Why Do We Zone Out And Daydream? - Science ABC

Zoning out or daydreaming is when a person’s attention is shifted away from the task at hand to something internal that is usually not relevant to the primary task. It is difficult to determine what causes people to zone out, but it is hypothesized that it occurs when a person feels a slight, temporary disconnection from their primary task. Zoning out can be beneficial in some situations, like when it leads to creative breakthroughs, but it can also be harmful, like when it causes a person to forget the name of the person they are talking to.

We’ve all experienced it countless times in our lives; in fact, some people experience it dozens of times in a single day! You’re in the middle of talking to someone, and before you even realize it, you’re mentally making plans for the weekend!

While watching a movie or walking along the street, there are brief bursts of absent-mindedness, especially when there’s nothing interesting going on in front of you. In fact, you might drift into some other world while reading this article itself!

The question is – why do people drift off while in the middle of doing something? More importantly, is it a good thing or a bad thing?

Recommended Video for you:

How Can We Sometimes Keep Reading, But Not Understand Anything We Read?

Tag » Why Do We Zone Out