Chance events allow us to enter the existing patterns of our thinking at a different point. The associations of a word applied to the new out of context situation generates new connections in our mind, often producing an instant Eureka effect, insight or intuition. It is said that Newton got the idea of gravity when he was hit on the head with an apple while sitting under an apple tree. It is not necessary to sit under trees and wait for an apple to fall - we can get up and shake the tree. We can produce our own chance events.
Random inputs can be words or images.
Have a bag full of thousands of words written on small pieces of paper, cardboard, poker chips, etc. Close your eyes, put in your hand and pull out a word. Use a computer program to give you a random word. Make up your own list of 60 words. Look at your watch and take note of the seconds.