John Kounios, PhD

Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences
Expertise psychology

John Kounios is a professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences who studies cognitive neuroscience. The main focus of his research is the neural basis of creativity, insight and problem solving. He specializes in high-density electroencephalogram (EEG) recording of brain activity and other behavioral neuroimaging methods, such as fMRI.

In his book, "The Eureka Factor,” Kounios and his co-author explore how “aha” moments arise, when we need them and what the scientific research says about stimulating more of them. The authors discuss how various conditions affect the likelihood of your having a sudden creative insight, when methodical thought is more helpful and how the brain’s right hemisphere contributes to creative thought.

In The News

Cracking the Creativity Code
John Kounios, PhD, professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was featured on a June 27 episode of WHYY’s “The Connection with Marty Moss-Coane” about understanding insight, creativity and the brain.
Eureka! The Brain Science Behind Lightbulb Moments
John Kounios, PhD, professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a June 25 Nature article about the science behind lightbulb moments, or when the brain experiences insight from sudden bursts of activity, and memory boosts.
This Altered State of Consciousness Feels Like Magic—And It Could Be What Humans Are Made For
John Kounios, PhD, professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in a June 13 Popular Mechanics article about how to access and practice the flow state.
‘Don’t Ask What AI Can Do for Us, Ask What It Is Doing to Us’: Are ChatGPT and Co Harming Human Intelligence?
John Kounios, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in an April 19 The Guardian article about the impact of using artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT, on human intelligence and creativity.
The Brain Science of Elusive ‘Aha! Moments’
John Kounios, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, co-authored a Feb. 18 Scientific American article about the science behind “aha moments” and what happens in the mind when insight strikes.
‘Let Go’: How Atlanta Artists Hit Peak Creativity
John Kounios, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was quoted in an Aug. 2 Atlanta Journal-Constitution article about his recently published research that reveals how the brain gets to the creative flow state and Atlanta-area musicians find their own creative flow.
Why You Get Your Best Ideas in the Shower
John Kounios, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts & Sciences, was quoted in a July 18 TIME story on why creative breakthroughs, or aha moments, happen during passive activities like showering.
Creative Flow: What’s Going on Inside the Brain When Everything Just Clicks – Podcast
John Kounios, PhD, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, was featured on a June 6 episode The Conversation Weekly podcast about his recently published research that reveals how the brain gets to the creative flow state by using brain scans of jazz musicians while playing guitar.

Related Articles

2 illustrated brains on blue and yellow background with a light bulb highlighted in a speech bubble New AI-Technology Estimates Brain Age Using Low-Cost EEG Device
Researchers from Drexel University’s Creativity Research Lab developed an artificial intelligence technique that can effectively estimate an individual’s brain age based on electroencephalogram (EEG) brain scans. The technology could help to make early, regular screening for degenerative brain diseases more accessible.
Man wearing cap with sensors and wires while playing guitar Your Brain in the Zone: A New Neuroimaging Study Reveals How the Brain Achieves a Creative Flow State
A new neuroimaging study from Drexel University’s Creativity Research Lab is the first to reveal how the brain gets to the creative flow state.
Research looking at monitor, running an EEG test session. Aha! + Aaaah: Creative Insight Triggers a Neural Reward Signal

A new neuroimaging study out of Drexel University's Creativity Research Lab points to an answer of what may have driven the evolutionary development of creativity.

Unidentified male playing guitar while his brain activity is recorded. Where in the Brain Does Creativity Come from? Evidence from Jazz Musicians

A new brain-imaging study out of Drexel University's Creativity Research Lab sheds light on the controversy on which side of the brain is responsible for creativity by studying the brain of jazz guitarists during improvisation. 

Maps of resting-state electrical brain activity, shown as a top view of the head. What Makes Some People Creative Thinkers and Others Analytical?
A new brain-imaging study from Drexel University's Creativity Research Lab reveals that the different "cognitive styles" of creative and analytical thinkers are due to fundamental differences in their brain activity that can be observed even when people are not working on a problem.
A lit light bulb. Trust Your Aha! Moments, Experiments Show They’re Probably Right
A series of experiments showed that sudden insight may yield more correct solutions than using gradual, methodical thinking.
Collage of brain image, lightbulb and cover of the book "The Eureka Factor". Credits: Lightbulb by lilbitgimpy CC BY-NC 3.0; Brain by Beeman et al PLOS Biology; Eureka Factor courtesy of Random House How to Harness the Science of Sparking Ideas
Drexel professor John Kounios has co-authored a new book about the science of "aha moments." It’s the first book about creativity that tells a complete and faithful story of the neuroscience written by the actual scientists who made the discoveries.