We take it for granted that thinking helps us to understand the world and make good decisions. And to think is to reason. But there is a risk this is not the whole story. Studies into flow states where individuals are single mindedly focussed on a single task, without self reflection or reasoning, have identified that less deliberation rather than more leads to better performance. A McKinsey study of top executives found them to be five times more productive and better decision makers when in such states. While researchers have also shown that scientists rely as much on 'tacit skills' and experience as on logical thought.
Should we abandon our focus on reasoning as the best means to determine action? Should we give priority to practical experience over theory, and body over mind? Or at a time when public debate is ever more divisive, is it essential we double down on rational thought to rule out mistaken and dangerous proposals?
Quantum consciousness theorist Stuart Hameroff, evolutionary psychology critic Subrena E. Smith, and best-selling author and psychologist Paul Bloom, explore the nature of thought.