Abstract:
Reality that we perceive as everything out there is based upon our perception. It is with different receptors that we perceive stimuli from the world around us and collectively these stimuli create a wholesome picture, the “perceptome.” For everyday purposes of interacting with the environment and each other, this perceptome serves us pretty well and for this reason, our brains make us believe that this is reality. But this is by no means the whole picture. Our receptors are limited in the type of stimuli they can perceive. There is a whole plethora of stimuli for which we do not have any receptor and are thus oblivious of their existence. Even in the specific type of stimulation that each receptor perceives and responds to, it fails to report the whole spectrum of that one particular type of stimulation. So, not only are our receptors limited in types of perception, they are also limited in the intensity of stimulation that they can respond to. Give all these limitations of perception, our perception of reality is based upon a tiny fraction of everything that is going on in the world around us. That is what out impression of reality is based upon. On top of it all, our perception is an active phenomenon. What receptors respond to is passive but there exist processes in the brain that actively give it meaning. That aspect of perception is colored by a lot of intrinsic inputs from all over the brain that include, among so many other things, our memories, our moods, our state of mind, experiences, instincts and expectations. All this can entirely change the perception of the same stimulus for the individual perceiving it. Our perception is not absolute. It is not the actual depiction of reality. It is what our brain makes for us.
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DOI:
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Published:
Journal: Abstract Book on 9th Annual Neuroscience Conference (ANC-23) August 12-13, 2023 , Volume: 0, Issue: 0, Year: 2023