How we perceive the world

We can use our minds to change how we perceive the world.

In 1915, St. Petersburg was buzzing with excitement about a shocking new painting by Russian artist Kazimir Malevich. Some saw it as a daring gesture of the avant-garde. Others saw it as a crude insult to art itself. What did the controversial piece depict? A single black square.

Of course, gallery-goers perceived the painting as much more than its color and shape. They understood the work in context. They saw it in dialogue with other art movements, as a commentary on aesthetic theory, and as a strong personal statement.

But none of these meanings was physically on the canvas. After all, it was just a square of black paint. Instead, viewers created meaning through the power of their imaginations.

Conscious thought is one of humanity’s greatest strengths. Our brain’s ability to think and imagine lets us dream up completely new worlds. This is the basis for much of what we consider art – whether it’s fairy tales, Disney films, or Broadway plays.

Our skill in conscious thought doesn’t just allow us to create meaning inside our heads. It also lets us change how we perceive the material world as well.

There’s a famous optical illusion that demonstrates this power. It’s a simple flip-book that depicts a spinning diamond. Flip the book once, and you’ll see the diamond spinning toward the right. But if you pause for a moment and imagine the gem is spinning toward the left, the diamond will appear to spin in that direction when you flip the book again. The images are the same. The only difference is how you decide to see them.

As this illusion shows, what we perceive in the world is really up to us. Sometimes this happens consciously, like when interpreting art. But often it’s an unconscious process.

Research has shown that many of our perceptions are subtly influenced by our past experiences and emotional states. For instance, coins appear bigger and more valuable to poor children than to rich ones, and hills appear steeper and more daunting to tired people than to those who are well-rested.

So what we view as reality “out there” may really just be a reflection of what’s inside our heads. And, as we’ll explore in the next blink, these internal assumptions shape our perception of the world.