Epiphany’ presupposes a world outside, the possibility of a movement beyond solipsism to some sort of revelation, How are we ot understand this phenomenon?
Epiphanies are relatively rare occurrences and generally follow a process of significant thought about a problem. Often they are triggered by a new and key piece of information, but importantly, a depth of prior knowledge is required to allow the leap of understanding. Famous epiphanies include Archimedes's discovery of a method to determine the density of an object ("Eureka!") and Isaac Newton's realization that a falling apple and the orbiting moon are both pulled by the same force
the epiphanic experience is conceptualized as one of sudden, discontinuous change, leading to profound, positive, and enduring transformation through the reconfiguration of an individual's most deeply held beliefs about self and world. To explore the nature of the epiphanic experience, a qualitative, empirical inquiry was undertaken to determine its fundamental features. Though the generalizability of the findings is limited by the small sample size (five individuals were interviewed indepth), the study revealed a number of characteristic features. The experience was found to be affectively intense, egosyntonic, and profoundly liberating. The experience of epiphany among the participants studied occurred primarily during adolescence.
or early adulthood, was preceded by a period of internal conflict during which feelings of alienation, anxiety and depression were common, and followed by a period of productive activity and heightened energy
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