Are people who worry more creative? New study links neuroticism, daydreaming and creativity

Neurotic people tend to be more anxious and sensitive toward matters that don't usually concern people. Psychologist and self-proclaimed neurotic, Adam Perkins believes there is a link between neuroticism, creativity and daydreaming.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - According to TIME, Perkins is not satisfied with psychologist Jeffrey Gray's theory, which is the belief there is a "threat sensitivity" trait among neurotics, meaning they tend to avoid risk.

Perkins believes the theory is much more simplistic. "Why should having a magnified view of threat make you good at coming up with solutions to difficult problems? It doesn't add up. On one hand, it's a clever theory-it shows the difficulty of holding down a dangerous job, for example-but on the other hand, it doesn't explain why [neurotic people] tend to feel unhappy or why they're more creative," he explained to Time.

Perkins thought on the topic often and, during co-author Jonathan Smallwood's lecture on mind wandering, was delighted when he had an epiphany. During the lecture, Smallwood explained daydreams originate from the medial prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain which is linked to memories and recall.

"He started describing how people whose minds wander are better at things like creativity, delaying gratification and planning. He also talked about the way that daydreamers' minds wander when they're feeling kind of blue," Perkins recalled.

Smallwood ran a series of tests where he put volunteers through MRI scans without instruction, which encouraged daydreaming. The scan showed those who dwelled more on negative thoughts had more activity on the medial prefrontal cortex, meaning the wandering was more "threat-related."

When neurotic daydreaming is threat-related, the mind tends to dwell on a particular problem, constantly mulling over the issue which leads to the discovery of creative solutions.

"There's cost and benefits to being a neurotic," Perkins said. "What's interesting is that you can be neurotic and have a creative benefit, but we still don't understand it."

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