Insight is that A-ha! moment when something suddenly makes sense; when the problem is solved; the moment when the light-bulb appears over the cartoon character's head. But did you know that our eyes show insight has struck before we consciously notice it?
Researchers tracked the eye movements of participants while they played a game. The game had an optimal strategy, but the players had to figure it out for themselves from feedback they received.
They had to press a button the moment they decided on a particular strategy. (That is, when they had an A-ha! moment and suddenly realized what the answer is.)
By following the players' eyes, the researchers found a specific pattern of eye movement and pupil dilation in those participants about to reach the optimal answer.
The astonishing thing is, the researchers could predict when a participant was about to have an epiphany. The researchers saw the betraying pattern in the participants' eyes before the participants themselves had known they had the answer (i.e. pressed the button). A part of their brain had figured it out before they became consciously aware of the insight.
The eye pattern points to sudden insight, not an answer reached by learning over time what the correct strategy is.
It seems the brain pieces together bits and pieces of the puzzle beyond our conscious awareness. Only when some critical mass is reached, does the conscious brain take note and we have a sudden insight.
Sources
Chen, W. J., & Krajbich, I. (2017). Computational modeling of epiphany learning. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114(18), 4637. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1618161114
Ohio State University. (2017, April 17). Aha! Watching people as they are struck by sudden insight. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 17, 2019 from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170417154847.htm