TED演讲 | 做白日梦有益吗？是的！

On a daily basis, 

you spend between a third and 

half your waking hours daydreaming.

每天你醒着的时候，三分之一

到一半的时间在做白日梦。 

That may sound like 

a huge waste of time,

这听起来可能是对时间的巨大浪费， 

but scientists think it must 

have some purpose,

但科学家们认为存在即合理， 

or humans wouldn’t have evolved 

to do so much of it. 

否则，人类不会演化成花

如此多时间做白日梦。 

So to figure out what's going on here, 

因此，为了弄清楚这是怎么回事， 

Let’s take a closer look at the mind-wanderer in chief: 

一起仔细看看这位首席走神家：

the bored teenager.

 无聊少年。

Wouldn’t it be cool to discover something,

如果能有所发现会不会很酷，

anything like even this plant. 

即使发现像这植物一样的任何东西？ 

Just to be one of those explorers 

who sails around drawing stuff 

for years on end

如那些探险家，常年航行，

并把看到的都画下来， 

and everyone thinks they’re a genius. 

大家都认为他们是天才一样？ 

But does anyone even do that anymore? 

但现在还有人这么做吗?  

Is there anything left to discover? 

还有待发现的东西吗?

And would I be tough enough 

to deal with the dysentery or scurvy 

or piranhas or whatever? 

我能坚强到对付痢疾或败血症、 

抑或食人鱼什么的吗? 

I barely have the endurance to 

make it through track practice... 

我几乎没有耐力完成赛道练习，

but I will. 

 但我会的。

Any day now, I’ll have the discipline to show up before sunrise and practice. 

从现在起的每一天，

我会自律地在日出前起床、训练， 

I’ll win all my races.

我会赢所有跑步比赛， 

Winning will become so easy, I’ll pick up other events just for fun. 

胜利将变得易如反掌， 

我会选择其他活动，只为好玩。 

And once I'm in the Olympics, 

一旦我参加了奥运会， 

they’ll have no choice 

but to crown me team captain, 

他们只能让我当队长， 

which I will graciously accept.

我会欣然接受。 

And will I be nasty to the teammate 

who yelled at me? 

我会和冲我大吼的队友闹别扭吗? 

No. 

不会！

I’ll just calmly say, “hope you’re 

in a better mood.”

我只会平静地说， 

“希望你心情好多了。”

Okay. Yours and other people's daydreams might sound or feel something like that. 

好了，你和其他人的白日梦

可能听起来或感觉亦与此类似，

Let's see what was going on.  

我们一起看看到底发生了什么。 

To see what parts of the brain are active 

大脑的哪些部分是活跃的， 

when you’re doing a task, 

or thinking, or daydreaming, 

为了观察你在执行任务、 

思考或做白日梦时 

scientists use brain imaging techniques 

科学家们使用大脑成像技术，

that show increased blood flow 

and energy expenditure in those areas.

 显示这些区域血流量和能量消耗增加，

These brain areas are active, 

说明这些大脑区域活跃， 

working together and 

communicating with each other. 

它们相互协作和交流， 

Taken together, they're 

called the executive network. 

总的来说，它们被称为执行网络。 

When your mind starts to wander, 

当你开始走神时，

a different set of brain areas 

becomes active. 

 一组不同的大脑区域变得活跃, 

These areas make up 

the default mode network. 

这些区域就构成了默认模式网络。

The name default mode makes 

it sound like nothing is going on. 

默认模式这个名称听起来

好像什么都没发生， 

And in fact, for many years, 

事实上，多年来，

scientists associated this pattern 

of activity with rest.

科学家们将这种活动模式

与休息联系在一起。 

But a closer look reveals that these 

are the brain areas involved 

但仔细观察会发现，这些都是

活跃的大脑区域。

when we revisit a memory, when we think about our plans and hopes, 

当我们重温记忆、 思考计划和希望时，

and yes, when our minds are 

wandering off on a wild daydream. 

没错，还有当我们的思绪

在狂野的白日梦中游荡时。

The mind can wander to 

unproductive or distressing places 

思维会徘徊在徒劳或令人苦恼的地方， 

and brood over negative past events, 

like an argument.

会对过去的负面事件耿耿于怀，

比如争吵。

It can also wander to neutral, 

everyday matters, 

它也可以转到中性的日常事务上，

like planning out the rest 

of one's afternoon. 

如计划如何度过下午的剩余时间。

But where mind-wandering 

really gets interesting 

但是，走神真正有趣的地方 

is when it crosses into

是当它跨越到 

the realm of free-moving associative thought that you aren’t 

consciously directing.

并非你有意引导的

天马行空的联想领域， 

This kind of mind-wandering

这种走神 

is associated with increases 

in both ideas and positive emotions, 

与想法和积极情绪的增加有关。

and the evidence suggests that daydreaming can help people envision ways to reach their goals

有证据表明，白日梦可以帮助人们设想实现其目标的方法，

and navigate relationships 

and social situations. 

以及驾驭人际关系和社会状况。

 Scientists think there may be 

two essential parts to this process: 

科学家们认为，这一过程可能有

两个基本部分: 

a generative phase of free-flowing ideas and spontaneous thoughts, 

courtesy of the default mode network

由默认模式网络产生的自由流动的想法

和自发想法的生成阶段，

followed by a process of selecting, developing and pursuing the best ideas from that generative burst driven by logical thinking thanks to the executive network. 

然后是由执行网络的逻辑思维驱动的 从生成爆发中选择、发展 和追求

最佳想法的过程。

A host of imaging studies suggest

许多影像研究表明， 

that these two networks 

working in sync

这两个网络同步工作

is a crucial condition 

for creative thinking. 

是创造性思维的关键条件。 

Taken together, the evidence 

clearly suggests 

综合来看， 这些证据清楚地表明，

the logical realm of 

the executive network  

执行网络的逻辑领域 

and the imaginative realm of the default mode network 

are closely related. 

和默认模式网络的想象领域密切相关。

And as you can see, the executive network is still playing a role 

正如你所看到的，执行网络

仍在发挥作用，

when the default mode network is 

doing its thing during daydreaming.

当默认模式网络在做白日梦时。

In teenagers, 

在青少年中，

the prefrontal cortex and other areas involved in executive function 

前额叶皮质和其他

与执行功能有关的区域 

are still developing, 

仍在发育中， 

but teens are perfectly capable of thinking through their problems 

and goals, 

但青少年完全有能力思考他们的

问题和目标， 

especially when given space to do so 

on their own.

特别是在给予他们

独立思考空间的时侯。