“There's no getting around it: everything is connected. Nothing exists in isolation.”
- Bill Harris
Issue #468 – Monday, March 24, 2025
Have you ever had a creative breakthrough that seemed to come out of nowhere? A sudden spark of inspiration when your mind was relaxed—maybe in the shower, just before sleep, or while daydreaming?
There’s a reason for that.
New research is revealing surprising insights about how creativity actually works in the brain, and the findings may challenge everything we thought we knew. What if being more creative isn’t about increasing brain activity—but quieting certain parts of the mind instead?
That’s why today I’m sharing an enlightening essay with you from Mind Power Managing Editor Ryan Standifird that explores this fascinating discovery and what it means for unlocking your own creative potential.
If you’ve ever wanted to think outside the box, generate fresh ideas effortlessly, or tap into a deeper well of inspiration, you won’t want to miss this one.
I know you’re going to love it.
Cheers,
MaryEllen Tribby
Centerpointe CEO
MaryEllen Tribby
Centerpointe CEO
P.S.
Are shadows keeping you from the life you want?
Scroll down to our Check it Out section below to learn more about our upcoming CoachingCast on shadows.
The Secret to Unlocking Creativity
(Why Less Brain Activity Might Be the Answer)
By Ryan Standifird
The more we learn about the brain, the more we are able to harness its potential to enrich our lives. From getting better sleep to relieving stress, and even combatting chronic pain, we can use the power of awareness, mindfulness and meditation to enhance or inhibit certain brain functions.
And now we are discovering more about how the brain operates when it comes to creativity!
The Creativity Brain Circuit
Would you like to be more creative? What if you could write a best-selling pageturner or paint a beautiful art piece that conveys a deep, complex emotion?
Well it turns out that there’s a certain pattern of activity that happens in the brain that determines how creatively you can think.
Researchers at Mass General Brigham have discovered a major part of the “brain circuit” that seems to control how creative we are. This circuit consists of multiple parts of the brain that all interact with each other.
And here’s the important part: they are all connected to the right frontal pole.
The right frontal pole is believed to be where we house our “rules of the world” - essentially the “box” that our reality fits neatly into. You might think of it as the referee or “inner critic” of our minds. It’s the legend on our “Internal Map of Reality.”
So it was a surprise when researchers saw that while other parts of the circuit had an increase in activity while performing creative tasks, they all coincided with a decrease in activity from the right frontal pole.
It makes sense. When we’re creative, we are “thinking outside the box” - so we actually have to turn the volume down on this reality rule-keeper so that we can explore new possibilities, make new connections, and change our perspective.
So it turns out that creativity isn’t necessarily the result of more brain power, but less! At least where the right frontal pole is concerned.
This astounding new observation means that if we want to get more creative, then decreasing our right frontal pole activity might be how. And it might explain some strange phenomena when it comes to brain injuries or cognitive decline.
Meet Derek Amato: The Acquired Savant
Have you ever heard of Derek Amato?
Derek was just your average 40-year-old guy who liked to occasionally play the guitar. That is, until he dove into a pool that was too shallow and banged his head on the concrete.
Derek survived, but his brain injury resulted in some memory loss and hearing loss.
And also, something strange began to happen to Derek after his accident. He described it as seeing black and white structures moving back and forth in his mind, like music notes.
Derek had never taken a single piano lesson. Even playing the guitar, he was just your average hobbyist. But after the accident, suddenly he could compose complex and beautiful piano pieces off the top of his head! He had never had such a talent before, but due to the brain damage he suffered, he became extremely musically gifted. He’s even appeared on various tv shows, hosted a TED Talk, and is now calling this accident the best thing to ever happen to him.
Derek is one of the lucky ones, and he’s not alone. He has what’s called “Acquired Savant Syndrome” and there are dozens of similar cases where a brain injury resulted in advanced creativity, mathematical skills, and other abilities.
Derek is an example of how brain damage resulting in less brain activity of certain parts of the brain can actually enhance others. Our brain’s plasticity allows our brains to adapt in these ways, sometimes resulting in a change of perspective (like “seeing” music), altering how we interpret and navigate the world.
You Can Change Your Brain
Please do not go out and bang your head on the wall in hopes that it gives you a special talent. There are more effective ways that you can make changes to your brain. And while they won’t be as dramatic or instantaneous as Derek’s transformation, they are much safer and intentional.
Let’s take creativity, for example. We now know that the brain circuit connected to the right frontal pole plays a role in how creative we can be. It stands to reason that if we can quiet that pole’s activity to release us from the “box” that our thoughts usually dwell in, we could unleash more of our creativity.
For that specific effect, there is a brainwave state that can help: theta.
Ever had a really strange dream? You can thank theta brainwaves for that. Theta is a slower brainwave pattern that we naturally access during REM sleep, and it’s regarded as one of the best brainwave states when it comes to reworking your self-talk or changing your core beliefs from ones that are counterproductive to ones that more suit your goals.
That’s because when we’re in theta, our natural information filters are disrupted, allowing us to prime our brains with affirmations or other thoughts that can be more easily picked up by our subconscious mind and integrated into our view of reality.
It’s also extremely likely that theta plays a role in quieting that right frontal pole. And by bypassing our normal filters in theta, we can adopt new ways of thinking that specifically target the filters themselves, altering them to be more open to new possibilities.
Here are some affirmations that can help you become more creative while meditating in the theta state:
“I am a fountain of creativity.”
“Creative ideas flow through me.”
“My creative thoughts empower me to act and follow through.”
“Creativity, for me, is natural and effortless.”
“I easily make creative connections, putting ideas and concepts together in new and innovative ways.”
The Creative Shortcut
Now that we know that creativity-boosting affirmations during a theta state can help us relax our filters and possibly help us quiet our right frontal pole, we have a practical way to foster more of our own creativity so that we can easily tap into it whenever we need.
But wait - how do we actually go about reaching that theta state? And how do we adopt those affirmations? It sounds a little complicated.
Well, I have a shortcut for you. It’s called Total Creativity - a Holosync soundtrack located in the MyHolosync App that does exactly this.
Not only does Total Creativity put your brain into a tried-and-true theta state, but it uses the very same affirmations (and more) that I listed above. And these aren’t your boring run-of-the-mill affirmations. These are Autofonix silent-affirmations that you can’t consciously hear, but that are embedded in the Total Creativity soundtrack at high frequencies so they are even more effective at bypassing your conscious filters.
This is advanced meditation technology at its finest, giving you an easy way to improve your brain.
So if you want to boost your creativity, check out the Total Creativity soundtrack located in the MyHolosync App.
Your inner savant is waiting.
(Don’t have the MyHolosync App? Get a 7-day free trial right here!)
Check It Out: Join Our Free LIVE CoachingCast
Conquering Shadows & Building Self-Esteem
A Journey of Self-Discovery & Mastery
Thursday, March 27, 2025
12:00 PM PT / 3:00 PM ET
Live Via Zoom!
Join our coaches as they guide you through the intricate landscape of your inner self. You’ll learn how to uncover and understand the subconscious elements that shape your thoughts and actions that have a major impact on your relationships, your success, and your happiness.
You'll learn how to recognize your shadows, confront them with courage, and transform them to build a stronger, more resilient sense of self.
This is a BIG topic so you can expect this call to run a little long - plan on 90 minutes (and you’re going to want to stay until the very end!)
Bring a friend & be eligible to win a prize!
Wise Words
“We can adopt new ways of thinking.” - Ryan Standifird
This Really Happened
"Listened to day 4 yesterday before bed. I fell asleep before it ended. Slept very well. My day today was a pure test that I passed with an A+! Nothing that happened today changed the mindset I was in. Today was by far one of the most peaceful days I've had in a long time. People tried to interfere with my peace but what they tried just didn't phase my peace. What a good thing this is."
~Cat A.
5-Day Challenge Participant
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