Lying Down Reveals New Perspective

Here’s a bit of fun for you: people think better when they’re lying down. Or, more accurately, they’re quicker at solving anagrams in this study from the Australian National University. Why? Perhaps neurotransmitter levels are increased or perhaps blood flow to the brain is improved. Both these biological explanations are plausible but I have a psychological explanation.

When I was at University there was a guy who used to swear by a special revision method he had developed over the years. He stood on a chair and held the notes above his head: It worked for him. My explanation was that because he was putting his body into a different position, he was able to look at his revision in a new way.

About the author

Psychologist, Jeremy Dean, PhD is the founder and author of PsyBlog. He holds a doctorate in psychology from University College London and two other advanced degrees in psychology.

He has been writing about scientific research on PsyBlog since 2004. He is also the author of the book “Making Habits, Breaking Habits” (Da Capo, 2003) and several ebooks.

Perhaps something similar is happening in this experiment – a new physical perspective grants a new mental perspective.

SOURCE: PSYBLOG