New Books in Science, Technology, and Society Jonathan Schooler, “Mind-Wandering and Meta-Awareness” (Open Agenda, 2021)
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Nov 1, 2021 
Jonathan Schooler is a Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at UC Santa Barbara. He delves into the fascinating interplay between mind-wandering, meta-awareness, and consciousness. The conversation reveals how drifting thoughts influence creativity and reading comprehension. They explore the impact of smartphones on awareness and idea generation. Philosophical discussions on free will and the complexities of emotional awareness add depth, highlighting the role of mindfulness in enhancing cognitive performance and navigating life's challenges.
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Meta-Awareness Defined
- Meta-awareness is the moment you realize your mind has drifted away from the task at hand.
- Jonathan Schooler defines it as taking stock of your current mental state and noticing you were mind-wandering.
Three Levels Of Consciousness
- Consciousness can be usefully parsed into unconscious, experiential, and meta-aware levels.
- Schooler argues many 'unconscious' phenomena may be conscious content that never reached meta-awareness.
White Bears Sparked A Research Thread
- Schooler recounts being inspired by Wegner's ironic process theory about not thinking of white bears.
- He realized people can think of something without noticing it, motivating research on internal monitoring.