The Improv Effect, or Why We Warm Up

It's called apophenia, and it's been part of some of my most incredible flights of improv, hackysack, yoga, or music, or other experiences. In the middle of a scene, a rant, a pretend fight, a song, a motion - I realize a fleeting connection and pursue it, which leads to another, which leads back, tying everything together in a sublime, if nonsensical, trip.

Apparently, there's a word and some science on it.

http://www.skepdic.com/apophenia.html
According to Brugger, "The propensity to see connections between seemingly unrelated objects or ideas most closely links psychosis to creativity ... apophenia and creativity may even be seen as two sides of the same coin."

"Brugger's research indicates that high levels of dopamine affect the propensity to find meaning, patterns, and significance where there is none, and that this propensity is related to a tendency to believe in the paranormal."

I can turn the apophenia off when necessary (unless I'm feeling squirrelly like last night and don't want to stop), so that's my veto on madness. The dopamine result is most interesting, though. It certainly jibes with the activities - exercise, music, excitement, play, chemicals - that see increases in dopamine - coinciding with periods of extraordinary creativity. To strengthen the connection, can anyone recall lethargy-induced apophenia? I don't count reading or or new ideas - both are stimulating and quite exciting, for me.

So, if anyone asks what our childish games are for, just tell them "we're inducing pre-improv apophenia."

To attempt Improv without apophenia is madness. To practice apophenia without improv looks like madness.