Eureka!

I woke in the middle of the night from one of those rare, profound dreams that answers a question that’s been pestering for weeks. Eager to save the solution, I found a pencil on the bedside table and scribbled key words on the back of a nearby Kleenex box.

“Aha!” moments of insight arrive seemingly out of the blue. A recent article in Communications Psychology defines such a moment as “a special type of problem-solving process where a problem-solver achieves a sudden and complete mental restructuring of a problem, accompanied by a distinct rush of satisfaction, surprise, and confidence.” Such epiphanies have changed the lives of religious mystics. According to legend, the ancient Greek thinker Archimedes got so excited by his realization about floating bodies that he jumped out of his bath and ran naked down the street, shouting “Eureka!” (“I have found it!”)

The morning after the dream, I forgot my eureka moment and went on about my day.

Psychologists suggest “Aha!” moments, if not supernatural, arise from subconscious brainwork based on previous experience, beliefs, and sensory input. They feel significant and true. To the extent they can be measured objectively, they are usually accurate or lead to positive results.

​Usually, but not always. Throwing away the empty Kleenex box months after the dream, I noticed my handwriting in pencil on the back. It said, “One apple is worth six bananas.”

Image: Anonymous 16th-century woodcut of Archimedes' eureka moment.