The Tetris Effect Gives Us Clues
The Tetris Effect is a cognitive phenomena. It occurs when you have dedicated large amounts of focus towards an activity. For example: playing Tetris for many hours and then closing your eyes will cause you to “see” Tetris blocks falling in your visual field. This hallucination is the Tetris Effect.
This type of hallucination is not limited to closed eye experiences. I have recently been watching cockatoo videos on the internet. After watching these videos for a long time I begin noticing my mind transforming ordinary objects into cockatoos. It sounds crazy but for an instant I see a cockatoo’s face instead of a ceramic cup. My brain corrects itself by properly identifying what I am looking at almost instantly, but I do experience the initial hallucination.
Simulations: Mental Models Of Reality
The previously discussed examples, Tetris and cockatoos, demonstrate that certain stimuli imprints patterns onto the mind. Why is this? I hypothesize that when the mind determines an activity is being focused on, it then anticipates repeating that activity. An internal model (or simulation) of the activity is generated in response. This simulation aides in the performance of the activity and it can continue “running” even after we stop performing the activity. When our simulation of an activity continues even after the activity itself has stopped, the Tetris Effect can be noticed.
Therefore what we direct focus towards may cause simulations to run in our minds. These simulations are capable of effecting our perception of reality.
If Thoughts Alter Reality How Do We Curate Them?
Importantly simulations often occur below the filter of conscious awareness. Said another way: they occur unnoticed. It is only when simulations are strong enough to influence conscious perception of sensory inputs that we take note of them. Consider these simulations may be occurring even when unaware of them.
Why does this matter? Focusing on stimulation that does not align with outcomes you desire may stop you from getting what you want. Imagine wanting to be good, wise, and thoughtful but also consuming pornographic, violent, or superficial material. Consuming this material seems harmless because we are inclined to think, “after I turn this off it stops effecting me.” However simulations related to material we consume run in our minds even after we are done consuming the material. Content we consume effects us longer than we realize.
We can curate our thoughts by curating what we choose to focus on!
Rethinking Thinking
Consider Philippians 4:8 which says:
- Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Thinking is more than conscious rationality. It includes the simulations we have been discussing in this article. Alternative translations of this verse say “dwell on such things” or “fill your minds with such things” instead of: “think about such things.” We fill our minds with what we focus (dwell) on and these become our thoughts. To focus our mind on good things, we should be careful to focus on activities and content that are also good.
We can say our mood, our conscious thoughts, our senses, and our actions are effected by these simulations. These determine our outcomes. Does it serve us to be decent if we have simulations of pornographic material running subconsciously in our mind? Does it help us to be happy if we are simulating nihilistic arguments and outcomes?
Understanding that our mind creates simulations based on inputs we serve to it, understanding that they often occur unnoticed, and finally realizing that they effect real life outcomes, let’s be mindful of what we choose to focus on.
Until next time. Cheers.