It's the same for me: the eureka moment happens when I'm not consciously thinking of the problem at all, and often I'm fully engaged in an unrelated activity.

It's the same for me: the eureka moment happens when I'm not consciously thinking of the problem at all, and often I'm fully engaged in an unrelated activity. Some places I've experienced sudden insight for a technical problem: * playing a video game on Saturday evening * briefly awake at 3am to use the bathroom * shopping for tea kettles on Amazon * reading aloud in a writer's group The idea just pops into my head, sometimes throwing me off the task I'm actually focused on. I assume there's a subconscious portion of my brain still calculating the problem even when I don't realize it, but I can see why some people believe their insights come from a higher power.