What you’re seeing here? Reversing how we think about Richard Armitage.

This week I was reading a scientific article Reversing how to think about ambiguous figure reversals of Mitroff, Sobel & Gopnik on the neural processes of interpretation of ambiguous figures. The introduction of the article brings us: Every view of our visual world gives rise to an infinite number of interpretations. Only through a series of inferential processes do we perceive a consistent and stable environment. These inferences occur so smoothly that they are rarely noticed. However, certain stimuli can create problems for the visual system and in so doing allow for a glimpse into the inferential processes. One such class of stimuli is ambiguous figures – single images that can give rise to multiple interpretations. For example, if you look at Figure 1, your percept should occasionally reverse – alternating between a ‘young’ and a ‘old’ woman (Mitroff et al., in press).

At that point, I stopped reading the article. I closed my eyes, and I, isolating me from the outside world, thought: What exactly do we see when we look at a image of Richard Armitage? Applying the definition of Mitroff et al. An ambiguous image (actually complex), a stimulus which can give rise to multiple interpretations of the actor. In psychology, the study of perception is very important because people’s behavior is based on their interpretation of reality, not reality itself.

Traditionally there have been two competing theories of how one’s   interpretation of an  ambiguous figure reverses, but this issue remains, at best, ambiguous. According to the satiartion theory  (a bottom-up explanation)ambiguous figures reversals occur through a process analogous to neuronal fatigue  when perciving color  afterimages. If you stare for a  green color patch, and then shift your gaze to  a white patch, you will perceive red. The initial exposure to green fatigues the filiring"green neurons" and when you shift to a white patch, the "red neurons" which are not fatigued, dominate (Mitroff et al. In press).

Figure 2. Richard Armitage for Fault magazine.

Thus, extnding this analogy, perceiving a young woman in Figure 1 will eventually fatigue the neurons that represent the  "young"interpretation, giving way to the percept of the old woman. Alternatively, a cognitive theory (a top-down explanation) suggests that a reversal can occur only if: a) an observer knows  the figure is ambiguous, b) knows the two specific interpretations of the figure,and  c) has the intended to reverse.

To investigate these hypotheses, Mitroff et. al  presented the 34 children aged 3 to 5 years old with the ambiguous figures task and ‘metacognitive’ theory of mind tasks (See the article for details). Twelve of 34 (35.3%) children spontaneously reversed the ambiguous figures. Twenty of the remaining 22 children  reversed the figures after they were informed of the ambiguity and two failed to make any reversal. Therefore, the results do not support either of the two hypotheses of ambiguous figure reversals. Only a hybrid model that incorporates both bottom-up and top-down contribution can account for these findings (Mitroff et al. In press). However, the  results provide crucial piece to an puzzle. First, to reverse an ambiguous figure, informed or otherwise, observers need to possess certain mental representational capacities. Without  understanding that a single image can have multiple percepts, observers will perseverate on a single interpretation. Second, to reverse a figure spontaneously,  observers must posses additional capabilities, above and beyond understanding that a single image can have more than one percept. Without the ability to reason about multiple representations of more complex, or ‘metacognitive’ manner, it is unlikely that observers will a) infer the ambiguity, b) infer the potential perceptions, and then c) discover the bistability of ambiguous figures (Mitroff et al. In press) . But what is metacognition? Portilho (2009) and other authors define the term as "cognition about cognition", "thinking about thinking" or "knowledge about knowledge itself."

In other words, we can say that metacognition involves knowing your own knowledge, be able  to think about yourself in a "movement to back the eyes to yourself  and  discover yourself" (Portilho, 2009).

Figure 4. Gnothi seauton, Know thyself. Tattoo Lucas North,  character of the series Spooks, British TV, BBC.

So what exactly do we see when looking at a picture of Richard Armitage? As the authors of the article, we do not have enough data to answer this question. Each point of view will give rise to an infinite number of interpretations. However, analysis of our inferential processes can reveal crucial elements of our interpretation of reality.

As in the satiation theory, our process may be dominated by bottom-up mechanisms, once we  fatigued  our  neural network with the interpretation X, we can move to the interpretation Y, using our receivers not fatigued, thus expanding our understanding of the actor (and/or his admirers). Alternatively,  top-down mechanism (cognitive theory) may also be involved. When we accept that what we see may have different interpretations, we know two or more specific interpretations and we intend to reverse, we can extend our interpretation of reality. This mechanism is very present in participants of forum discussions, blogs, etc, where different observers discuss their unique and personal interpretations, and thus broaden their mental representational capacities  of reality. However, without the acceptance that a single image can have multiple perceptions, observers will persevere in a single interpretation, generally considering their "right" or "true".

Finally, without the ability to reason about yourself, about your own knowledge, beliefs and values​​, your memories and experiences, without  delve into your inner world and undertake the essential journey of self. It is unlikely that observers will infer ambiguity, perceptions potential and  stability of different interpretations. As we gain new information about ourselves, our perception changes. Generally, people are afraid to look at theirselves, to see theirselves as they really are, and thus transmute what belongs to the realm of shadows. In general, we project the other what we reject in ourselves, i.e., our shadow, creating a distorted image of reality that surrounds us.

A final aspect to be considered is the fact that the perception of certain aspects related to human characteristics, or even the "construction of perception" of certain human characteristics, can also be socially constituted. Issues of gender, race, nationality, sexuality and others, can also be interfered with by a form of perception that is socially constructed (Barros, 2005). Thus, for example, the way we perceive what "being a man" or "being a woman" is also a social construction,  as well as how societies perceive the different ways of experiencing sexuality (Barros, 2005). And within society, there are some who consider themselves guardians of the collective tradition, people who support the status quo without questioning it, and that may disparage or discourage efforts that do not harmonize with their preferences.

The teacher of our group finished reading the article quoting Amit Goswami, "reality" is also a matter of perspective.I open my eyes back to the present moment: young-old-youngold, duck-rabbit-duck-rabbit, Ana Cris-Richard Armitage. The images have not changed, it was that I saw in another manner.

Reference

Barros, J. d’Assunção. (2005). Igualdade, desigualdade e diferença: em torno
de três noções. Análise Social, vol. XL (175), 2005, 345-366. Available only in Portuguese.

Mitroff, S. R., Sobel, D. M., & Gopnik, A. (in press). Reversing how to think about ambiguous figure reversals: Spontaneous alternating by uninformed observers. Perception.

Portilho, E. M. L. O desafio de conhecer-se para conhecer. In: PAROLIN, I. (Org.). Sou  Professor. A Formação do Professor Formador. Curitiba: Positivo, 2009. Available only in Portuguese.

Read Full Post »

The moon’s song

I go my way through the mist. I don’t want to be afraid. Die inside just to breathe. I don’t want to forget who I am for your world makes sense. Night is coming, and I’ll sing the song of the Moon again. I’ll invoke the unconscious psychic energy that holds all the secrets of wisdom and knowledge. And then I’ll find my own way.
I’ll call the lunar dog of my soul with my howling. Please, do not want to be my eyes and ears, because my senses are very sharp and I know the paths that lead me to new worlds and bring me back home.

Do not try to scare me; I’ll not lose me along the way. I follow the wolf and the full moon lights my way. Like him, I follow my instincts. I raise my nose to the wind, I breathe its odors. Ears alert, I hear the sounds of life. I changed and I can seem a bit broken, but my heart remains. So I’m not a stranger in my own skin.

In your eyes I may seem aloof or stuck in another world. But I am not hurt anymore, although these scars remain with me, they just say where I was and not where I will.

I walk with my wolf and I’m not afraid to break new ground. Feel the pulsating earth, run the world and hunt my own food. And back to share the food obtained.

I’m no longer that  shy girl or painfully insecure  begging your approval. I’m not a foreigner in my own territory. I found the lunar dog of my soul. I am simply not alone anymore.

I feel whole once again. I have a voice, and I will be heard by all those who sing the song of the night. The song of the moon. I will share secrets and break promises.

Although I’m not angry anymore, I’m tired of feeling stuck, waiting for you to look at me. And despite your lies, I know you see me. And you know I feel your loneliness and cold. I know your ways, if anesthetize inside to stay alive. To not feel the pain. But this is a drug that kills within. And I want to live.

The relief exists and I find when I accept who I am. When I accept that you are simply wrong. You are who don’t know the way and got lost in the darkness of your soul. Your heart is guided only by your selfishness, and this doesn’t hurt me anymore. You chased and killed the wolf, but he lives inside of me. And the silver moon lights the wolf fur on my neck. You would know that if you looked in my eyes. You would know the true nature of my soul. But it’s too late and our choices only keep us increasingly apart.

Night is coming and I hear the song of the moon. She tells me that I will continue to howl, sing and live. That a new sun rises for the darkest night that is. The pack calls me away with your howls. I’m not a stranger in my own world.

I hear the song of the moon, and now I understand the uniqueness of each personality and beauty of being who you are. I’m not afraid to rediscover my natural talents and gifts. I am not a foreigner in my own territory. I am the lunar dog of my soul, and I’m free to be.

To live is to grow, and grow to accept that all forms of life can be our teachers. Just ask his guidance. My hands cling to the fur of the wolf, and he walks beside me. The wolf knows the way.

The path is to be willing to climb mountains, entering forests, hiking in deserts, falling into the abyss and come away with the strength to be who you are. Ready to become your own master. Ready to share the song of the moon with your pack. Ready to become  One with the moon.

Inserir legenda de vídeo aqui

Read Full Post »

Fly, Fly, Fly

Absent for about a year, since that day that I received a letter. It took me to the mountains, where my life with the eagles began. Please forgive me for the long silence (Colbert, 2005). This letter breaks that silence, coming together us again in words and thoughts.

That day, while my feet wandered through the columns of the temple, my eyes roamed the lonely mountains. My eyes wandered aimlessly until I saw the wings of freedom, the wings of Harpia1. The sun woke me up, flooding me with light, breaking the darkness of my days. And so my eagle heart began to beat.
We are eagles. We are made for freedom and not for bondage. We have within us the call to the infinite sky, the call of the highest peaks of the mountains. The call for greater achievements, the realization of our being.
Our souls crave sunlight: the integration of our being to the Great Spirit. Our feathers  crave for fly into the impossible, the unreachable and

unimaginable. They want the world that goes beyond the fences that limit our little universe, made with few worldly desires and interests. Our wings desire to break the  complacency, conformity, repetitive thought patterns, raising our minds to a much broader reality (Boff, 1997).

On the wings of the eagle I found that it was not enough just set me free from the shackles that bound me to the ground, fear of the unknown, the safety of ordinary life. But as the eagle had to release me for: to carry out my capabilities for the performance of my own destiny, to perform my nature eagle (Boff, 1997). I realized that I  could also fly and entering the infinite sky, plunging into my own being.
Living with the eagles I realized that our existence is not ready, we should build it continuously. No matter the things that happened, but how we react to them. Decisive are the feelings, values ​​and visions that we make in contact with the adventures and misadventures of our life (Boff, 1997). What matters is the growth that they provide.
Fly. Listen to the song of the eagle seeks the recovery of your soul wild, your creative nature, free and in communion with the Divine. Domestication excessive causes us to be what “others” want us to be, instead of what we really are. The domestication moves us away from our true selves and our destiny. Fly the way of an eagle.
Fly, fly, fly

References and Subtitles

1. The Harpy Eagle (Harpy harpyja) is a Neotropical species of eagle. It is the largest and powerful raptor found in Americas, and the largest extant species of Eagles in the world.  It usually inhabits lowland rainforests in the upper canopy layer. Destruction of its natural habitat hás seen it vanish from many parts of its former range, and it is almost extinct in central America.

2. Colbert, G. 2005. Ashes and Snow, a film by Gregory Colbert, uses both still and movie cameras to explore extraordinary interactions between humans and animals. The 60-minute feature is a poetic narrative rather than a documentary. It aims to lift the natural and artificial barriers between humans and other species, dissolving the distance that exists between them. Written by Ashes and Snow, http://www.ashesandsnow.org/

3. Boff, L. 1997. The eagle and the chicken. A metaphor of the human condition. Publisher Voices. Petropolis, Brazil. Only available in Portuguese

Eagle and the Chicke

Leonard Boff

A fable is told about an eagle who thought he was a chicken. When the eagle was very small, he fell from the safety of his nest.  A chicken farmer found the eagle, brought him to the farm, and raised him in a chicken coop among his many chickens. The eagle grew up doing what chickens do, living like a chicken, and believing he was a chicken.    A naturalist came to the chicken farm to see if what he had heard about an eagle acting like a chicken was really true.  He knew that an eagle is king of the sky.  He was surprised to see the eagle strutting around the chicken coop, pecking at the ground, and acting very much like a chicken.  The farmer explained to the naturalist that this bird was no longer an eagle.  He was now a chicken because he had been trained to be a chicken and he believed that he was a chicken.

The naturalist knew there was more to this great bird than his actions showed as he “pretended” to be a chicken.  He was born an eagle and had the heart of an eagle, and nothing could change that.  The man lifted the eagle onto the fence surrounding the chicken coop and said,  “Eagle, thou art an eagle.  Stretch forth thy wings and fly.”  The eagle moved slightly, only to look at the man; then he glanced down at his home among the chickens in the chicken coop where he was comfortable.  He jumped off the fence and continued doing what chickens do.  The farmer was satisfied. “I told you it was a chicken,” he said.

The naturalist returned the next day and tried again to convince the farmer and the eagle that the eagle was born for something greater.  He took the eagle to the top of the farmhouse and spoke to him: “Eagle, thou art an eagle.  Thou dost belong to the sky and not to the earth.  Stretch forth thy wings and fly.” The large bird looked at the man, then again down into the chicken coop.  He jumped from the man’s arm onto the roof of the farmhouse. Knowing what eagles are really about, the naturalist asked the farmer to let him try one more time.  He would return the next day and prove that this bird was an eagle.  The farmer, convinced otherwise, said, “It is a chicken.”.

The naturalist returned the next morning to the chicken farm and took the eagle and the farmer some distance away to the foot of a high mountain.  They could not see the farm nor the chicken coop from this new setting.  The man held the eagle on his arm and pointed high into the sky where the bright sun was beckoning above.  He spoke: “Eagle, thou art an eagle!  Thou dost belong to the sky and not to the earth.  Stretch forth thy wings and fly.” This time the eagle stared skyward into the bright sun, straightened his large body, and stretched his massive wings.  His wings moved, slowly at first, then surely and powerfully.  With the mighty screech of an eagle, he flew.

Read Full Post »