4 ms·

Just had one of these moments two days ago, the only other thing that comes close is when I go for long walks.

mantap 7y ago
I have many epiphanies on the toilet. I'm not sure if it's extra blood flowing to the brain or what but the throne seems to add extra IQ.
- kerkeslager 7y ago
  I noticed extra inspiration on bathroom breaks as well, but as a control I tried just getting up and walking outside and back, and that seemed to have the same effect for me.
  - WrtCdEvrydy 7y ago
    There's something going on during that context switch. It feels like because all of the data about a problem is being unloaded into long term memory, when you return to the problem, you parse the entire data as once instead of adding to it in pieces. It almost feels like a puzzle except the second time looking at it, you're looking at the whole thing you've solved versus just the piece you last added.
    - egeozcan 7y ago
      I totally agree. When faced with a problem outside the comfort zone, sometimes the brain focuses too much on a part that may turn out to be irrelevant. Having a break and returning later usually works wonderfully to again see the big picture.
    - dwd 7y ago
      Maybe just walk through a doorway? https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-walking-through-doorway-makes-you-forget/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-walking-throu... It would be an interesting experiment to think on a problem, then swap to a different office and see if that gives you a different perspective and insight.
    - dkersten 7y ago
      I feel Luke ta a mixture of context switch and some idle time/downtime. I find walks great for letting my thoughts drift and work through things, same goes for train journeys. I think perhaps as you say, the switch unloads the information into your subconscious and then the downtime let’s it get to work. I really liked Rich Hickeys talk on Hammock Driven Development which is basically this exact subject: load everything into your brain and then go snooze on a hammock while your mind gets to work.
- ssttoo 7y ago
  Haha, interesting theory. For some it’s a cigarette break, for others (all of us?) it’s bathroom break, shower (showerthoughts, anyone?), nap, meditation. A break of any kind, if we may generalize.
- meshenna 7y ago
  Likely it's simply because that's one of the few occasions in modern life when we're not being bombarded with external stimuli. A few minutes of silence and your brain goes: "Right, now's a good time to present this thing I've been working on." Same thing with showers.
  - Cshelton 7y ago
    it also has "occupying" part of your brain with something simple it is used to so it allows you to think of things that would be hard otherwise. If you simply sat in a chair and starred at a wall, you don't have the same effect as being in the shower, toilet, car, on a walk, etc. Also for many, simply sitting in a room listening to music can do this as well. It's like your brain needs to distract itself from... itself.
wildduck 7y ago
For sure. It also help to go to park or nature or go for a swim!
yitchelle 7y ago
When I used to bike commute to work, I had a similar effect. My commute to work is about 1 hour each way. On the way to work, ideas about work would pop into my brain. On the way home, ideas for home would pop up. Need to say that I don't really think about either work or home, they just pop up. Sadly that does not occur so much now that I am driving to work. I wonder if cycling vs sitting is the differentiater here.

I have many epiphanies on the toilet. I'm not sure if it's extra blood flowing to the brain or what but the throne seems to add extra IQ.

kerkeslager 7y ago
I noticed extra inspiration on bathroom breaks as well, but as a control I tried just getting up and walking outside and back, and that seemed to have the same effect for me.
- WrtCdEvrydy 7y ago
  There's something going on during that context switch. It feels like because all of the data about a problem is being unloaded into long term memory, when you return to the problem, you parse the entire data as once instead of adding to it in pieces. It almost feels like a puzzle except the second time looking at it, you're looking at the whole thing you've solved versus just the piece you last added.
  - egeozcan 7y ago
    I totally agree. When faced with a problem outside the comfort zone, sometimes the brain focuses too much on a part that may turn out to be irrelevant. Having a break and returning later usually works wonderfully to again see the big picture.
  - dwd 7y ago
    Maybe just walk through a doorway? https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-walking-through-doorway-makes-you-forget/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-walking-throu... It would be an interesting experiment to think on a problem, then swap to a different office and see if that gives you a different perspective and insight.
  - dkersten 7y ago
    I feel Luke ta a mixture of context switch and some idle time/downtime. I find walks great for letting my thoughts drift and work through things, same goes for train journeys. I think perhaps as you say, the switch unloads the information into your subconscious and then the downtime let’s it get to work. I really liked Rich Hickeys talk on Hammock Driven Development which is basically this exact subject: load everything into your brain and then go snooze on a hammock while your mind gets to work.
ssttoo 7y ago
Haha, interesting theory. For some it’s a cigarette break, for others (all of us?) it’s bathroom break, shower (showerthoughts, anyone?), nap, meditation. A break of any kind, if we may generalize.
meshenna 7y ago
Likely it's simply because that's one of the few occasions in modern life when we're not being bombarded with external stimuli. A few minutes of silence and your brain goes: "Right, now's a good time to present this thing I've been working on." Same thing with showers.
- Cshelton 7y ago
  it also has "occupying" part of your brain with something simple it is used to so it allows you to think of things that would be hard otherwise. If you simply sat in a chair and starred at a wall, you don't have the same effect as being in the shower, toilet, car, on a walk, etc. Also for many, simply sitting in a room listening to music can do this as well. It's like your brain needs to distract itself from... itself.

wildduck 7y ago

For sure. It also help to go to park or nature or go for a swim!

yitchelle 7y ago

When I used to bike commute to work, I had a similar effect. My commute to work is about 1 hour each way. On the way to work, ideas about work would pop into my brain. On the way home, ideas for home would pop up. Need to say that I don't really think about either work or home, they just pop up. Sadly that does not occur so much now that I am driving to work. I wonder if cycling vs sitting is the differentiater here.