Perception

I got inspired this morning thinking about the idea that perception evolves through an interaction between people and things around them. Maybe perception can be viewed as an outcome of the invention of technology and its application by humans and in this way is all about the relationships formed between our selves and our environment. It is a generative process, forming new configurations of space and time and constantly changing through every day practice.

Reading about computational models of how the mind works it seems apparent that the representations of the mind that come about are inherent to the technology that is used to define them. But there is another process at work too - the way in which these models are then applied back to human thinking. For example, to train the mind to work in a particular way. This is not just technological determism. This is a conscious and social effort to re-train and re-fashion thought. The Israeli program Intelligym is an interesting example of this used in the training of air force pilots, as is the ANU Moodgym project to teach users with anxiety and depression cognitive exercises that will assist them to challenge ideas about themselves. Here is the emergence of a type of perception formed and delivered by technology in order to shape and/or train the perception of its user.