For the next step along the dream exploration I had to define Gestalt for Doris. The following email gave me a good hint for this attempt.
If you can read this, you must be very smart.
People send all kind of information online. Since email is part of our lives, people have sent strange things to each other. Some of those have had the ability to reappear in our mailbox from time to time.
One of those recurring phenomena is an interesting letter that provided me with some clue about how the brain works, and how to define Gestalt. Here’s the main part of the letter:
“Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteers be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.”
It turned out that it was not a Cambridge University research and it was not meant to measure our intelligence (as the complete email suggested). This was a letter written by Graham Rawlinson, a specialist in educational psychology, in response to a New Scientist magazine article back in 1999.
“Is that true?” Doris, a cute thirteen years old inquisitore asked. “The order of the letters is not important because the brain reads the word as a whole?”
“Not exactly”, I said. “For the brain to recognize the word, it is also very important to consider the sentence’s context. This is what Rawlinson later commented about his thesis research:”
“Clearly, the first and last letters are not the only thing that you use when reading text,” he wrote. “If this were the case, how would you tell the difference between pairs of words like ‘salt’ and ‘slat’.”
“… Now, Doris, do you know why I’m showing you this email?”
“Because you like to send weird information to other people, like everybody else?”.
“No, because it relates to our exploration of dreams; do you remember when we talked about how the brain puts images to our dreams?”
“Yes, images which come from our memories. I remember you said there was a missing link in that”.
“Correct, and that missing link is related to the letter I just showed you; or, more accurately, the way the brain always tries to make sense of all the things we perceive. Sometimes, the brain ”completes” the information”.
“What do you mean?” Doris asked.
“Have you ever tried to recognize figures looking at the shape of the clouds?”
“Sure, everybody does that”.
“You are right! Everybody does that one time or another; it’s a natural ability of all humans. A whole philosophy of psychology was founded based on that idea, back to the beginnings of the XX century, in Germany. It was called Die Gestalt.
“Gestalt? Is that English?”
A triangle will be perceived in picture A, although no triangle has actually been drawn. In pictures B and D the eye will recognize disparate shapes as "belonging" to a single shape, in C a complete three-dimensional shape is seen, where in actuality no such thing is drawn.
“No, is German for form or shape. The tendency of the mind, always trying to recognize the shape of things is called the gestalt effect. This concept has generated a psychology theory, a psychology school and a therapy”.
“… Gestalt psychologists have identified many variations of this ability and assigned some rigid names to them, like reification, multistability and invariance, but they all consist in how the brain reacts to stimuli”.
“… Have you seen those pictures that represent something when you focus on the dark side, and then change completely when you focus on the whites?”
“Yeah, sure! They are all over the web”,
“Those are called gestalt pictures”.
Picture represents something when you focus on the dark side, and then change completely when you focus on the whites?”
“So, what you are saying is that the brain always looks for shapes?”
“The brain always tries to make sense of images. If it only sees an incomplete spot, the brain searches in its memory storage and finds what fits better. It’s a natural ability that has helped us humans in many ways. Sometimes, recognizing danger a second faster can be a matter of live or death”.
“Oh, I see… What you are saying is that that Gestapo thing…”
“Gestalt! Gestalt effect!”.
“That thing! Is the same mechanism the brain uses to put images I our dreams?”
“Yes. You got it”
“So, where is the missing link?” Asked Doris, dramatically showing her hands.
“The missing link is this: that mechanism only works when there is an incomplete image, an unfamiliar sound, touch or taste. It requires a stimulus”
“… So, the next question is: where do the stimuli for our dreams come from?”
Hi there! I’m Gustavo and Frugal Science is about helping you rediscover your exploring nature and enjoying the benefits of looking life in a different way. Anybody can become a true explorer –it’s our nature-, all you need is a mindful attention and some frugal science.
My bedroom was an offshoot of a hall, so I heard everything that went on in the house. I remember drifting off to sleep to the sound of water dripping in the kitchen sink, only my mind changed it from dripping water into a bouncing basketball, and when I jerked awake again a few seconds later, I was looking for the ball, which had sounded loud and close by. It took me a minute to realize all I’d heard was the faucet.
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Gustavo, that wast one of the clearest descriptions of Gestalt theory I have ever read.I can’t wait to see how it applies to dreaming. Cool.
The brain is an amazing thing. That first picture is enlightening. And yes I can read it.
Roberta Budvietas recently posted..How to go from Pain to Gain
Looking forward to the second instalment.
I really need to study Gestalt psychology one day!
Helene Poulakou recently posted..Synchronicity and a Blogging Award
Interesting! I’ve known about this for some time, but never really know if there’s a specific name for it! Thanks for sharing it, Gustavo! I’d suppose the stimuli for our dreams come from reality? From what we experienced that day, or what we saw on the day we go to sleep, don’t you think?
Dian Wijayanti recently posted..Soegija: A Movie About Humanity
You are one step ahead, Jessie. The surrounding provides with important stimuli.
Gustavo recently posted..Define Gestalt.
Thank you, Ann. Great to read your comments, always encouraging. Thanks.
Gustavo recently posted..Define Gestalt.
These posts have been so enjoyable. I once read that animals think in pictures. I tend to be a highly visual person too–I must be so animal-like. Heehee! On a serious note though, it’s amazing to think about the potentials for talking to our brains via visualization for positive, healing effects.
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Hi Roberta! The message arrived to my mailbox just when I needed it. Funny, isn’t it?
gustavo recently posted..Define Gestalt.
Hi Helene! Next week, same time. Thanks for visiting.
Hi Dian! Great to see you again! Yes, reality plays a big role there, but I believe the might come from “other” parts as well.
gustavo recently posted..Define Gestalt.
Hi Lisa Marie! I totally agree, but it’s also amazing considering the brain talking back to us. Sometimes it has some interesting things to tell us.
gustavo recently posted..Define Gestalt.
Wow! Pretty cool, I have always wondered about these interesting secrets of the human brain, I just couldn’t picture myself how complex and logical structured the gray matter is…
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Gustavo- This is wonderful- My mother in law and I were just discussing stimuli for dreams and how we are influenced by images we see during the day, sounds we hear during our sleep, or feelings we might not have even known we had…..Just last night, I dreamt that I left my daughter at a public pool and panic seared through me as I made my way back to her in what seemed like agonizing minutes. We are around a lot of water activities in this summer heat- and it highlighted a fear I have that I wasn’t aware was so strong….Love the explanation of the gestalt theory and also found it funny that your conversation partner called it “gestappo.”
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