[noctilux]

Hi everyone,

I was pretty surprised just now and made two observations about myself that I would like to share with you to see whether a) I'm imagining things or b) you have had similar experiences.



First observation: I notice that if I make a decision to do something or change my mindset about something, it doesn't immediately take effect; instead, a day afterwards, sometimes two, I act that way without consciously thinking about having told myself to do so. It's like my subconscious processed it and implemented it.

Second observation: I've started to enjoy playing chess and am playing against a computer. I played lots of matches a day but usually only managed a draw on a moderately high difficulty setting. I didn't play all day today, and then beat the computer very convincingly this evening. The things I learned about chess seem to have only really registered now.

Are these things normal? Am I imagining them? Have you had similar experiences?

[Zic]

Somehow, I seem to have noticed a similar effect.
When I'm learning, my "learning" consists of skimming pages of text for about half an hour. I feel like I don't know a damn thing that's in there.
But the next day on a written test, I'm writing those answers like crazy. Maybe it's subconscious, it takes some time for our brains to make new connections between information we're currently taking in and the info that's already here. I'd name this process "tagging"- similar to, say, forum tags.
While some types learn by storing information and then easily reproducing it, I'd say we learn by the concept of "connecting ideas". We don't memorise a lot of facts; instead we compose them from ideas and connections... Ugh, this doesn't sound so clear, does it. ..

[jockthemotie]

I do not relate to the first. While it may take me an agonizing amount of time to reach a decision, once I do, my entire mental state immediately reflects the updated understanding. Doesn't really take time to "sink in" once I've made the conclusion.

[Mendelevium]

I can relate. While I need little time for my decision to sink in once it has been made unless I am second-guessing myself (ahh, cognitive dissonance), the latter might be our iNtuition/Thinking. See the thread 'How do you think?' It might explain somewhat, or my brain is merely firing off more random connections.