It seems that thinking isn’t something that only happens inside your head

A recent article in The Boston Globe summarizes some of the current finding about the ways that our bodies and minds work together (“Don’t just stand there, think”). If these studies are correct, the relationship between what goes on inside the brain and what the rest of the body is doing may be far more important and complex than we imagined. That old image of the sage sitting in silent, unmoving contemplation might simply be wrong.

The English poet, Sir John Betjeman, explained that he went on long walks to work out his verses, which maybe explains why so many of his poems have the kind of rhythm you could march to. Edward Elgar bicycled through miles of countryside, seeking inspiration for his music. Now it seems that the intuitive link they found between bodily activity and mental processing is being proved by scientific experiments.

The Boston Globe’s article reports:

The brain is often envisioned as something like a computer, and the body as its all-purpose tool. But a growing body of new research suggests that something more collaborative is going on - that we think not just with our brains, but with our bodies. A series of studies, the latest published in November, has shown that children can solve math problems better if they are told to use their hands while thinking. Another recent study suggested that stage actors remember their lines better when they are moving. And in one study published last year, subjects asked to move their eyes in a specific pattern while puzzling through a brainteaser were twice as likely to solve it.

The next time you can’t solve a tough problem, the best approach may be to get up and start some strong physical action. It might just get your brain going too.

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