Ever been asked a question and the answer is on the tip of your tongue but you can't say what's on your mind? Then you shut your eyes and all of a sudden you brain flashes images that help you remember the answer you want to give. This article talks about a study that explains why you can suddenly remember the answer once you take your sight out of the equation.
A huge part of your brain is constantly working because it helps control your senses. So when you try to answer a tough question while your eyes are focusing on something, your brain can't answer the question because it is distracted by what you are looking at. But if you have your eyes shut or you focus on something simple like the sky, your brain can focus on the question because it doesn't need to focus on the visual aspect.
The study wanted to show that if you focus on just thinking about answering the question then you are more likely to come up with the answer you are looking for. The study had four different groups of people watch an 8-min movie clip and then answer questions about the video. The first group stared at a blank computer screen while answering the questions. The second group had their eyes closed while answering the questions. The third group had random pictures flashed at them while they answered questions and the fourth group had a different language speaking at them while they tried to answer questions. They two groups that had no distractions answered the questions better then the groups that had the distractions. The reason behind this study was to prove to that if you take out one of your senses you can focus more than if all five of your senses are working.
So the next time you are sitting there staring off into space while answering a question, tell your friend to give you some time because the answer IS coming to you!
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ulterior-motives/201110/why-do-you-close-your-eyes-remember
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