Hmmm... Susan, AFAICS, I've done that kind of thing for years with friends - never knew it was a technique, just a normal close friendship.

On topic, I have smart days and stupid days and average days. My sister and I independently described our 'smart' days as times we feel the 'electricity has been turned on'. Eventually it came up in conversation that we used the same description. But that is what it feels like. At those times we become more creative, more able to solve problems, more able to learn new concepts. Can't blame it on hormones, as I'm years post-menopausal and she isn't. Wish we could find a causative agent, but so far, nothing obvious.