Visual Reality

I was interested in how our method of perceiving 3-d space is somewhat sloppily stitched together from many different mechanisms. It makes sense that our brain would analyze a number of factors within our visual field and synthesize them to create a perception. However, the analysis of these factors can be so ill-defined that sometimes they conflict with each other. In any given visual situation, certain factors overpower others. It is rare to process an image with equal attention to all of its aspects. Perception is not defined by the results of any standard process. Instead, it is highly adaptive which means it cannot be grounded by any default.

This adaptivity is highly advantageous, of course. It is what allows people who live in dense jungles, and those who are restricted to monocular vision to function. But it also robs them of their sense of reality. While they have constructed a reality of their own, the jungle inhabitants cannot understand the view of a far off mountain and Sue was shocked to understand the definition of space. Our perception of the world through visuals is in no way tethered to its reality. It does not take long for our visual perceptions to rearrange our perception of reality given their stimuli as shown by Oliver Sacks' anecdote about his post surgical visual phenomena.

I was very struck by the part of the Conway-Livingstone article in which they discuss our acceptance of paintings with incongruous forms or shadows. We are ready to accept these changes, and though they are unnatural abominations, they don't bother us much. Conway and Livingstone explain that this may be caused by the fact that unnatural things don't happen in nature and distinguishing them is therefore an undeveloped and unimportant trait. This may be true to some extent. But constant exposure to specific lighting and spacial conditions and exclusion from others will quickly and effectively change the "reality" of perceiving space and objects.

It may be important for humans to be ignorant of the existence of their version of reality in order to focus and adapt to be successful. Perhaps it is our disregard for reality that separates us from animals. The lives of animals are closely linked to reality. Their existence is based on realistic necessities that need to be accomplished such as food and shelter. Meanwhile, we are preoccupied with other, more subjective activities. In order to think, and to create we must be able to divorce ourselves from reality and live in a perception. Our tendency for diverse visual experiences may be part of a larger list of attributes that make up our humanity.