Tunnel Vision

“Vision is by far our most dominant sense, taking up half of our brain’s resources.”

“We learn and remember best through pictures, not through written or spoken words.”

“Visual processing dominates the perception of our world. We see with our brains. We actually experience our visual environment as a fully analysed opinion about what the brain thinks is out there.” Brain Rules by John Medina

These quotes from John Medina’s excellent book Brain Rules are what keep me so intrigued about the brain and helps to explain the visual spell that certain images can cast over me.

Think about all the sights we have processed over a lifetime and how that information creates the way we see the world both literally and metaphorically. Our language is peppered with colour idioms that are a shortcut to understanding. Take the image above “once in a blue moon” we know that to mean that this is a very precious moment or that there is almost no chance of such an occurrence happening.

Visualisation in this context makes perfect sense, because it’s what we are always doing. It reminds me that science has proven that the brain can’t tell if you actually are doing something or if you are merely imagining doing something. Suddenly the phrase 'seeing is believing' takes on new meaning.