Nancy-
It is actually good that she is upset (depending, of course, on how upset).
That means she is paying attention: that her education is having a real
impact on her experience. It is always a bit disconcerting to us the first
time we realize that what we have perceived as "real" and obvious is not
real or obvious. To begin to recognize that our experience is an imposition
or interpretation based on physiological apparatus is uncomfortable but
this discomfort provides the opportunity for learning. What this means is
that our interpretation (and thus our reality) may not be the same as it is
for other species. One can go too far with this, by the way, and begin to
ask the questions like "is my green the same as yours, etc." The problem is
that we all, as humans, have very nearly the same apparatus for
interpretation. For the most part it is so similar that our interpretations
are nearly always in sinc with one another. You could add that the system
is fairly robust but is, in fact, more fragile than we might imagine.
(drugs, dementia, illness, etc. can change it). One thing that helps my
students here is to examine the reality vs constructed ideas of experience.
Does our reality "Match" some ideal (in a Platonic sense) or is it largely
independent in derivation from the outside world. There is, of course, no
clear answer but some find the beginning of a solution in the fact that we
don't need external stimulation to experience this "reality" at all. The
fact that such "reality" manifests itself during sleep when the input
channels are effectively blocked from input from that "real" world means
that we do not need that input at all. Of course, there are problems with
this interpretation as well since there is not evidence of dreamers who
have NO experience with input. The fact that the brain can store enough
information (input) that it can be organized during the REM state into
something which "fools us" into accepting it doesn't actually rule out the
necessity of input. It only rules out the need for repeated and/or recent
input.
Your student has stumbled on one of the great philosophical mysteries and
physiological mysteries of several interrelated disciplines. Tell her she
isn't "upset" but excited by the new world she has discovered!
Tim S.
>Listpersons,
>
>I have a student who is most upset by the notion that "color" only exists in
>one's mind (i.e. in the visual association cortex.) At least that is how she
>is translating my introductory psychology textbook's explanation that color
>is the brain's interpretation of the wavelength of the light being detected.
>
>My question is: how do you guys summarize color vision for your intro
>students? And, since in a real sense ALL visual perception occurs only in
>"one's mind" how do you handle the big, weird existential questions that
>sometimes follow from this revelation?
>
>Thanks for any help you can give...
>
>Nancy Melucci
>SMC/LAHC/ECC
>HB CA BYOB
_______________________________________________________
Timothy O. Shearon, PhD
Albertson College of Idaho
Department of Psychology
2112 Cleveland Blvd
Caldwell, Idaho
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
208-459-5840
