Phantom Limb Syndrome and the Mirror Box

After seeing the rubber hand video, I started thinking about phantom limb syndrome which can occur after a person has an amputation. I found a video about a man who is missing an arm, yet "experiences" a sensation of pain in the place where his hand would be. The video explains how the brain does not really know that the limb is no longer there and so sends signals directed toward his hand, trying to clench it. If this man did have a hand, his muscles would send feedback to the brain telling him to slow down the motion, however since he has no hand, the brain sends more signals resulting in a positive feedback loop. The solution is a mirror box. The man places the hand he does have in a box with a mirror, and his hand is reflected so it looks as if he has two. The ultimately tricks the brain with visual feedback and relieves the pain felt. This illusion shows us how easily the brain can be deceived, and emphasizes how our sensations can be psychological.

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Self Perception Theory

https://study.com/academy/lesson/self-perception-theory-definition-and-examples.html This link relates to how perception can be pointed inward upon ourselves. Addressing this is the Self Perception theory, which plays the idea that people create their attitudes by observing their own behavior and then making an assumption on what attitudes must have caused it. I found this video to relate well to perception, but also to exemplify just how powerful our brains truly can be. An interesting concept, I thought. I hope you do too!

Do Cuttlefish See What We See?

Cuttlefish are awesome! They can camouflage themselves to blend into their surroundings. Researchers have discovered a way to use the cuttlefish's amazing ability to test their perception! Do cuttlefish see the world the way we do?!

Time Perception

This video relates to time perception. Upon research, I found that how we perceive time changes depending on the situation that we are in. One example of this is when frantic music is played in the car, the driver tends to drive at an increased speed as a result, as time has somehow seemed to speed up. I thought this was a great example of how our senses and perceptions play tricks on ourselves. Whether it be an evolutionary benefit, or merely just our senses acting up, the changing of time is a common occurrence that exemplifies the sometimes unreliability of what we are perceiving.

Philosophy of Perception

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