The more bandwidth we devote to wrong things (in any given moment), the less likely it will be that we’ll have insights, the likes of which are necessary to progress along the path.
Therefore, it’s in our interest to ensure that we don’t apply this bandwidth to the wrong things, and do apply it to the right things. In very broad brushstrokes, this seems to be what anapanasati and satipatthana are concerned with.
So then we can see that when this is done successfully, we will be getting closer and closer to Samma Samadhi. In other words, the closer we get to that, the more likely insights become.
You can observe this in your own immediate experience – let your mind run wild for a few minutes. Then, practice true mindfulness (as described at Pure Dhamma) and within moments, you’ll notice an increase in clarity. That trend will continue as you continue to successfully practice ‘mindfulness’. In so doing, you are walking the eightfold noble path in that moment.
I may be missing something here, but that’s how it seems to me so far.