Independently Published The Eureka Factor: Aha Moments, Creative Insight, and the Brain

I loved this book and couldn't put it down. For the first time I've come across a psychology book that is clearly written, easy to understand by someone with a bit of a science background but not an expert in this subject. The anecdotes and examples provided by the authors bring the ideas to life, and everything in it is underpinned by science. It gives a clear picture of how the brain works and dispels some of the myths out there that oversimplify such as being left or right brained. If you want to learn how to become more creative or a clearer thinker, this book will explain what is going on in your brain and actually what you can do about it.

The Eureka FactorSudden, illuminating thoughts are not new phenomena; we often encounter such ideas throughout our lives. The authors, Kounios and Beeman, focus on these thoughts and try to delineate their nature, their relevance to our lives as well ad to examine how they could be tapped to improve problem solving techniques.Do these 'insights', as they are called, have any physical presence in our brain activity or are they merely passing thoughts of no specific character? Using brain imaging, by relying on EEG and MRI, it was observed that a key area in the right hemisphere of the brain lighted up during an insightful moment. This exciting discovery gave the authors enough evidence of the reality and distinctiveness of insight. It also attracted considerable attention in the fields of psychology and neuroscience as well as in the general media. It was agreed that more research was necessary.What became important was the differentiation between the two processes of problem solving. The old traditional approach called the 'analytical' depended on the use of logic and evaluation of incremental steps to arrive at a solution. In the new 'insightful' approach scientists discovered that if they could activate the brain to deliver solutions to the problem at hand it would lead to a quick and clear results. But, as could be imagined, the insightful approach was a big challenge as it could not be forced or manuvered ; it was usually sudden and untimely. This dichotomy between the 'analytical' and the 'insightful' approaches to problem solving became the central issue in this book.Perhaps the reader might be excused for asking: of what practical use are all these tests and studies if the insightful approach is so elusive and unreliable? The authors realising this tried to introduce ways and means of activating the brain to generate the desired insight as and when needed. Some of their suggestions: concentrate on the problem, get enough sleep, clear your mind of other issues, create a relaxing atmosphere away from noise and glare, use soft music... etc. These and others seemed to help, but they required time and patience - two features that are surely scarce in our busy lives these days.Interestingly, the authors make only brief reference to the old, tried approach which could be tested by all of us: Focus on the problem at bedtime; have a good night sleep; wake up and check your thoughts in the morning, and, Eureka! your insight will be (should be) there!!Fuad R QubeinMarch, 2017

Kounios & Beeman’s highly readable book illustrates with different sorts of evidence how our thinking sometimes makes a sudden shift towards insight and away from problem-focused, analytical thinking. These insights are fostered by positive mood, by travel and living in other cultures, and often by embracing the “big picture” at the expense of details. While people can be drummed into solving problems step by step, they can’t be coerced into creative insight through deadlines, threatening bosses, and especially a negative social climate. The authors provide classic examples of leaders in science and the arts who cultivated the “insight” experiences in their fields, and stuck with those insights to make amazing contributions from Helen Keller whose first linguistic associations with sign were remembered in her autobiography to Judah Folkman who originated the idea of angiogenesis to explain cancer growth. This book offers students of psychology and teachers and mentors from many different fields to consider what it takes to promote creativity, innovation and more “aha” moments. The last chapter offers key strategies to unleash creative thinking through simple routines encompassing meditation, an open and light workspace, and eliminating distraction. This is not only an excellent introduction to the topic of creative insight and neuroscience, but to many pioneers in social and cognitive psychology.

This readable and brilliant work is a pleasure to study.

Brain science has inundated the world of leadership development. As an executive coach who happens to be married to a neuroscientist and neurologist I constantly am trying to separate the brilliance from the bunk and to find the useful bites I can share with clients and colleagues. The frequent response from my in-house neuro-expert when I quote or show him some new lay publication is an intense scowl and choice words. Not so here. Each trial balloon I have lobbed in his direction has been met approving nods and exclamations such as "that's good science."Kounios and Beeman do a wonderful job of sharing their own research and that of others in plain language, and offer thoughts on how to use this information in our own lives.