How to See with Wiser Eyes

Understanding Perception

In our journey to becoming wiser human beings, we need to understand that there is a big difference between the factual information our senses gather and our INTERPRETATION of these events.

We tend to treat our interpretations as FACT! The truth is – THEY ARE NOT!

Our perceptions often trigger emotional response. Or an emotional response can trigger an old perceptual pattern.

Let’s explore how this can happen.

Perception is the process of gathering information through our senses, organizing and making sense of it.

Wikipedia defines perception as follows:

“Perception is not only the passive receipt of these signals, but it’s also shaped by the recipient’s learning, memory, expectation, and attention.

Perception can be split into two processes, 

1. processing the sensory input, which transforms these low-level information to higher-level information (e.g., extracts shapes for object recognition);
2. processing which is connected with a person’s concepts and expectations (or knowledge), restorative and selective mechanisms (such as attention) that influence perception.”

Sensing Coffee

Let’s use a cup of coffee as an example. Here is how each sense might gather information about the coffee.

See: What is the colour of the cup? How much coffee is in it? Is there cream in the coffee?

Smell: Freshly roasted beans, different types of beans, freshly made coffee or coffee that has been in the pot for a while all have a different scent.

Taste: Black coffee, coffee with cream in it, coffee with sugar all have a different taste.

Touch: Fresh coffee is usually too hot to touch. The beans or grounds, however, have an interesting texture and feel.

Hearing: Imagine the sound of a cup of coffee being poured. You can almost tell the size of the cup by the sound of the coffee being poured into it.

What the senses have gathered so far is simply information about coffee and a cup of coffee. This process happens naturally without any effort on your part.

As we process this information with our knowledge, memories and attention, a new picture is formed.

Interpreting Coffee

Ed, my husband, does not like strong coffee. I like strong coffee. When we make a pot of coffee in the morning, we have agreed to move the setting on our coffeepot about halfway between medium and strong.

Ed perceives his coffee compromise as a little strong, but ok and I perceive my coffee compromise as a little weak, but still flavourful. It’s fascinating that two cups of coffee from the same pot can have such different responses.

You have a perception that is as unique as you are. Everything that happens to you during your day is perceived in a certain way. Actually, these are called perceptual filters. They are running unconsciously 24/7.

Perceptual filters behave like sunglasses. We change their colour as easily as we change our mood or our thoughts.

What I mean by ‘filter’ is that it is part of our process of perception. That is, how we view our life and everything happening within it. Filters are based on expectations, assumptions, and experiences we’ve learned through life.

The term for the same process in the field of psychology is selective perception. Wikipedia defines selective perception as,

“Selective perception is the process by which individuals perceive what they want to in media messages while ignoring opposing viewpoints. It is a broad term to identify the behavior all people exhibit to tend to "see things" based on their particular frame of reference. It also describes how we categorize and interpret sensory information in a way that favors one category or interpretation over another. In other words, selective perception is a form of bias because we interpret information in a way that is congruent with our existing values and beliefs. Psychologists believe this process occurs automatically.”

As you may have guessed already, there are thousands of perceptual filters! What most people don’t realize is that you can choose to change your interpretation of your perceptions as easily as you can change your sunglasses.

Here are a few examples of perceptual filters, continuing the theme of a cup of coffee.

Previous experience and learning: Is this the best cup of coffee you have ever tasted? Doesn’t this image look like that first coffee of the day?

Attitudes and interests: Do you have a favorite type of coffee? My favorite is a latte.

Present situation: Are you enjoying your cup of coffee with a friend at home or guzzling it at work to stay awake?

These are all ingredients of perception that are involved in every experience we have. In fact the person sitting beside you will have a completely different experience of their cup of coffee. They just have on a different colour of sunglasses.

A perceptual filter is our attitude or point of view about that cup of coffee. I trust that you are now more aware that there are a lot of different ways of perceiving a cup of coffee. It’s amazing that one cup of coffee can involve so many levels of perception. I’m sure you could add many more ways of perceiving a cup of coffee to my list.

Knowing about perceptual filters allows you to raise your awareness about how they operate in your life. As you become more aware of your filters, you will discover those that serve you and those that don’t.

Filters that don’t serve you easily create the stress response in the body, which leads to all kinds of illness and disease. Especially if the filters are habitual, negative ways of perceiving your world. An example of this might be looking at the glass as half empty.

Some perceptual filters can also contribute great chaos and strain to your relationships both at home and at work. Some perceptual filters create ease and happiness in your world.

Creating Wise Eyes

This brings us to the concept of Perceptual Intelligence. Marissa Broughton discussed this ability in her article, Perceptual Intelligence.

“Perceptual Intelligence is the knowledge and understanding that everything we experience (especially thoughts and feelings) are defined by our perception. It’s important to realize that this is an active, not passive, process and therefore we have the ability to control it or change it.” ¹

Perceptual intelligence means that you KNOW you have a CHOICE.

What perception are you choosing? When you are aware of what perceptual filter you are using, you now have the option of changing it.

You can choose to view things in a different way. This is the beginning of wisdom.

The three questions below allow you to put on a different pair of sunglasses, change your perception of the event and change the whole situation. I invite you to check out your sunglass collection.

Practicing Perceptual Intelligence

1. Think of an example over the past week that triggered you emotionally. It could have been at work, at home or even on errands around town.
2. As you recall this situation and how you responded to it ask yourself the following three questions:
• What filter am I using?
• Does this filter serve me, or this situation?
• What way of understanding this situation will serve me better?
3. Journal your responses to these questions and any insights you gained from this exercise.

    

¹  Marisa Broughton Perceptual Intellegence by, Ayrmetes, Advanced Cognitive Technologies,

 

 

How to See with Wiser Eyes

Understanding Perception

In our journey to becoming wiser human beings, we need to understand that there is a big difference between the factual information our senses gather and our INTERPRETATION of these events.

We tend to treat our interpretations as FACT! The truth is – THEY ARE NOT!

Our perceptions often trigger emotional response. Or an emotional response can trigger an old perceptual pattern.

Let’s explore how this can happen.

Perception is the process of gathering information through our senses, organizing and making sense of it.

Wikipedia defines perception as follows:

“Perception is not only the passive receipt of these signals, but it’s also shaped by the recipient’s learning, memory, expectation, and attention.

Perception can be split into two processes, 

1. processing the sensory input, which transforms these low-level information to higher-level information (e.g., extracts shapes for object recognition);
2. processing which is connected with a person’s concepts and expectations (or knowledge), restorative and selective mechanisms (such as attention) that influence perception.”

Sensing Coffee

Let’s use a cup of coffee as an example. Here is how each sense might gather information about the coffee.

See: What is the colour of the cup? How much coffee is in it? Is there cream in the coffee?

Smell: Freshly roasted beans, different types of beans, freshly made coffee or coffee that has been in the pot for a while all have a different scent.

Taste: Black coffee, coffee with cream in it, coffee with sugar all have a different taste.

Touch: Fresh coffee is usually too hot to touch. The beans or grounds, however, have an interesting texture and feel.

Hearing: Imagine the sound of a cup of coffee being poured. You can almost tell the size of the cup by the sound of the coffee being poured into it.

What the senses have gathered so far is simply information about coffee and a cup of coffee. This process happens naturally without any effort on your part.

As we process this information with our knowledge, memories and attention, a new picture is formed.

Interpreting Coffee

Ed, my husband, does not like strong coffee. I like strong coffee. When we make a pot of coffee in the morning, we have agreed to move the setting on our coffeepot about halfway between medium and strong.

Ed perceives his coffee compromise as a little strong, but ok and I perceive my coffee compromise as a little weak, but still flavourful. It’s fascinating that two cups of coffee from the same pot can have such different responses.

You have a perception that is as unique as you are. Everything that happens to you during your day is perceived in a certain way. Actually, these are called perceptual filters. They are running unconsciously 24/7.

Perceptual filters behave like sunglasses. We change their colour as easily as we change our mood or our thoughts.

What I mean by ‘filter’ is that it is part of our process of perception. That is, how we view our life and everything happening within it. Filters are based on expectations, assumptions, and experiences we’ve learned through life.

The term for the same process in the field of psychology is selective perception. Wikipedia defines selective perception as,

“Selective perception is the process by which individuals perceive what they want to in media messages while ignoring opposing viewpoints. It is a broad term to identify the behavior all people exhibit to tend to "see things" based on their particular frame of reference. It also describes how we categorize and interpret sensory information in a way that favors one category or interpretation over another. In other words, selective perception is a form of bias because we interpret information in a way that is congruent with our existing values and beliefs. Psychologists believe this process occurs automatically.”

As you may have guessed already, there are thousands of perceptual filters! What most people don’t realize is that you can choose to change your interpretation of your perceptions as easily as you can change your sunglasses.

Here are a few examples of perceptual filters, continuing the theme of a cup of coffee.

Previous experience and learning: Is this the best cup of coffee you have ever tasted? Doesn’t this image look like that first coffee of the day?

Attitudes and interests: Do you have a favorite type of coffee? My favorite is a latte.

Present situation: Are you enjoying your cup of coffee with a friend at home or guzzling it at work to stay awake?

These are all ingredients of perception that are involved in every experience we have. In fact the person sitting beside you will have a completely different experience of their cup of coffee. They just have on a different colour of sunglasses.

A perceptual filter is our attitude or point of view about that cup of coffee. I trust that you are now more aware that there are a lot of different ways of perceiving a cup of coffee. It’s amazing that one cup of coffee can involve so many levels of perception. I’m sure you could add many more ways of perceiving a cup of coffee to my list.

Knowing about perceptual filters allows you to raise your awareness about how they operate in your life. As you become more aware of your filters, you will discover those that serve you and those that don’t.

Filters that don’t serve you easily create the stress response in the body, which leads to all kinds of illness and disease. Especially if the filters are habitual, negative ways of perceiving your world. An example of this might be looking at the glass as half empty.

Some perceptual filters can also contribute great chaos and strain to your relationships both at home and at work. Some perceptual filters create ease and happiness in your world.

Creating Wise Eyes

This brings us to the concept of Perceptual Intelligence. Marissa Broughton discussed this ability in her article, Perceptual Intelligence.

“Perceptual Intelligence is the knowledge and understanding that everything we experience (especially thoughts and feelings) are defined by our perception. It’s important to realize that this is an active, not passive, process and therefore we have the ability to control it or change it.” ¹

Perceptual intelligence means that you KNOW you have a CHOICE.

What perception are you choosing? When you are aware of what perceptual filter you are using, you now have the option of changing it.

You can choose to view things in a different way. This is the beginning of wisdom.

The three questions below allow you to put on a different pair of sunglasses, change your perception of the event and change the whole situation. I invite you to check out your sunglass collection.

Practicing Perceptual Intelligence

1. Think of an example over the past week that triggered you emotionally. It could have been at work, at home or even on errands around town.
2. As you recall this situation and how you responded to it ask yourself the following three questions:
• What filter am I using?
• Does this filter serve me, or this situation?
• What way of understanding this situation will serve me better?
3. Journal your responses to these questions and any insights you gained from this exercise.

    

¹  Marisa Broughton Perceptual Intellegence by, Ayrmetes, Advanced Cognitive Technologies