I think I remember this being written somewhere but does anyone know why it is that when

you are tired you visualize more strongly? And the creative aspect of it is much stronger
much more flexible as well I can literally mold more data into new images. But when I am
more awake and fit my creative flexibility and visualization is almost completely gone. I can
visualize but not as vivid. Does anyone have experience with this and know why this is the
case? And is there a way to make this creative and visual flexibility permanent?

I would presume that tiredness drastically decreases specific types of visualisation, those being the
most conscious of them, as it is directly controlled by what you perceive as yourself, thus when you
are tired you will struggle. However subconscious visualisation I would think is more visible, I would
not think its more vivid or stronger as it may also be lesser due to your bodily tiredness however now
with the conscious part weaker more of it goes on through.

Now the scientific reason for this—which I haven’t seen any actual literature on so this is my own
logic—would be that the prefrontal cortex, the place where we are pretty sure the consciousness is
located is wired in such a way that a large percentage of its neurons are specifically suited for
suppression. Thus when this part of the brain—which is you in the most fundamental sense—is tired
then this inhibitory function on the subconscious is lifted thus more of its visualisation comes
through.

Now the question of creativity is tricky as we first must define what creativity even is. I would argue
it is the creation of ideas and concepts that go beyond your current perception of possible and
schemata. The method of this is in the way your brain creates an infinite array of possibilities which
are then passed through a sort of metric and only the best go on to the conscious. I do not presume
the subconscious stupid, it has a sort of creativity engine, which could possibly be defined as a
function of mixing and manipulating all the schemata of the brain. This engine does not go directly to
the conscious, the subconscious has a way of deciding what is important enough and what not. I
argue this metric is the system of valence. This being the meaning of something--an idea, an object, a
person etc—in relation to where you believe yourself to be, where you want to be and how you
intend to get there.

Thus, only what is relevant will get sent on, which could be an explanation of how aha-moments, or
by its scientific name, insight learning(eureka!) works. A lack of creativity could be explained as this
metric being too strict, barely anything is let through beyond some gut feelings and intuitions from
time to time. Now the way to change this, to “increase my creativity” will be by modifying this
metric. If you are knowledgeable in psychology the answer might have already been obvious,
schemas. Quickly explained schemas are mental representations of reality going up and down to
include everything that you may “know” even the fact of the unpredictable is a schema. These
systems of categorisation can in fact be changed, that’s how a lot of therapy works.

These schemas in laymen’s terms are basically expectations, a cat has four legs and a tail and a
plenitude of other cat characteristics, thus when you see a cat you expect it to match. If it does you
think nothing of it, if it doesn’t you notice as you now enter the realm of unpredictability. Soon this
new fact is integrated, and your system is stable again. The schemas shape how the brain functions
at a most fundamental level, take for example a placebo, it works because the patient expects it to
work and thus the brain tries to “prove it”.

How this relates to everything is that the block, the squelsher, the metric that grades the idea stream
is governed by expectations of what is valuable. Or rather, the valence of the idea. Thus, you can
consciously change the valence of something which will then change what the subconscious passes
through, this becomes instinctual at some level however at the start it may need to be learned. But
again, nature has a “cure”. Consciously commanding your brain is inefficient and may be useless.

Nature and the mind operate on Darwinian principles, to widen the squelsher then simply focus on
what it slips through. The brain strengthens what is used and diminishes what is not, by focusing on
the subconscious you widen the entrance. (possibly even physically) So whenever you have a gut
feeling, or a brief bout of creativity, focus on it. Put all the weight of your existence and it will be
strengthened. Image streaming seems to do exactly that, you focus on the stream that is let through,
strengthening it and in that way becoming more “creative” and enhancing your subconscious
visualisation, which when the schema modifying becomes instinctual is almost undifferentiable from
conscious visualisation.