Choices and Illusions (10 page)

CHOICES AND ILLUSIONS

Figure 4

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What We perceive and Fail to perceive

Okay, you just saw a dove soar upward.

The illusion on the next page was chosen to demonstrate how

emotions can be tangled with illusions. Everyone knows that a

thirsty person in the desert can see a mirage (the illusion of an

oasis or simply water) and lose rational abilities in favor of desperate emotions. The next illusion is an emotion-laden illusion. It

will evoke a strong emotional response in accordance with a per-

sonal belief system. The illusion may please, it may inspire, it may anger—but the point in this context is clear: a simple illusion can evoke strong emotional reactions.

Once again, follow the instructions. Stare this time at the cen-

ter four dots. Concentrate on those dots for one minute. Stare only at the dots, and after that minute, turn and look at a blank wall.

Just gaze at the wall for approximately 45 seconds. Allow yourself

to relax your focus, but keep your gaze on the same space on the

wall, even if you think nothing is going to happen

Turn the page and follow these instructions.

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CHOICES AND ILLUSIONS

Figure 5

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What We perceive and Fail to perceive

The next picture illustrates our abilities to see and not to see,

or to see differently. This is the rather famous witch and maiden

illusion. At first glance, you will see either a witch or a beautiful young maiden. You are typically unable to see both at the same

time—at least with conscious recognition. Shift your focus slightly, and the image changes. That is, if you see the witch first, shift your focus and you will see the maiden.

(Please note: these kinds of illusions can be found anywhere

and are widely circulated on the Internet.)

Figure 6

Here is another either/or image that is quite famous. It is known

as “faces and vases.” Can you see both?

Figure 7

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CHOICES AND ILLUSIONS

The next illusion involves dots. It reminds me of the hidden

faces one used to find in the Sunday newspaper. Finding and count-

ing the faces to win something was the purpose of the ad.

Below is a scattering of inkblots. Take a look and notice what

you see.

Figure 8

If you look closely, you will see a dalmatian with its nose down,

sniffing the ground. You can make out the dog’s ear, nose, shoulder, and left leg first, and the rest fills itself in. Once you see the dog clearly, you cannot help but see it—like the hidden faces in the old Sunday newspapers.

The following image is also a common illusion. Our visual ref-

erence system often distorts images according to the background.

The shape in the center is really a perfect circle.

Figure 9

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What We perceive and Fail to perceive

One of my favorite illusions cannot be done on paper. Whether

you know it or not, there is a blind spot in the visual field that the brain interpolates (fills in). I encourage you to try this illusion. On my website is a spinning disk (
www.innertalk.com/hypnodisk/

hypno.html
). Go to the website or pick up a hypnosis spinning disk and select a picture that you can turn your gaze toward immediately after you focus on the disk. now stare at the center of the disk as it rotates. Allow your entire consciousness to become totally aware of the spinning disk. do this for about two minutes. Then

turn your gaze toward the picture you previously selected. An

amazing thing happens: the still picture suddenly comes alive. It

is no longer a two-dimensional image; indeed, it becomes a three-

dimensional, moving world.

In the provocative film
What the Bleep Do We Know!?,
psycho-pharmacologist Candace Pert retells a story about the conquis-

tadors and Montezuma. The story, an allegedly factual account,

essentially states that when the Spanish galleons approached, they

were invisible to the Aztec people. The reason was simply that

the Aztec had never seen ships of that nature. When the Spanish

approached the shore with their helmets on their heads, what the

Aztec perceived were gods with golden helmets reflecting the sun

as they walked on water. The Aztec welcomed them as gods, and

of course everyone knows what happened. According to the story,

it took several days of just staring at the water where the Spanish arrived for one of the Aztec sages to finally see the ships. Arguably, this story illustrates how we fail to see what we see, either because of psychological defense strategies and/or the inability to see what is not already in the mind to see.

A friend of mine, Professor William Guillory, has a model for

this nature of perception. It is the so-called reality model and looks like the following diagram.

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CHOICES AND ILLUSIONS

Figure 10

The circularity of our perception becomes obvious after fol-

lowing the arrows in the diagram above. What does not become

obvious to many is that the diagram represents reality for most.

In other words, most of us can see the circular looping but fail to recognize that it may apply to us.

In the next chapter we will look at defense strategies and once

again make some of them an experience. let me close this chapter

with a few more fun illusions.

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What We perceive and Fail to perceive

Figure 11

There are no curved lines in the diagram above.

Figure 12