<p>My interpretation of this question is that you are asking about divided attention. Some (normally easy) tasks can continue to be accomplished in conditions of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention#Multitasking_and_divided_attention" rel="nofollow">divided attention</a>, and with practice you should be able to control this.</p>

<p>I don't know of any research confirming your suggestion that you actually got better in such conditions. You could also look at recent studies on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind-wandering" rel="nofollow">mind-wandering</a> (which tend to show interruptions in the main task when you are thinking about something else) or the <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13506280500193487" rel="nofollow">passive/active mode</a> in visual tasks (in which, some argue, people actually get better when they don't concentrate as hard).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-16T09:14:42.753Z
2015-11-16T09:14:42.753Z
splint
<p>I was playing Flappy Bird trying to beat my highest score. While on one run (or fly, hehe) my friend got me engaged in a conversation. When the short conversation ended I found myself thinking about something for probably 10-15 seconds, where in this time my eyes were looking at the game on my iPad, and yet my actual attention was not on the game. I was deep in thought on the topic my friend had brought up. The moment I got back to reality, I tried to re-engage myself with the game, but within a few seconds I crashed the poor bird. I had broken my record, however. It was as if another side of me took over while i was busy thinking of something else on the side. I voluntarily tried to reproduce this situation but I failed at the multitasking (as I know some will call it). This has happened while doing other things too. How is this explained, and why can it not be reproduced voluntarily.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-18T18:08:39.863Z
The phenomenon your experiencing is called "Flow" in psychology. It's currently being researched actively and isn't well explained yet.
Seanny123
<psychology><multi-tasking>
Progressed smoothly in a game while not paying attention
pnizzle
# Progressed smoothly in a game while not paying attention

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-11-16)

I was playing Flappy Bird trying to beat my highest score. While on one run (or fly, hehe) my friend got me engaged in a conversation. When the short conversation ended I found myself thinking about something for probably 10-15 seconds, where in this time my eyes were looking at the game on my iPad, and yet my actual attention was not on the game. I was deep in thought on the topic my friend had brought up. The moment I got back to reality, I tried to re-engage myself with the game, but within a few seconds I crashed the poor bird. I had broken my record, however. It was as if another side of me took over while i was busy thinking of something else on the side. I voluntarily tried to reproduce this situation but I failed at the multitasking (as I know some will call it). This has happened while doing other things too. How is this explained, and why can it not be reproduced voluntarily.

**Tags:** psychology, multi-tasking

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The phenomenon your experiencing is called "Flow" in psychology. It's currently being researched actively and isn't well explained yet.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-11-16. Score: 3

My interpretation of this question is that you are asking about divided attention. Some (normally easy) tasks can continue to be accomplished in conditions of [divided attention](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attention#Multitasking_and_divided_attention), and with practice you should be able to control this.

I don't know of any research confirming your suggestion that you actually got better in such conditions. You could also look at recent studies on [mind-wandering](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind-wandering) (which tend to show interruptions in the main task when you are thinking about something else) or the [passive/active mode](http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13506280500193487) in visual tasks (in which, some argue, people actually get better when they don't concentrate as hard).


---

