Why not try "Montelugi"?

In April 2017, the "Monteligi Festival" was held on the Han River in Seoul. "Monteligi" is slang meaning to be in a dazed state, unresponsive, as if one's soul has left the body. 3,500 people participated in this festival, including celebrities and people of non-Korean nationalities.

The event's concept was "Let's rest the brains of modern people in the open-air Han River Park." The rules were as follows: ① Maintain a state of blankly doing nothing ② Measure participants' heart rates for 90 minutes ③ Compete on how stable one can remain during that time. Sleeping, eating, fiddling with cell phones, or chatting were not allowed. News of this competition, which began in 2014, became a hot topic on social media and can no longer be considered just a niche trend. To me, it seems proof that people in our busy modern society deeply crave time to just zone out.

The light bulb was once the star of industry. Since Edison's incandescent bulb became practical in 1879, our brains have been expected to work not just during the day, but also at night. In January 2007, Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone, and now smartphones dominate the world of communication. Even when we go to sleep, we are distracted by the smartphone by our bedside.

In a sense, our brains are being forced to operate without a 24-hour OFF switch. The brain is not a machine. It is an organism. It cannot execute new tasks without rest and sleep. That is why Montelugi resonates with people. Everyone senses the warning about our brains working excessively long hours, overloaded with information.

Relaxed moments have sometimes led to humanity's decisive discoveries. The ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes shouted "Eureka!" while soaking in his bath, discovering the principle of buoyancy. Newton had his epiphany about the law of universal gravitation while resting under an apple tree. Ideas arrive unexpectedly, not when we're agonizing over problems, but in those moments when we've unloaded our burdens and our minds are empty. This is likely the secret to human creativity.

Some doctors argue that "if the brain can discard old information and reorganize itself, the potential for generating ideas increases." For all of you navigating our rapidly changing times in a daily whirlwind (myself included), why not give Montelugi a try?

(Supervised by: Dentsu Inc. Global Business Center
Illustration: Dentsu Global Business Center / Dan Kiko)