From Plato’s Dialogs of Socrates, as quoted in “Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” (ZMM) by Robert Pirsig.

A Brain Owner’s Users Manual PART TWO:

NOTE: This Users Manual PART TWO WebPage You Are Currently Reading, Is A Continuation Of “A Brain Owner’s Users Manual PART ONE:
… Click Here for BOUM PART ONE.

FIRST HALF: Beyond Being Of Practical Use & Interesting, “The Flash Of Insight **AHA**” Phenomenon, Is A “Tip Of An Ice Burge”

… From Our Problem Solving Brain, Automatic Spontaneous Mental Arrival Solutions (Such As “The Flash Of Insight”) Are Telling You Something Very Important About Your Mammalian Brain.
… It Is Telling You How Your Brain, Can And Does Work, With Indicators Of Very Important, Predictable Rules Of Behavior Because It Is A Physical System!
.. By Henry Gurr

A Quite Valuable Research Tool (and Probe) Into The Workings of Our Own Mind!

Even If You Are Able To Accept The Above, You May Ask Why ISN’T “The Flash Of Insight **AHA**” Phenomenon, Strongly Part Of Present Day Culture, Or For That Matter, Strongly Featured In College & University Courses? By Henry Gurr.

--- Basically --- Starting with the Ancient Greeks, and most especially Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, our Western Culture, has been amazed with the power and productivity of Logic, Reason, Word Based Thinking & Writing, and their marvelous brainchildren: Science & Technology & Modern Mass Production!! Especially when compared with the Irrational & Spurious Mythical-Religio-Gods Based Thinking that went before!! For this reason there has been a near complete distrust of the mysterious, will-o-the-wisp, illogical aberration, variously called “Epiphany”, ,“It Suddenly Dawned On Me”, “Light Bulb Went On”, “Flash of Insight **AHA** Problem Solving” Phenomenae: Likewise, there has been relatively little systematic study, or attempt to “use” this Phemenonae.

Something this peculiar, sudden, irrational, out of the blue, and unconnected to current physical circumstances plus at the oddest moments, …. just couldn’t be trusted, especially because it operated without our conscious (logical) guidance or even awareness!! To top this off, this “hair brained phenomenon”, was like emotion not REAL, such as material objects or science.

So it was (and is), that our Western Culture, especially mainline Philosophy, mostly has ignored, (and continues to ignore) The Flash of Insight **AHA** Problem Solving, process, and the evidence for its effectiveness, however mysterious!!:

Persons who are inclined to mostly ignore this “mysterious, will-o-the-wisp, Flash of Insight **AHA** Problem Solving Phenomenon”, …. don’t realize that their trusted Consciously Aware, Logical Word-Based Thinking, is running on exactly the same system. It is just considerably less evident to the “Conscious Mind”, that this is the case. (Unless, of course, the person makes up their mind to quit ignoring, and open their eyes to what is happening within their very own Psyche! … But, for the most part, there is a considerable barrier to any such “open their eyes”! And this is just because The Flash of Insight (and other similar Mental Arrivals), is so mysterious, out of the blue, and un-substantial. … But to me, there are plenty of reasons to believe there is considerable brain science to back this up, ranging from the J J Hopfield Motel, as well as Brain Physiology Studies.

Concerning “The Flash Of Insight **AHA**” Phenomenon, Now Get This =>

And to me there are plenty of reasons to believe The Flash of Insight **AHA** Problem Solving, Process, is highly useful, AND should be used in full partnership with Logical Word-Based Thinking Methods: Both are useful & productive thinking tools, for ALL facets of life!! This is supported by a wide range of observed data, in the literature concerning creativity and discovery, And, to my mind, there is considerable brain science to back this up, ranging from the J J Hopfield Motel, to Brain Physiology Science.

In view of the above, I am attempting, like Darwin, to collect up the evidence, assemble the literature, and look for emergent patterns, that can be identified / systematized similar to the various laws in Biology or Physics, Such as Darwin’s “Survival of The Fittest” (Or in Physics, such as, the highly useful “Conservation Laws”: Namely: Conservation of: a) Energy, b) Momentum, c) Angular Momentum, c) Electrical Charge, d) Quantum Number, etc. Each of which have their corresponding “Invariance Principle”.) (And also in Physics, all manner of Force Laws, with their corresponding “Action At a Distance Exchange Particles”, interacting with a Complete Zoo Of Elementary Particles!! )

SECOND HALF: Additional Brain Owner’s Users Manual Discussions '

A) My Reasons For Carrying Paper And Pen, For The Very Purpose Of Writing Down Spur Of The Moment “Out Of The Blue”, Ideas That Arrive “In a Flash”. By Henry Gurr.
1) When a new idea suddenly automatically spontaneously Mentally Arrives, you MUST write down immediately: Because, otherwise, like dreams, these will be quickly gone, with never to get them back again.
2) Even in getting out paper and partly started writing on the paper, you may “forget”. Thus you should mentally rehearse, so as to temporarily “hold it” in mind.
3) Depending on how complex may have to make preliminary scratch notes, to hold temporarily.
4) Once having gotten the “New Idea Mental Arrival” adequately on paper record, you can then and relax & let your mind, bring up other “New Idea Mental Arrival” or move ahead to extensions or other discoveries.
5) After a good idea session, perhaps of a longer more productive kind, go on a walk, to allow time for follow-up additional ideas to automatically spontaneously Mentally Arrive This will allow your “Consciousness UN-Occupied”, and will allow mental space for any small ideas to “come to the surface” of Conscious Awareness. …. After you have seen this constructively happen several times => You will realize these “solutions” “answers”, would not happen ~any other way!!!
6) The ideas of above 4) ALSO apply to a good session of document writing composition or computer typing up of emails, etc. … During any writin=g composition or computer typing, It is very likely you will have automatic spontaneous “New Idea Mental Arrivals” for a better word choice, or better sentence phrasing, and paragraph re ordering: Or suddenly realize a need to => Say important ideas an earlier place in your document. AND as is stated in 4) above => After you have seen this constructively happen several times, you will realize these “solutions” and “answers”, would not happen ~any other way!!!
7) For 4) & 5) it is very likely you will get a “Writing Burst”, where a whole series of ideas are automatically spontaneously prompted each successively by the previous!!!

B) An Example Of How Easy It Is To Forget Something, AND One Method To Recover A Memory. By Henry Gurr.
… For example: You go from your bedroom workspace, to the kitchen to get something: But when you get to the kitchen, you suddenly realize you’ve forgotten why you are there! You can’t remember!! You remember you came for something, but NOT the item!! Always keep in mind this => If go BACK to where you were working, you will ALWAYS remember what the item was!!
Ever Since The Ancient Greeks & Romans: The Several Methods To Enhance Memory. Over The Centuries People, Who Did Not Know How To Write, Used “The Method of Loci” To Enhance Memory Of Their Long Speech Or Other Long Lists Of Items.
… Known To The Ancient Greeks and Romans, It’s Called “The Method of Loci”. Wikipedia Says => “The items to be remembered in this mnemonic system are mentally associated with specific physical locations. The method relies on memorized spatial relationships to establish order and recollect memorial content. It is also known as the "Journey Method", used for storing lists of related items, or the "Roman Room" technique, which is most effective for storing unrelated information.”
Click Here For Complete Wikipedia Article On Memory Enhancement.

C) An Interesting Property Of Our Human Memory => It Is a Curious Fact, That Un-Finished, Un-Done Tasks Are Nearly Always Remembered!! Although you may not remember what you were supposed to do, it is a curious fact that you will nearly always have automatic spontaneous nagging remembrances => “There is something else I have yet to do!”
Click Here For Further Reading In Topic => How We Get Spontaneous & Repeated Reminders (Mental Arrival Into Consciousness), Of Un-Finished Business: AND Things We Planned To Do, But Not Yet Done

D) For ANY Project You Need To => BE SURE TO ALLOW TIME TO “JUST WAIT” AND “BE ALERT FOR SOLUTONS (ANSWERS) TO AUTOMATICALLY SPONTANEOUSLY TO MENTALLY ARRIVE INTO YOUR CONSCIOUS MIND.
… Before starting or doing anything, be sure to allow time to “just wait”! (Especially if there is no urgency.) This is because there is a HUGE probability your Problem Solving Brain, will automatically spontaneously suddenly Mental Arrival, present you with one (or even several) BETTER ways to do it!!

E) Cont From Above: In other words: given the fact that you know you must do it, and approximately have an ~assumed ~plan, then you brain, ON AUTOMATIC, will start unconscious looking for BETTER …. WAYS TO DO!!! And all you have to do is JUST WAIT, for these BETTER’s to Light-Bulb, Light Up & Mentally Arrive In Conscious Mind!!

F) Similar To The Above => Some Of Your Best Answers, Ideas, And Solutions To BIG Prolems, Will Come Automatically **AHA** Flash Of Insight … Out Of The Blue!!
… These will happen while you are on a walk, in the bath room, driving your car, relaxing with a cup of coffee, or otherwise “Jers sitten-duen-nuthn”. I call these “Moments Consciousness Un-Occupied (McU)! In other words, your “real mind” will reveal it’s best “answers” (or solutions), when your Conscious Mind is NOT doing active things like: Talking to friends, typing an email, working on a challenging carpentry job, etc!!

G) Properties of Our Problem Solving Brain At Work, Are Extension of above: My Henry Gurr’s “Proto-Theory Panorama Explanation Of How Our Mind Works” , asserts that: When we are busy doing projects, our conscious thoughts actively & automatically suppresses (shoves down? stands above?) small lesser important ideas.

7) Similar (And Giving Support) To The Above => In His Book “Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” Author Robert Pirsig, Suggests Ideas And Solutions For You BIG Problem.
… Please Especially Notice “Write On Little Slips Of Paper”!
… “Anxiety, the next gumption trap, is sort of the opposite of ego. You’re so sure you’ll do everything wrong you’re afraid to do anything at all. Often this, rather than "laziness," is the real reason you find it hard to get started. This gumption trap of anxiety, which results from over-motivation, can lead to all kinds of errors of excessive fussiness. You fix things that don’t need fixing, and chase after imaginary ailments. You jump to wild conclusions and build all kinds of errors into the machine because of your own nervousness. These errors, when made, tend to confirm your original underestimation of yourself. This leads to more errors, which lead to more underestimation, in a self-stoking cycle”.
… “The best way to break this cycle, I think, is to work out your anxieties on paper. Read every book and magazine you can on the subject. Your anxiety makes this easy and the more you read the more you calm down. You should remember that it’s peace of mind you’re after and not just a fixed machine.”
… “When beginning a repair job you can list everything you’re going to do on little slips of paper which you then organize into proper sequence. You discover that you organize and then reorganize the sequence again and again as more and more ideas come to you. The time spent this way usually more than pays for itself in time saved on the machine and prevents you from doing fidgety things that create problems later on.
… “You can reduce your anxiety somewhat by facing the fact that there isn’t a mechanic alive who doesn’t louse up a job once in a while. The main difference between you and the commercial mechanics is that when they do it you don’t hear about it—just pay for it, in additional costs prorated through all your bills. When you make the mistakes yourself, you at ]east get the benefit of some education.”

'''H) Are There Any Other Properties of Our Problem Solving Brain At Work, Or Extension Of Above, That Need To Be Added Here?
… Dear Reader: Please think about what ideas, might be important to add here, and send Email to HenryG@usca.edu

APPENDIX: => DOING ANY THING IS “A TRAINING GROUND FOR DOING BETTER, AND BETTER, MORE OF SAME IN FUTURE”! … A DISCUSSION & REAL LIFE APPLICATION OF => HENRY GURR’S THEORY OF HOW OUR MIND WORKS.

… A) Our Previous Performances, Prepare Our Mind For Better Performances Later =>: Seen on the Speaker’s Podium, On Theater Stage, Music Concert performers, Athletic Field, or Typing Keyboard=> “Practice, Practice, Practice!! Makes Perfect"!
… B) Learning Anything, Involves All Modes (9 Senses) Of Perception, To Complete The Required Extensive On-Location Learning: This is required to Build Up The Required Memory Base, Which In Turn Is Required For Some Future Better & Better, Partial Fit Problem Solution.
… C) To Repeat HSG Theory Pg: It’s the learning-memory-perception cycle, in an ever building, ever improving, refurbishment of Brain’s Memory, with each memory re-visit, (=retrieval = re-activation = refurbished & improved memory), because the new optimized solutions, can creatively build upon and extend, upon the average of previous good solutions. These creatively improved memories in people, are the base for, and lead to => learning, training, skill building, insight, formation of habits, and formation of expert performance.
…This is accomplished by the cycle of creative, innovative optimal problem solutions, which when accessed, add to & refine & refurbish the relevant memories.
… This is A Cycle Of Regenerative Upward Spiral Of Compounded, Creative, Building-On-(And Beyond)-The-Previous, Ever Improved Problem Solutions, Then Stored In Memory.

THE ABOVE ARE CONSEQUENCES OF PRPERTIES OF OUR PROBLEM SOLVING BRAIN, AS FOLLOWS =>
Automatically Included In All Problem Solving Brain Solutions (Answers) Which Mentally Arrive In Conscious Mind, Are =>

To Read More, Click Here, And AFTER This Page Comes Up Scroll Down To => PROPOSITION 5) & 5b)

FOR FURTHER READING #2 => ON TOPICS RELATED TO => “BRAIN OWNERS USERS MANUALS”: THESE ARE RELATED TO (OR EXTEND) OR ARE IMPORTANT PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Of => Henry Gurr’s “Proto-Theory Panorama Explanation Of How Our Mind Works”. ”

A) For Further Reading #1 => Please Be Aware That There Are Essentially => FOUR DIFFERENT “BRAIN OWNERS USERS MANUALS” by Henry Gurr.

After This Document Comes Up, You Will Want To Explore Around, To See The Many Practical And Useful Applications Of My Theory, And Thus See How It Is Effectively A Brain Owners User’s Manual.

The Next THREE “For Further Readings” Are ALSO “Brain Owners Users Manuals”.

After This Document Comes Up, You Will Need To Explore Around, To See How This Discussion Supports My Theory.

After This Document Comes Up, You Will Need To Explore Around, To See How This Discussion Supports My Theory. And, as you will see, is where you can learn more on => How To See In-Action (& Thus Learn More) About How Our Problem Solving Brain, Gives Us Clear Thinking, On Demand.

After This Webpage Comes Up, Please Scroll Down To => Relation Of Poetry To Metaphor. And Other Practical Applications:
…… …… …..

B) For Further Reading #2 => In the MAIN MENU AT TOP LEFT, You Will See Listed MANY Pages, Which Comprise Henry Gurr’s ZMMQ WebSite =>

Please Especially Notice => The TOP EIGHT MENU Listed Pages Which Are => Based On Direct Observation: Explanation Of Best Available Theory Of “How Our Mind Works:” by Henry Gurr, In Which You Can Study To Learn The Following =>

Then Suggest You Continue Next Page Below =>

**********

Further Reading On Problem Solving Brain Phenomenon Such As => 1) The “Flash of Insight”, 2)“The Light Bulb Goes On”, 3) It Dawned On Me”, 4) Epiphany, 5) Zeus, 6) Lightning Bolt, 7) EURIKA, 8) Etc.
Click Here For Basic Information And For More Examples & Explanation, About The Ideas & Content Of This Page, Read FIRST, My “Memory, Perception, & Flash Of Insight **AHA** Problem Solving”.

This WebPage composed by Henry S Gurr 16 Nov, 2013, HSG Edit Rev 19-25 May, 2023.
File = SacsAapt131025-6}Abs&TlkDrftThd}17HOExtPg2V10Fx15.docx
File = SacsAapt131025-6}Abs&TlkDrftThd}17HOExtPg2V10.docx