Imagination Essay- The Subjectivity of Perception PDF

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Jack Cassar

Carleton University

Mysteries of the Mind

CGSC1001T

Jim Davies

November 13, 2020

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The Subjectivity of Perception Imagination Essay

Perception as mentioned in the lectures and readings, in this case, the target example, is described as the process of interpreting and organizing sensations to produced meaningful experiences of our surroundings. Perceptions involve the turning of information from one form into a new one that has meaningful representations (2020-09-18-perception). Davies, (2019) as the base example, observes that the ability to select, organize and intercept intimation and commit to memory begins with the perceptual process, which not only affects how we understand information but also how we communicate with others. The way we think can affect our perception of others, which explains why people communicate best with people of a similar culture because similar cultural experiences bring in a similarity in people’s thinking patterns. Some of the reasons that make perception important include the fact that it is a physiological process through which everything in this world is interpreted and understood. It is also how people perceive things that define their character and attitude (2020-09-18-perception). A lot of the emotions that we feel have their origins in perception. Seeing as people have different thinking patterns that are influenced by their personal experiences and knowledge, some subjectivity exists in perception. Aphorisms like “perception is reality” are used to justify perception that is objectively unjustifiable, or out of touch with reality. From the subjectivity of perceptions, people can develop their preferred realities, and attempt to create a sense of relativism in circumstances that are absolutes and grounded in reality.

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The Subjective Nature of Perception Subjective perception is an opinion or judgment from personal experiences, and view of life. In the context of an antique table, a carpenter will be more perceptive to the detail in the carvings, understanding that the maker of the table spent a lot of time creating the details and that the wood sued was high quality. An antique dealer will be more perceptive of the period the table was created as he or she will understand that the cravings and patterns are characteristic of a particular time in history. An interior designer, given the same piece of the antique table, will perceive the dimensions of the table, the type of wood grain and color, and relate these qualities to a client’s preferences and tastes. Their different experiences, vocations, and backgrounds contribute to their varied perceptions of the same piece of furniture. The subjectivity of perceptions leads to the conclusion that perception is not reality. Perception is a way of interpreting something, or a mental impression of something. Reality, on the other hand, is the state of things as they exist and not subject to human conventions. Perception is something that occurs in the mind (2020-09-18-perception). Reality exists outside of the mind and cannot be manipulated. Perception is not reality, but a person’s perceptions can become their reality since perception can significantly influence how people assess reality or as a lens through which we view reality. Davies, (2019) observes that: “…in perception, a person takes in energy or chemicals from the world (light, sound waves, or chemicals in food or the air) and turns them into patterns of firing neurons. This is essentially what you do with your eyes, nasal passages, tongue, fingertips, and ears…there the sensory systems analyze this neural signal, figuring out what’s in it” (pg. 322).

4 Perceptions influences how we focus on, process, remember and understand reality, which leads us to conclude that how we perceive reality is an actual representation of that reality. What must be considered is that the lens through which we perceive reality is warped. Our genetic predispositions, past experiences, prior knowledge, self-interests, emotions, preconceptions, and cognitive distortions warp our perceptions of reality. Perception grants a small portion of the environmental information that surrounds us, and our perpetual system has a mindful reflection in response. The environment around us is an ever-changing objective physical reality, and what we perceive is a very limited facsimile, and our warped perception subjectively interprets this reality (Reber, et al., 2004). When interpreting what we perceive, we tend to attach a meaning to stimuli. The stimuli can be interpreted in different ways, where we represent and understand the stimuli concerning how it affects us. Personal factors impact our interpretations, making them subjective. The factors are personal because they are not based on facts, in the sense that they relate to one person in the exclusion of others. Davies, (2019) talks about subjective experiences and how they form our representation of things. Subjective perceptions can be said to stem from the subjective nature of our experiences. The perception of all things and “truths” in the world differ from one person to another. The explanation given for these differences is that people live in different worlds, though there are similarities in these worlds based on the unique perspectives in our respective worlds. What we can hold ourselves to in these different worlds is what we have experienced or perceived. Subjective experiences are products of the mind and cannot be measured by others. When listening to music, the volume, speed, and pitch are scientifically measurably, while a listener's aesthetic experience based on their perception of the music cannot be measured. This means that it is possible for two people, exposed to the same external environment, to have different subjective perceptions. The perceptions may be

5 similar, but not identical. People can like the same song but have different perceptions about it (Reber, et al., 2004). Perception is how we process information and create an internal representation of it. In short, perception is the result of the internal biological processing of external stimuli. Our eyes receive the light that reflects off of objects and converts the light energy to electrical impulses through the neurons in the retina, which then travel through the visual cortex, causing synapses in the brain which produce a perception of the object. Perceptions are the internal representation of an object or a stimulus, which includes details of the perceived color, shape, size, depth, and distance of the object. These representations of stimuli are however subject to biases based on their past experiences, emotions, preconceived notions, and cognitive distortions among other factors. This subjectivity of perceptions means that perception can be different from reality, where the perceptual system and the interpretation of perceived stimuli are affected by biases and personal experiences.

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References 2020-09-18-perception.pptx Davies, J. (2019). Imagination: The Science of Your Mind's Greatest Power. Pegasus Books. Reber, R., Schwarz, N., & Winkielman, P. (2004). Processing fluency and aesthetic pleasure: Is beauty in the perceiver's processing experience?. Personality and social psychology review, 8(4), 364-382....