Department of Psychology, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom.
School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Midlothian, United Kingdom.
PeerJ. 2022 Jul 20;10:e13755. doi: 10.7717/peerj.13755. eCollection 2022.
Previous work suggests that unexpected and surprising experiences (., living in another culture or looking at surreal images) promotes creative thinking. This targeted literature review examines whether the inherent cognitive disruption associated with experiencing the seemingly impossible has a similar effect. Correlational and experimental research across six domains (entertainment magic, fantasy play, virtual reality and computer gaming, dreaming, science fiction/fantasy, and anomalous experiences) provided consistent support for the hypothesis. In addition, anecdotal evidence illustrated the possible impact that the creative output associated with each of these areas may have had on technology, science, and the arts. It is argued that impossible experiences are an important driver of creative thinking, thus accounting for reports of such experiences across the lifespan and throughout history. The theoretical and practical implications of this work are discussed, along with recommendations for future research.
先前的研究表明,意想不到和令人惊讶的体验(例如,生活在另一种文化中或观看超现实主义的图像)可以促进创造性思维。本次有针对性的文献综述探讨了体验看似不可能的事物所带来的固有认知干扰是否具有类似的效果。六个领域(娱乐魔术、幻想游戏、虚拟现实和电脑游戏、梦境、科幻/奇幻和异常体验)的相关性和实验研究为这一假设提供了一致的支持。此外,轶事证据说明了与这些领域相关的创造性产出可能对技术、科学和艺术产生的潜在影响。有人认为,不可能的体验是创造性思维的重要驱动因素,因此可以解释在整个生命周期和历史中人们对这类体验的报告。本文讨论了这项工作的理论和实际意义,并提出了未来研究的建议。