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Reply	Dilza says: The first problem-solution experiments date back to 1931. From that date on, it’s been postulated that when someone have that kind of sudden insight (usually followed by some verbal expression like “aha!”), one’s mind takes unconscious “paths” that lead to the solution of the problem, either it’s your cousin’s first boyfriend’s name or the 5-down answer of that crossword you were doing yesterday. The fact is that when you were trying to remember that name, your mind took a misdirected “path”, which, in neuroscience language, would be called activation. That misdirected activation might’ve been stronger than the answer-related activation, masking the latter. Only when the former subsides, the solution-related activation can surpass the threshold of consciousness and be recognized. It might happen when you’re not expecting, like just before sleeping. One curiosity: when you verbalize the problem, it gets more difficult to solve it with an insight, most likely because it makes you focus on the initial wrong activation.Reference: Psyconomic Bulletin amp; Review. 2003, 10(3),730-737.  (no votes) Tags: animals, human body.
	posted on 2009-02-04 00:39:00 | Report abuse

Reply	Jerome says: Simple: ever since the question was posed to you your brain has been subconciously combing the nether regions of your brain for the answer. As your brain is in a different and more effective frame of mind for this activity, the answer can come to you in the night after long hours of thought, even if you did not realise you were looking for it.  (no votes) Tags: animals, human body.
	posted on 2009-03-02 22:39:00 | Report abuse

Reply	Michael Marshall says: It has been suggested that when someone has this kind of sudden insight (an quot;aha!quot; moment), one#39;s mind has taken unconscious quot;pathwaysquot; that have led to the solution of the problem - whether it#39;s your cousin#39;s boyfriend#39;s name or 5-down in the crossword you attempted yesterday.It seems that the first time you were trying to remember that name, however, your mind activated the wrong pathway. That misdirected activation might have been stronger than the answer-related activation, masking the latter, even though you knew the answer. Only when the former subsides can the solution-related activation surpass the threshold of consciousness and be perceived. It might happen when you#39;re not expecting it, like just before sleeping. More information on these processes can be found in a Psychonomic Bulletin and Review article published in 2003 (vol 10, p 730).Dilza Campos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil  (no votes) Tags: animals, human body.
	posted on 2009-06-24 17:39:40 | Report abuse

Reply	Michael Marshall says: Just because the conscious mind is not focused on recalling a name, does not mean the brain is not churning away at the problem, even during sleep. Indeed, as a designer I have learned to trust this non-conscious, problem-solving process. Upon retiring, I will often select some difficult unsolved design dilemma from a current project and quot;assignquot; it to myself. When I awake in the morning, almost invariably, I will discover that I have worked out a solution.Many older people - myself among them - whose memories may be increasingly cluttered and whose recall mechanisms may be slower, discover that, precisely by not trying to recall a name or term but merely waiting or continuing with another thought or activity, the sought-after memory comes to them of its own accord.Larry Constantine, Department of Mathematics and Engineering, University of Madeira, Funchal, Portugal  (no votes) Tags: animals, human body.
	posted on 2009-06-24 17:40:11 | Report abuse

Reply	Erin says: I often have trouble coming up with a word I want, that I know the exact meaning of.Often a completely unrelated word, but with a similar sound, will appear within about 20 seconds of trying to think of the word, then refuse to go away. As I try to think that word keeps popping back and seems to do its best at getting in the way of my thinking. When this happens, I almost never get the correct word by myself and have to describe the meaning to someone so they can tell me.It#39;s always one of those words that fits a concept neatly in one word where it might take several words, or a whole sentence, to say the same thing. I come across it in writing a sentence or in thinking to myself, am about to write it/think it with the sentence all ready, then it disappears!!!!Does this happen to anybody else?  (no votes) Tags: animals, human body.
	posted on 2009-06-25 09:50:24 | Report abuse

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