The Difference Between Being in a Daze and the Non-Arising of a Single Thought

Spacing out means that the manas has become deeply focused on some matter, with attention almost entirely concentrated on the thing being attended to. The mind consciousness has no thoughts, yet the manas is deliberating (manasikāra) very covertly—it is only that the mind consciousness is not generating thoughts. This is a very deep meditative concentration (samādhi); it just depends on how long it can be sustained. If it lasts a bit longer, it will be sufficient to resolve a problem, and one can suddenly gain an insight—the blockage opens all at once, and there is no more doubt.

As for the state of "not a single thought arising," the mind consciousness has no thoughts, and the manas also has nothing to attend to—so-called being somewhat scattered, relatively mild, belonging to a dazed, dull state. Because there is no problem to deliberate upon, no problem will be solved, there will be no sudden opening of understanding, no inspiration will appear, and no wisdom will be born.