"The lunatic, the lover, and the poet are of imagination all compact."-- Shakespeare Neurodiversity is a recent theory and movement that wishes to reclassify mental illnesses and conditions as natural neurological variations. There is a wide variety of views and approaches to the topic, including within the medical field and amongst the mentally ill and … Continue reading Neurodiversity: The theory, movement, issues and controversies
cognitive psychology
Mystical Experiences: The Neverending Debate
Mysticism has long been an attempt to expand the mind and understanding beyond normal boundaries, and mystical experiences were the genesis of religion. Mystical experiences are neurological events where parts of the brain are suppressed in order to more fully utilize other parts. The metaphysical meaning of these experiences has long been debated by theologians, … Continue reading Mystical Experiences: The Neverending Debate
COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY: THE HUMAN MIND IS PRIMARILY ABOUT PRACTICAL FUNCTION NOT IDENTIFYING TRUTHS
While identifying facts and making accurate perceptions are important parts of the human function and survival, the human mind is not entirely about this or perhaps even mostly about this. To survive and function, the human must do other things such as act and guess in ambiguous and mysterious situations. Many of these functions are … Continue reading COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY: THE HUMAN MIND IS PRIMARILY ABOUT PRACTICAL FUNCTION NOT IDENTIFYING TRUTHS
Wassily Kandinsky’s Composition VI
Wassily Kandinsky was one of the first artists to make completely abstract paintings. His 1913 oil painting on canvas Composition VI is an example of his non-representational works. Kandinsky is another step in the progression from the previous artists Constable, Renoir and Boccioni. Constable, Renoir and Boccioni used recognizable figures and scenes, but used … Continue reading Wassily Kandinsky’s Composition VI
Umberto Boccioni’s ‘Unique Forms of Continuity in Space’
. Unique Forms of Continuity in Space is a famous large bronze sculpture by Italian futurist artist Umberto Boccioni. Boccioni made the plaster sculpture in 1913, with the bronze examples seen in museums being cast from the plaster sculpture or from other bronze castings. The work is a part of the short lived … Continue reading Umberto Boccioni’s ‘Unique Forms of Continuity in Space’
Swarm Intelligence
Swarm intelligence is where large groups of animals exhibit a group intelligence and capability much larger than any of the individual animals exhibit or are even aware of. Examples include small fish and birds that unconsciously and instinctually form large groups that protect themselves from predators (essentially forming one large animal), ant groups that gather … Continue reading Swarm Intelligence
The Unique Subjective Experience
(Excerpted from the book Noise Music: Cognitive Psychology, Aesthetics and Epistemology) Subjectivity is a constant and integral part of the human experience. Love, lust, like, dislike, taste, smell, views about beauty and ugliness and art. How you view this paragraph and this book involves subjectivity— your taste about the writing style, word choice, chapter subjects … Continue reading The Unique Subjective Experience
Numeration Systems and Psychology
Looking at different historical numeration systems demonstrates how language and grouping systems profoundly effect human thinking, perception and function, and how the the system you 'naturally' use to perceive the universe isn't the only way. * * * * In some Western Hemisphere high rise buildings there are no thirteenth floors. Well, there are thirteenth … Continue reading Numeration Systems and Psychology
Cognitive Dissonance
COGNITIVE DISSONANCE The theory developed by famous American psychologist Leon Festinger, cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort experienced by a person who has conflicts or contradictions between ideas, values, behavior and/or information at the same time. An example of this dissonance is if after deciding to go on a diet you eat a fried chicken … Continue reading Cognitive Dissonance
Mirages: Not Incorrect Views of Reality, Just Different
Commonly associated with nature, mirages are visual illusions where what we see is correct, but abnormal. Mirages in nature are most commonly caused by unusual bending of light under unusual air conditions. The view can be so abnormal that the viewer 'can't believe his eyes.’ The most famous mirage is when it erroneously appears as … Continue reading Mirages: Not Incorrect Views of Reality, Just Different
Looking at Artifacts and Ideas 