How to Allow the Unconscious to Assist Problem Solving

(Incubation, Dreams, and Synchronicities)

In this article, ‘unconscious’ refers to mental processes operating outside conscious awareness (sometimes informally called the ‘subconscious’).

Not all problems are solved by effort.
Some of the most elegant solutions arise when conscious thinking steps aside and allows the unconscious mind to work.

Across psychology, creativity research, and consciousness studies, this process is known as incubation—a phase where stepping away from a problem enables deeper, non-linear processing to occur.

Why the Unconscious Is Good at Problem Solving

The unconscious mind:

  • Processes vast amounts of information in parallel

  • Detects patterns beyond conscious awareness

  • Operates without fixation or premature conclusions

Conscious effort is precise but narrow.
Unconscious processing is broad, associative, and integrative.

This is why insight often appears:

  • In the shower

  • While walking

  • Just before sleep

  • Upon waking

1. Incubation: Letting the Problem Rest

What Is Incubation?

Incubation refers to deliberately disengaging from a problem after initial engagement, allowing unconscious processing to continue in the background.

Key Proponents

  • Graham Wallas – The Art of Thought (1926)

    • Proposed the classic four stages of creativity:
      Preparation → Incubation → Illumination → Verification

  • Sio & Ormerod (2009) – Meta-analysis showing incubation improves problem-solving performance, especially for complex tasks

How to Use Incubation

  1. Clearly define the problem

  2. Stop working on it intentionally

  3. Shift attention to a neutral or relaxing activity

  4. Remain open to insights without forcing them

Incubation works best when pressure is removed.

2. Dreams: Problem Solving in Theta States

Dreaming places the brain in theta-dominant states, where symbolic processing and memory integration occur.

Research & Examples

  • Otto Loewi credited a dream for inspiring his Nobel Prize–winning experiment on neurotransmission

  • Dmitri Mendeleev reported dreaming the periodic table’s structure

  • Deirdre Barrett (Harvard Medical School) documented problem-solving dreams in scientific and artistic contexts

Why Dreams Help

  • Reduced logical constraints

  • Emotional material is reorganized

  • Novel associations emerge

Practical Method

Before sleep:

  • Briefly state the problem (without strain)

  • Release it

  • Record dreams immediately upon waking

Even partial or symbolic content can be useful later.

3. Synchronicities: External Echoes of Internal Processing

What Are Synchronicities?

Coined by Carl Jung, synchronicities are meaningful coincidences that align with inner psychological states without direct causal links.

From a problem-solving perspective, they may function as:

  • Attention cues

  • Pattern amplifiers

  • Triggers for insight

Supporting Perspectives

  • Carl Jung – Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle

  • Bernard Beitman – Psychiatrist studying “meaningful coincidences” and decision-making

Synchronicities do not replace reasoning; they highlight relevant information at the right moment.

Conditions That Help the Unconscious Assist You

The unconscious responds best when:

  • The nervous system is calm

  • The problem is clearly framed, then released

  • Emotional attachment to outcomes is low

  • There is trust without expectation

Trying to control the unconscious interferes with it.

Common Mistakes

  • Forcing insight

  • Obsessively monitoring results

  • Interpreting symbols prematurely

  • Treating coincidences as proof instead of prompts

The unconscious offers raw material, not final answers.

Integration with Conscious Thinking

A balanced sequence looks like this:

  1. Conscious framing of the problem

  2. Unconscious incubation (rest, sleep, distraction)

  3. Insight or signal emerges

  4. Conscious evaluation and verification

This preserves rigor while allowing creativity.

Closing Note

Problem solving is not always an act of will.
Sometimes it is an act of allowing.

When you step back at the right moment, the mind continues working—quietly, patiently, and often more wisely than conscious effort alone.

Selected References

  • Wallas, G. (1926). The Art of Thought

  • Sio, U. N., & Ormerod, T. C. (2009). Does Incubation Enhance Problem Solving?

  • Barrett, D. (2001). The Committee of Sleep

  • Jung, C. G. (1952). Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle

  • Beitman, B. (2016). Connecting with Coincidence

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