Coming up with a great insight
can cause pleasure like an orgasm, according to researchers. The eureka moment
triggers neural reward signals that can flood some people with pleasure,
suggesting it's an evolutionary adaptation that fuels the growth of creativity.
A recent neuroimaging study from Drexel University discovered that the brain
rewards systems of people with higher reward sensitivity ratings showed bursts
of gamma EEG activity when they had creative insights. This signal is similar
to those caused by pleasure-inducing experiences like orgasms, great food, or
drinks that quench thirst. In carrying out the study, the scientists employed
high-density electroencephalograms (EEGs) to track the brain activity of
participants who were solving anagram puzzles.
The subjects were required to
unscramble letters in order to figure out a hidden word. When they had an aha
moment of insight, figuring out the solution, the people would press a button,
as EEG captured a snapshot of their brain activity. Another part of the study
included filling out a questionnaire intended to gauge a person's reward
sensitivity. The scientists found that people scoring high on this rubric had
very powerful aha moments. Their brain scans showed an extra burst of
high-frequency gamma waves in the reward systems' orbitofrontal cortex. People
who scored low on reward sensitivity didn't exhibit such bursts. The
researchers wrote that the eureka moments were noticed by them but were lacking
in hedonic content.
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