Why does this happen to us?

When we don't understand something, we tend to fixate on it. We rack our brains. We beg for an answer. It feels like digging a hole ever deeper. Very rarely can we cross a bridge of understanding by refusing to move.

We come across a moment of "sudden" understanding when we let go of what we know and approach what we do not know. The method of letting go and being curious is described by Einstein:

I started the conversation with him in the following way: "Recently I have been working on a difficult problem. Today I come here to battle against that problem with you." We discussed every aspect of this problem. Then suddenly I understood where the key to this problem lay. Next day I came back to him again and said to him, without even saying hello, "Thank you. I've completely solved the problem."

After a long discussion, Einstein discovered his answer. Even Einstein describes the moment as sudden, but the process of understanding clearly took a period of time. It feels sudden because the answer had been alluding him for so long.

How do I trigger an Eureka moment?

The key is not to look for an answer, but to simply discuss the problem. Using Brainstory, you can have an open-ended conversation about a problem you're having. Brainstory will discuss every aspect of your problem, much like Einstein's friend in his anecdote. From this discussion, you'll likely realize answers that you wouldn't have thought of otherwise.