Indirect Perception
In The Phenomenology of Perception Merleau-Ponty talked about walking towards a ship through a grove of trees. The trees blocked direct vision - he saw patches of color between the black branches of the tree that didn't really suggest an object. As he approached, the ship as an object of perception became clearer. He could see a ship even though there were many trees still blocking the way.
I know that phenomenon quite well. One of the best things about my apartment is that I look out into a grove of trees. Now, in the summer, about 90% of the visible field is blocked by branches and leaves. I can see the street outside as a bunch of patches of color that aren't particularly meaningful. In winter when the leaves are gone I can see the street below quite clearly.
In summer when people are moving around on the sidewalk or driving past in a car I can perceive the scene over time as shifting patterns of color. As a person walks across my field of view those shifting patterns of color leave a surprisingly detailed impression. A woman in a yellow blouse and blue skirt with brown hair becomes apparent. Or a guy with a dog. Or an old car.
Sometimes the leaves themselves carry information. I can tell whether it's raining or not, or even how hard it's raining by the way the leaves quiver even though I can't see the drops at all.
Sometimes the perception is not what's really there. The other day I thought I saw a garbage truck in a fair amount of detail. What was actually happening was a group of guys was walking past.
I speculate that the idea of fairies is based on the fact that at one moment a particular arrangement of roots and grasses gives a clear perception of a fairy that then disappears.
We have a capacity to construct a perception from incomplete data that is prone to error. Lots of art and entertainment depend on that capacity. I wonder about the effects of that. In movies, there is no reality - there is only an artificially generated world that presents a very intense experience. What could possibly go wrong?
What do you think?
I present regular philosophy discussions in a virtual reality called Second Life.
I set a topic and people come as avatars and sit around a virtual table to discuss it.
Each week I write a short essay to set the topic.
I show a selection of them here.