https://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-07-attention-equally-important-creativity.html
[11] https://exploringyourmind.com/neuroscience-of-imagination/
[12] https://www.danbeverly.com/brain-based-coaching/#ch-10
[13] https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/beautiful-minds/the-real-neuroscience-of-creativity/; https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2017/10/imagining-the-future-is-just-another-form-of-memory/542832/
[14] https://www.danbeverly.com/brain-based-coaching/#ch-10
[15] https://www.theemotionmachine.com/mental-rehearsal-changing-habits-through-the-power-of-visualization/
[16] https://exploringyourmind.com/neuroscience-of-imagination/
[17] https://appreciativeinquiry.champlain.edu/educational-material/from-deficit-discourse-to-vocabularies-of-hope-the-power-of-appreciation/
[18] https://theoryandtechniquetool.humanbehaviourchange.org/tool
[19] https://advice.theshineapp.com/articles/how-your-imagination-can-help-you-feel-more-positive/; https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_thinking_about_the_future_makes_life_more_meaningful
[20] https://advice.theshineapp.com/articles/how-your-imagination-can-help-you-feel-more-positive/
[21] https://wgcoaching.com/coaching-visualisation/
[22] https://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-07-attention-equally-important-creativity.html
[23] https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisonescalante/2021/05/25/scientists-discover-what-really-happens-in-the-brain-when-we-imagine-the-future/?sh=6aceca8b31ce
[24] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7395604/
[25] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326129862_Open_monitoring_meditation_reduces_the_involvement_of_brain_regions_related_to_memory_function
[26] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00834/full
[27] https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00834/full
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[30] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7395604/
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[32] https://positivepsychology.com/wp-content/uploads/Open-Monitoring-Meditation.pdf
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[35] https://hbr.org/2017/08/can-10-minutes-of-meditation-make-you-more-creative