Recognising Intimation

Abstract

Noted psychologist Graham Wallas (1926, p. 11), hoping to transform the processes of human thought and solve significant problems, wrote early last century that “We can to some degree control Illumination by making ourselves conscious (as many poets are conscious) of Intimation…”. Illumination is an important event in the act of creation within the context of novel problem solving. It is the stage in the process whereby a solution, or the means of finding the solution to a problem, becomes manifest in the individual’s mind. It is often referred to as the “aha” moment; the turning point whereby a path to a solution can be navigated through the problem solving space. Consequently, anything that facilitates the onset of Illumination must influence the manifestation of a solution and, of necessity, provide a more complete understanding about the solving of novel problems and the expression of creativity. When Wallas advocated that Illumination could be facilitated, even controlled, by attending to an associated substage called “Intimation”, he was making a profound claim. But is the claim valid? Is there any substance to the idea that individuals can feel their way to a solution in a novel problem solving event? This chapter attends to the provision of evidence about such a claim. But what exactly is Intimation, and in relative terms, why is so very little known about it?