From the Editor; March / April 2011; Scientific American Mind; by Mariette DiChristina; 1 Page(s)

I had no idea, until much later, that not everybody has such elaborate fantasies—or that they could be problematic for some people who get too engrossed. Still, as Josie Glausiusz writes in this issue’s cover story, “Living in a Dream World,” people generally spend about 30 percent of their days with their minds elsewhere. Daydreaming can inspire us and help us be more creative. But like an overdose of honey, it can also be cloying or smother us if we overindulge.

One such piece is this issue’s cover story, “Get Attached,” by psychiatrist and neuroscientist Amir Levine and psychologist Rachel S. F. Heller. The importance of attachment—a sound emotional relationship—between a child and a parent has long been well understood. Essentially, the more secure the emotional bond, the more able the child is to develop independence and head into the world successfully. Different types of attachment styles also predict behavior.