How does the embodied metaphor affect creative thinking?

This study aimed to explore the neural correlates of the embodied metaphor breaking the rules and how it affects creativity by using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). To embody the metaphor breaking the rules, we created a circumstance in which participants can experience breaking the through virtual reality (VR) technology. Participants were randomly assigned to three conditions: the break-wall condition, where they broke the walls to move forward; the auto-wall condition, where the barrier opened automatically; and the no-wall condition, where no barrier walls appeared. While walking in the virtual scenes, participants were asked to solve a creativity-demanding problem and to wear the fNIRS device to record their neural activities. It was found that participants showed better creative performance in the break-wall condition than in the other conditions. Weaker activations were found in the frontopolar cortex, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and the somatosensory association cortex under the break-wall condition, which may be associated with rule-breaking behaviors, creative performance, and sense of embodiment. These findings may indicate that physical actions of breaking the wall activate the conceptual metaphor of breaking the rules, which triggers brain activities related to rule-breaking, thus affecting creative performance.