Yeah it's fascinating. In my very unscientific mental model for cognition, there's a distinction between "active" and "passive" mental operations. "Active" is

Yeah it's fascinating. In my very unscientific mental model for cognition, there's a distinction between "active" and "passive" mental operations. "Active" is anything requiring intention - when you "push" with your mind - like for instance when you are writing code or doing your taxes or building a piece of furniture. It's analytical and requires effort. "Passive" is when you let your brain solve a problem. For instance when you have that idea in the shower, or think of that movie title when you're folding laundry. There are problems recalling that distant fact, or the act of creativity which can't be solved actively, and the process of trying to brute force it with effort actually runs counter to reaching a solution.