Restructuring insight: An integrative review of insight in problem-solving, meditation, psychotherapy, delusions and psychedelics
Kadi Tulver, Karl Kristjan Kaup, Ruben Laukkonen, Jaan Aru
November 26, 2021 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/8fbt9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Relevance law Psychotherapist Variety cybernetics Process computing Schizophrenia object-oriented programming Phenomenon Cognition Cognitive science Epistemology Cognitive psychology |
| Citations | 16 |
| Key findings | Insight is a core component in psychotherapy and meditation, a key process underlying delusions in schizophrenia, and a factor in the therapeutic effects of psychedelics, in addition to its well-known role in problem-solving. |
Abstract
Occasionally, a solution or idea arrives as a sudden understanding - an insight. Insight has been considered an “extra” ingredient of creative thinking and problem-solving. Here we propose that insight is central in seemingly distinct areas of research. Drawing on literature from a variety of fields, we show that besides being commonly studied in problem-solving literature, insight is also a core component in psychotherapy and meditation, a key process underlying the emergence of delusions in schizophrenia, and a factor in the therapeutic effects of psychedelics. In each case, we discuss the event of insight and its prerequisites and consequences. We review evidence for the commonalities and differences between the fields and discuss their relevance for capturing the essence of the insight phenomenon. The goal of this integrative review is to bridge the gap between the different views and inspire interdisciplinary research efforts for understanding this central process of human cognition.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical populations | 2003 | Review | |
| Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects | 2007 | Review | |
| Mindfulness Interventions | 2016 | Review | |
| Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation | 2017 | Review | |
| Mindfulness and acceptance: expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- An Integrated theory of false insights and beliefs under psychedelics. Communications Psychology August 1, 2024
- Psychedelics as potential catalysts of scientific creativity and insight Drug Science, Policy and Law 2022
- Transpersonal Ecodelia: Surveying Psychedelically Induced Biophilia Psychoactives May 25, 2023
- Psychedelic replications in virtual reality and their potential as a therapeutic instrument: an open-label feasibility study. Frontiers in Psychiatry March 1, 2023
- A causal pluralist theory of the interaction of substance, set and setting in psychedelic experience Philosophical Psychology November 30, 2025
and 3 more in the library
Cites 122
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects Psychological Inquiry October 19, 2007
- Psychosis as a state of aberrant salience: a framework linking biology, phenomenology, and pharmacology in schizophrenia. American Journal of Psychiatry 2003
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial Journal of Psychopharmacology November 30, 2016
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
and 117 more in the library