What is Incubation?
"One should never impose one’s views on a problem; one should rather study
it, and in time a solution will reveal itself." - Albert Einstein
Incubation. It is one of the least understood steps in the creative problem solving process.
Incubation is defined as "to cause or aid the development of." Clear as mud, right?
In the creative problem solving sense of the word, incubation is nothing more than the period of time allowed between defining the problem to be solved and the purposeful search for new ideas that may solve the problem. In other words, incubation is when you let your mind do what it is designed to do...solve problems.
One of the most popular theories of human problem solving is that the function of the sub-conscious mind, among other things, is to record everything that you experience via your five senses. This recorded sensory information is "categorized" and available in various stages of recall. These stages of recall are immediate, shallow and deep. For those of you with IT experience, think of it as the world's fastest and most powerful relational database.
For example, major life events such as the birth of a child or traumatic events such as a car accident, along with recent events are stored in the immediate recall section of the sub-conscious. Short-term, functional memories and logical groupings of sensory experiences are stored in the shallow sub-conscious. Finally, long-term memories and tangential groupings of sensory experiences are stored in the deep sub-conscious.
Another function of the sub-conscious mind is to compare all problems it receives with the information it has recorded and categorized. This is where incubation takes place. Known solutions to a problem and combinations of potential solutions are presented as "ideas" by your sub-conscious mind.
Sometimes the incubation period is immediate. For example, if you are faced with the sudden problem of a tire blowout on your car, your sub-conscious mind searches its immediate recall area for a solution and reacts accordingly.
With other types of problems however, the incubation period can take days or even weeks. This is typically the experience you have when an idea to a problem you forgot you even had suddenly pops into your head while you are taking a shower two days later.
Simply understanding how your sub-conscious mind works provides you with a critical advantage in problem solving. Once you understand how the process works, you can create the right environment for the incubation process. And the best part...its simple and fun!
Here are a few of my favorite methods for a successful incubation:
Incubation. It is one of the least understood steps in the creative problem solving process.
Incubation is defined as "to cause or aid the development of." Clear as mud, right?
In the creative problem solving sense of the word, incubation is nothing more than the period of time allowed between defining the problem to be solved and the purposeful search for new ideas that may solve the problem. In other words, incubation is when you let your mind do what it is designed to do...solve problems.
One of the most popular theories of human problem solving is that the function of the sub-conscious mind, among other things, is to record everything that you experience via your five senses. This recorded sensory information is "categorized" and available in various stages of recall. These stages of recall are immediate, shallow and deep. For those of you with IT experience, think of it as the world's fastest and most powerful relational database.
For example, major life events such as the birth of a child or traumatic events such as a car accident, along with recent events are stored in the immediate recall section of the sub-conscious. Short-term, functional memories and logical groupings of sensory experiences are stored in the shallow sub-conscious. Finally, long-term memories and tangential groupings of sensory experiences are stored in the deep sub-conscious.
Another function of the sub-conscious mind is to compare all problems it receives with the information it has recorded and categorized. This is where incubation takes place. Known solutions to a problem and combinations of potential solutions are presented as "ideas" by your sub-conscious mind.
Sometimes the incubation period is immediate. For example, if you are faced with the sudden problem of a tire blowout on your car, your sub-conscious mind searches its immediate recall area for a solution and reacts accordingly.
With other types of problems however, the incubation period can take days or even weeks. This is typically the experience you have when an idea to a problem you forgot you even had suddenly pops into your head while you are taking a shower two days later.
Simply understanding how your sub-conscious mind works provides you with a critical advantage in problem solving. Once you understand how the process works, you can create the right environment for the incubation process. And the best part...its simple and fun!
Here are a few of my favorite methods for a successful incubation:
- Write down the problem on a piece of paper; Put the paper in a drawer for two days; Just before bed on the 2nd day, take out the paper and read the problem out loud; When ideas start to appear, write them down
- Schedule time for daily incubation; These are times when you purposely allow your mind to wander...showering, driving to work, walking the dog, watching the birds, soaking in the tub, cutting the grass, etc.
- Pay attention to even the smallest details
- Make sure the "recordings" your sub-conscious mind is making are good ones...Watch the Science Channel instead of the Ultimate Fighting Championship...
- Just being self-aware helps!!!
- Imagine like a child...It is DEFINITELY going to take some practice!!!
nice article..
please can you more brief about Solution Incubation Group , in IT sector...
i am working as sr. software engg at spadeworx software services , pune , india
Reply to this
I like what was said and how it was written.
The statement mentions much of what is known of incubation at the moment. Which is not much.
We all use incubation without even realizing it. When confronted with a problem situation, the person who replies: "Let me just think about that for a while and get back to you," is likely to use incubation really well. She or he has said to the conscious world: "Stop! I've important work to do on this problem. When I believe I have something worthwhile to say, I will."
In the culture of instant gratification, nothing is less popular than incubation. But like a loaf of bread, the extra time used in baking, is well recognized in the taste of the first slice.
Writing a question down & returning to it days later is very useful. There are many other ways to instruct the unconscious mind. Perhaps more emphasis on manipulation of the unconscious could have been covered, such as thoughts or plans before changing state, dreaming, sleep, while musing and concentrating on another topic. Research on incubation is almost non-existent. Einstein & others used it as a technique. Reading his writings helps us understand how he used incubation. I use it to ward off illnesses with some success. This is such an important topic that most of human science will fade under the impact it will have in the next 400-500 years. Through incubation we can make ourselves healthier both physically and emotionally. It is not a panacea but is a great tool for human improvement or debasement.
A current scourge is the nicotine dependence or habit. Perhaps some hints in this area would be a useful addition to the site.
Reply to this
An insightfull post. Will definitely help.
Thanks,
Karim - Positive thinking
Reply to this
Interesting,
i like this article about incubation, its great, very inspiring... keep up the good work
Thanks for writing, most people don't bother.
Reply to this
A good article though I rather look at it as Short Term Memory (STM), sometimes called "working memeory" and Long Term Memory (LTM) in how the two interact. The idea of incubation allows the formed "rut" in the LTM to be reconstructed differently in STM by the problem solver.
Reply to this
I always feel great when I find the blog useful for and it takes place in my collection. And, moreover, my colleagues are just fixed on it.
Reply to this