'Priming' involves calling attention to a word or concept, and it can affect how people interpret those words or concepts.
'Priming' is actually a form of suggestion; it creates an expectation of sorts; It can come from someone else, or from your own thoughts, but it always makes it easier to see, hear, or otherwise discover something meaningful in an otherwise ambiguous offering.
Once are told what to expect, the ambiguous is often very clear, and it is nearly impossible to reverse the effect.
This is easily demonstrated with 'Pareidolia'. Even if recognition is not automatic, once the desired outcome has been suggested and processed - Undoing that suggestion and its result, is difficult at best.
As soon as the mind recognizes a familiar pattern, it seems obvious, clear, and difficult to shake off.
Unlearning, or seeing otherwise is made even more uncomfortable and frightening, when doing so is associated with retribution, torture, suffering, loneliness and isolation... Fire and Brimstone, eternal torment, the out-casting of non-believers...
(Adapted from "Pareidolia: Do You See What You Think You See?" By James Randi)
No comments:
Post a Comment