Seems like the 'intellectual paradox' where someone who thinks hard about subjects, concludes that all learning is done by thinking hard. Attending to a subject with the conscious mind.

Clearly not always the case. So many examples: we make judgements about a person within seconds of meeting them, with no conscious thoughts at all. We decide if we like a food, likewise.

I read code to learn it, just page through it, observing it, not thinking in words at all. Then I can begin to manipulate it, debug it. Not with words, or a conscious stream. Just familiarity.

My son plays a piece from sheet music, slowly and deliberately, phrase by phrase, until it sounds right. Then he plays through more quickly. Then he has it. Not sure conscious thoughts were ever part of the process. Certainly not words or logic.

So many examples are possible.