The main source of my ideas in this area is a seemingly unrelated book The Muse in the Machine by David Gelernter. The author is focused on the question of understanding human thought and replicating it in computers. His premise is that logic by itself is not enough to duplicate human reasoning, which is characterized by emotional, creative leaps of intuition.
From the dust jacket:
Can we introduce emotion into the computer? …In providing an answer, [Gelernter] not only points to a future revolution in computers but radically changes our views of the human mind itself.
Although much emphasis is placed on the role of logic in thinking, Gelernter explains that emotions are much more important in determining the form and content of our daily thought processes.