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of computer-generated brain images as
well as advances in stem-cell research, neuro-
scientists have been learning that our brains
are more malleable than was once presumed.
“A decade ago, we thought you got what you
were given at birth and that was pretty much
it,” says Joshua Aronson, a psychologist at
New York University who studies intellectual
performance. “But now we know the number
of brain cells can increase throughout your
life through neurogenesis. There’s great evi-
dence that shows if you really work on a skill,
the part of the brain associated with that
skill grows. The mind is like a muscle. If you
don’t keep exercising it, it will atrophy.”
When adults practice juggling, for exam-
ple, gray-matter volume in motor areas
increases after just two weeks. A classic series
of experiments showed that London taxi driv-
ers, who go through detailed training to mem-
orize their city’s layout, emerge with enlarged
hippocampal regions, which are associated
with memory.
But can intelligence and creativity
really be as “neuroplastic” as memory and
motor skills? Intelligence, much less creativity,
has not been conclusively linked with any
one area in the brain. The closest analogues
are the so-called executive functions, brain
systems involved in planning, integrating of
sensory information, and abstract thinking,
that are thought to be concentrated in the
prefrontal cortex. There is, says Aronson, a
way to improve executive functioning, and
it’s the very same practice prescribed by
Alexander: mindfulness meditation. In fact,
Aronson is currently planning a meditation
study with undergrads at N YU. “Some studies
show that people who do mindfulness medi-
tation gain as much as 10 IQ points,” he says.
“What that seems to indicate is that it works
on the ability to screen out irrelevant infor-
mation, to clear out the mind of distractions,
and to focus intently on relevant stimuli,
which frees up resources to solve problems.”
Subjectively, after a few weeks of practice,
I can say that meditation does seem to
quickly bring on a sense of quiet and clarity.
Still, being creative is not as simple as being
relaxed. It also involves the ability to make
unexpected connections, to move fluidly
among concepts, to consolidate past memo-
ries, ideas, or impressions and arrive at new
insights. Alexander calls this second step
“accessing your creative unconscious,” and
he believes meditation can set the stage.
Chip Conley, founder of the Joie de
Vivre boutique hotel chain and an author
and speaker on the intersection of psychology
and business, agrees. He’s been meditating
for about 12 years, he says, but “it’s only been
in the last few years that I’ve really gotten
into it.” He works with meditation, yoga,
and a spiritual and psychological program
called Diamond Heart. All of these practices
have the goal of calming down what he and
many Buddhists call “monkey mind,” in
order to react to circumstances less automati-
cally, to reach deeper. He says they help him
with hiring negotiations, family relation-
ships, and even his decision to give up a
majority stake in his company and pursue
writing full time.
ron alExanDEr’s METhoD
for MinDfulnEss MEDiTaTion
As described in
his book Wise Mind,
Open Mind, Ron Alexander departs somewhat from orthodoxy
in his prescription for
meditation for busy
minds. Most notably,
he recommends keeping a pad of paper and
pen nearby, so that if
anything really pressing comes to mind—
from a new movie idea
to a grocery list—you
can jot that down
quickly, and resume
meditation free of
current concerns.
● Sit in a comfortable
cross-legged position,
or in a straight-backed
chair with your feet on
the floor, or lie down. If
seated, close your
eyes gently; if you lie
down, keep your eyes
slightly open.
● Set an alarm. Try
meditating for between
12 and 20 minutes.
● Concentrate on your
breath as it enters and
leaves your nostrils, or
on the rise and fall of
your belly.
● When thoughts,
feelings, or sensations
arise, don’t try too hard
to push them away.
Mentally acknowledge
them, but then try to
concentrate anew on
your breathing.
