Lateral thinking

Lateral thinking is a manner of solving problems using an indirect and creative approach via reasoning that is not immediately obvious.

The term was first used in 1967 by Maltese psychologist Edward de Bono who used the Judgement of Solomon, the Nine Dots Puzzle, and the sewing machine (automating the work rather than adding more workers) as examples, among many others, of lateral thinking.

De Bono argues lateral thinking entails a switch-over from a familiar pattern to a new, unexpected one.

[5] Critics have characterized lateral thinking as a pseudo-scientific concept, arguing de Bono's core ideas have never been rigorously tested or corroborated.

De Bono exemplifies this through the randomly chosen word "nose" being applied to an office photocopier, leading to the idea that the copier could produce a lavender smell when it was low on paper.

The purpose of movement techniques is to produce as many alternatives as possible in order to encourage new ways of thinking about both problems and solutions.