The power of suggestion can manipulate us to either search for, or to actually perceive things that just aren't there. Every illusion has, at its core, some element of misdirection...of leveraging a knowledge of our psychological "default" and "expectations" patterns. Have you ever heard someone say to you, "If you know where to look, you'll find it," or "If you really, really focus intently enough, you'll see it..."? This creates an expectation, an anticipation that something is there to be found.
It's a paradox of communications and perception that we often cannot see things that are in plain sight, but yet we can envision things that aren't even there. Our imagination is the key that causes us to either see or to not see certain things. Ask any magician, hypnotherapist, or fortune teller, and he or she would be inclined to agree with you (albeit not out loud, or in front of clients in the waiting room).
A good description can virtually transport us out of any real setting into one constructed by the gifted, captivating storyteller. Our imaginations crave stimulation -- perhaps this explains why we 'see things' that aren't there, or why we gravitate toward conspiracy theories...or even why we read books of fiction. A good communicator, once having obtained our attention, engages us by commandeering our hungry imaginations. Our minds love to create pictures, just as they like to
The power of authoritative, credible, sensorially-rich suggestion is as potent in every sense as the power of subliminal messaging. The two can even be utilized hand-in-hand for a complementary and synergistic effect. They represent two means of communication which engage us through two different channels.
The picture below truly bears looking at very closely, with your utmost focus and concentration. Allow yourself sufficient time.
Douglas E Castle [http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com]
No comments:
Post a Comment