The positive and negative aspects of the phenomenon of «mind-wandering»

Matveeva Evgeniya Yurevna

The concept of «mind-wandering» is a special state of consciousness, which is associated with a decrease in attention from the perception of external information and its concentration on the processes occurring inside. This phenomenon is characterized by spontaneity and involuntaryness in terms of filling. In this state, thoughts are generated in the human mind that focus on important tasks for a person, but, on the other hand, are negatively related to the processing of external information, as a result of which errors may occur in current activities. Such a personality trait as dreaminess is inextricably linked with the concept of «mind-wandering». The motivational significance of «mind-wandering» lies not only in the personal significance of the content of thoughts. «mind-wandering» is directly related to other mental concepts: - reflection - metacognition (metacognition), - mindfulness. " Today, researchers agree that «mind-wandering» in daily activities is a widespread condition. When performing current activities, it can be the reason for making mistakes due to carelessness. But on the other hand, it is precisely “withdrawal into one’s thoughts” that acts as a useful tool in the long run, starts evaluating experience from the past, planning new activities and incubating creative solutions. This article presents an approach that allows you to distinguish between the above concepts and consider the distinctive features of «mind-wandering» on the basis of negative and positive impact on current activities. Of particular note is the study of cognitive control in initiating and stopping episodes of «mind-wandering».

Keywords:consciousness, attention, «mind-wandering», daydreaming, reflection, metacognition, meta-consciousness, mindfulness