#530: How to Get More "Aha" Insights

The Art of Manliness

Society & Culture, Education, Philosophy

4.7 • 14.5K Ratings

🗓️ 31 July 2019

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

You've probably experienced a few aha moments in your life. Moments where an idea for a new business or piece of art, or a solution to a sticky technical, relational, or philosophical problem, suddenly popped into your mind. What causes these proverbial light bulbs to go off over our heads? What's going on in your brain when you experience an insight? And can you do anything to encourage more "aha" moments? My guest has spent his career researching the answers to these questions. His name is John Kounios, and he's a professor of psychology and the author of the book The Eureka Factor: Aha Moments, Creative Insight, and the Brain. We begin our conversation discussing how researchers define what an insight is, and examples of how scientists and musicians have experienced them. John then walks us through the stages that lead up to getting an insight and explains what is going on in our brains right before and at the moment we experience one. We end our conversation discussing ways you can increase your chances of receiving insights, including the kind of environment and even color that encourages them most. Get the show notes at aom.is/eureka.

Transcript

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0:00.0	We're at McKay here and welcome to another edition of the Art of Manliness Podcast.
0:10.9	You've probably experienced a few aha moments in your life, moments where an idea for a new
0:14.6	business, where a piece of art or a solution to a sticky technical, relational or philosophical
0:18.8	problem suddenly popped into your head.
0:20.6	What causes these proverbial light bulbs to go off in our heads and what's going on in
0:24.3	our brain when we experience an insight and can we do anything to encourage more aha moments?
0:29.8	I guess they have spent his career researching the answer to these questions.
0:32.6	His name is John Cunio, he's a professor of psychology and the author of the book, The
0:35.8	Eureka Factor.
0:36.8	Aha moments, creative insight and the brain.
0:39.0	We'll begin our conversation discussing how researchers define what an insight is and
0:42.7	examples of how scientists and musicians have experienced them.
0:45.6	John then walks us through the stages that lead up to getting an insight and explains
0:48.9	what is going on in our brains right before and at the moment we experience one.
0:52.7	And we end our conversation discussing ways you can increase your chances of receiving
0:55.8	insights including the kind of environment, even color that encourages them most.
0:59.8	Have the shows over, check out our show notes at aowm.is slash Eureka.
1:03.7	John joins me now via Skype.
1:16.4	John Cunio, welcome to the show.
1:18.4	Thanks for having me.
1:19.9	So you are a psychologist and the co author of the book, The Eureka Factor, aha moments,
1:26.1	creative insight and the brain.
	...

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