Mark Hummel interview?

David,
Mark Hummel mentioned in his interview that his playing improved when (in my words here) he realized that the notes available for playing in the various positions actually overlapped. Is this basically the same thing you are referring to in your theory section when you discuss the level of tones? I want to understand what he meant, but have very limited theory background to approach it.
I find that in improvising on some of my band's original material I am going places now that I would not have gone a year ago without thinking about it. Sometimes I will listen to a passage and think "now that was really cool", but "what did I just do". Is it possible to get to this point and not really realize it? Jerry Portnoy talked about the music flowing through a person and said he hoped that could happen to everyone. It would be nice to think that is what has happened, but how does one really ever know?