白日做梦(4/7)

It is well known, for example, that Newton solved many of his toughest problems when his attention was waylaid by private musings. Thomas Alva Edison also knew the value of "half waking" states. Whenever confronted with a task which seemed too hard to be dealt with, he would stretch out on his laboratory sofa and let fantasies flood his mind. Painters, writers, and composers also have drawn heavily on their sensitivity to inner fantasies. Debussy used to gaze at the River Seine and the golden reflections of the setting sun to establish an atmosphere for creativity. Brahms found that ideas came effortless only when he approached a state of deep daydreaming. And Cesar Frank is said to have walked around with a dreamlike gaze while composing, seemingly totally unaware of his surroundings.

例如,众所周知,牛顿往往在注意力被自己的冥想打断时解决了许多棘手的问题。托马斯•阿尔瓦•爱迪生也不小觑“半清醒”状态。每当面临一些看似很难处理的工作时,他都要舒展四肢躺在实验室的沙发上，徜徉在幻想的海洋里。画家、作家和作曲家也十分依赖内心幻想。德彪西常常盯着塞纳河和落日的金色反光来营造一种有助于创作的氛围。勃拉姆斯发现只有当他处于想入非非的状态时就会文思泉涌。据说塞萨尔•弗兰克作曲时走来走去,像做梦一样目光呆滞,似乎完全意识不到他周围的事物。