Perception – The Shaping of Information
The next step in the cycle is Perception. Before going further, it is important to understand the meaning of perception as the term is used in the cycle. Wikipedia defines Perception as: The organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the environment. It further states that: All perception involves signals in the nervous system which result from physical or chemical stimulation of the sense organs. While every aspect of this definition is accurate, the overall definition is also misleading because it is very incomplete. The Wikipedia definition implies a very neutral view of perception that lacks interaction with the human mind. Such a view cannot possibly be complete because then all individuals presented with exactly the same data would always perceive it in same way. Consider the following revised definition: The organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in accordance with the world view of the individual in order to accept, reject, consider, represent, categorize, and assign placement of data into the desired environment. Further, all perception involves signals in the nervous system initiated from physical or chemical stimulation of the sense organs that has been filtered in accordance with individual’s education and experience. The perception process is a dynamic process that interacts with the world view held by the individual, their personal experience, and their education.
Like data Input, Perception is one of the key areas where the Realitysculp cycle can be purposely influenced. Understanding that perception for the dynamic process that it is, several avenues are revealed that can be effective targets to modify and control behavior. Before we can discuss how Perception modification can be used to control behavior, we need to take a deeper look at the perception process. All information people receive is subjected to filtering and the assignments of attributes which assist in the placement of information within a persons world view. Assignment of the placement of information within a persons world view is critical in maintaining that world view. Follow each link below for the discussions on these filters and attribute assignment.
Accept, Reject, or Consider – The ARC Filter
Attribute Assignments
Information that has not been classified as rejected will now pass through the “Color” filters. These filters assign attributes that classify where information fits into the individuals World View. Note that once again we come back to the influence the individual’s construct of reality has on their perception. It is important to realize that choice is perhaps the most a critical component in the classification of information.
