Looking for the "I" Function among the Visual Processes; Contemplating its Character and Possibilities
Oliver Sacks wrote a case study about a sixty-seven year old painter who lost his color vision as a result of a car accident. His vision was such that everything appeared to him as a black and white TV screen. After numerous tests his doctors could find nothing wrong with his eyes and concluded that he had a rare cerebral dysfunction form of achromatopsia caused by visual cortex damage. Mr. I, as Oliver Sacks called him, retained an awareness of where color should be. His color perception was replaced with a sharp acuity for tones of grey to a degree not known to color-sighted people or congenital color-blind people. He felt uncomfortable because he saw only "awful and disgusting" shades of grey where the color should have been. As an artist, his response to the loss of a fundamental faculty was to shun social and sexual intercourse, because everyone, including himself, looked like "animated grey statues". Food became disgusting because a black tomato suggested death to him. His awareness of where the color should be because of all the grey shades and tones was so distracting that he began to try to surround himself with black and white-white rice, black coffee, ... even redecorating parts of his house in black and white (1).
Recent research into visual perception has revealed that color recognition requires a minimum of three sub-systems to be functioning: Physical receptors (the retina cones), wavelength-sensitive cells (apparently located in an area of the brain known as V1), and a higher order color generating mechanism (located in the V4 region). These three processes need to work in harmony to yield the perception of color (1).
Tests revealed that for Mr. I, the higher order color generating mechanism in V4 was not working. His other two processes were operating perfectly. Because of his two normal vision processes, Mr. I was able to judge variations in grey by the comparative wavelength of the reflected light without being able to see the actual color. Mr. I could also see textures and patterns that are normally obscured to those of us because of their embedding in color. Oliver Sacks puts it this way:
"His brain damage had made him privy to, indeed trapped him within, a strange in- between state-the uncanny world of V1-a world of anomalous and, so to speak, prechromatic sensation, which could not be categorized as either color or colorless" (1).
In this paper, I will argue that it is more likely that the qualia of colour could be explained by physicalism rather than by property dualism. Qualia are subjective experiences, such as our senses (pg. 3). Physicalism views every property as physical, and can be explained by science (pg. 29). Property dualism refers to the philosophical view that minds are made out of one substance, but contain physical properties, and a non-physical mind (qualia) that are not related to each other (pg. 29).
Deiter-McArthur, Pat. “Saskatchewan’s Indian People – Five Generations.” Acting on Words: An Integrated Rhetoric, Research Guide, Reader, and Handbook. Ed. David Brundage, Michael Lahey. Toronto: Pearson Canada Inc., 2012. 379-381. Print.
...hen she is let out of the black and white room or given a color television, she will learn what it is like to see something red,”(Jackson, 2012, pg. 281-282), which describes a woman who lives in a black-and-white room. In comparison, this helps me believe that Helen has not experienced colors being blind; therefore Helen cannot possess the ideas of any color in her mind because she has yet to experience it.
Stephen M. Edelson, Ph.D. . Center for the Study of Autism. Web. 23 October 2011.
He suggests that when analyzing colors and their role in brain processes, we are misinterpreting the way it should be understood. When we speak about these sensations that are synonymous with the brain processes, it should be said as “There is something going on which is like what is going on when ____,” (149). In the case of seeing red as mentioned before, the statement would appear as “There is something going on which is like what is going on when I have my eyes open, am awake, and there is an emission of red cast from an object, that is, when I really see red." Ultimately, I do not believe this response is an adequate answer to the objection. It appears that Smart is merely altering the linguistic nature of the question rather than providing a solution to the problem. This “something” neutralizes the difference between a brain process and a sensation without giving a sound reason as to why or how they would be considered identical rather than
Although there is no way to treat colorblindness the people who have it have never known any different; it is not that big of a deal to them. I’m sure that people with colorblindness wonder what it’s like to see color the way other people see it, but t...
Music is part of our daily life. We listen to music in our special event, when we are in our way to classes, and while we are taking our shower. We listened to music when we were kids, and we still enjoy this sensation of this magic waves that enter into our brains. However, we do not know what exactly happens to our brain when this waves attain our nerves. We cannot understand how we like a kind of music, and we dislike another one. We will be very surprised to know that music helps us in different field in our school road. This is why scientists exists to prove to us how amazing the brain is. This research paper will cover the past and the present researches made by scientists and experts in the brain field. Even VH1, a music channel for young did a study that proves the importance of music. The channel claims that music is important to builds and strengthens connections between brain cells. Besides it improves memory and the ability to differentiate sounds and speeches. ( VH1,2013)
What is meant by the term “hate crime”? Discuss with reference to at least one type of hate crime, paying particular attention to the social and cultural context in which some identities become targets.
It was determined that infants develop color vision at or around three months of age and that when final results were evaluated and compared to adult (only) measures, actually have better quality color vision (Brown et al., 1994). An interesting study by Chase (1937) made efforts to discover the identities of color in which infants that aged 2 to 10 weeks old were tested to find out what colors they could perceive. The results they came up with were that very young infants could tell the difference between the primary colors and combinations but there were numerous limitations to the study (Chase, 1937). The study had placed infants to lie down and view a screen while observing eye movements (Chase, 1937). Findings by Franklin, Pilling, and Davies (2005) explain that color categorizing occurs in four month old infants and adults alike. A study by Bornstein, Kessen, & Weiskopf (1976) has supporting evidence that color is categorized in 4 month old infants and determined the boundaries within...
The brain is a very powerful organ, no doubt. It tells your body how to react and what to do. But what happens when you listen to music? How does your brain react? Let’s take a look.
There is no known single cause of autism. Researchers are investigating a number of possible theories including genetics, heredity, medical problems, problems during pregnancy or delivery, as well as environmental influences. It is widely accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in the brain structure or function. There is evidence from neuropathological studies that autism has its origins in abnormal brain development early in prenatal life which continues postnatally, showing acceleration in brain growth measured by head circumference (Zwaigenbaum, L., Bryson, S., Rogers, T., Roberts, W., Brian, J., & Szatmari, P., 2005). The disorder also seems to have a genetic basis, although researchers have yet to find the specific genes that link to the onset of autism. There could be a cluster of genes that have somehow interfered with normal brain development and function. Studies show that twins of children with autism were more likely to be autistic themselves than the regular population, demonstrating there is a heredity lin...
Hate Crime in the United States of America THESIS: In this research paper, information will be given on hate crime in the United States of America. It’s best to know about these types of crimes before it’s too late because it’s rarely reported or spoken about but does occur on regular bases. Hate crime didn't come about until the early 1980's. It's sad how these types of crimes still occur so many years later; there are innocent people who are attacked simply because of their race, religion or sexual orientation. Based on the articles, hate crime in the USA is very common and the chances to be a victim are high enough. Hate crimes are ignorant and pointless, they need to be stopped.Done to many different people in many different waysHate crimes are biased motivated, they're based on ethnicity, gender, language, nationality, physical appearance and sexual orientation. Hate crimes have various ways of being committed. They can be done either by physically assaulting another individual, doing damage to their property, bullying them, harassing them, verbal abusing or insulting someone. Hate crimes occur because of people who are prejudice and ignorant who can’t understand that there are differences among people. A victim of hate crime is more than likely to be attacked by another individual because of their race. The most common type of hate crimes that are committed is racially motivated. While gay people are also attacked often also, hate crimes based on sexual orientation come in second. In 2012 and 2013 there were 42,236 reported hate crimes. 85% were race hate crimes, 10% were sexual orientation, 4% were disability and religion hate crimes and 1% transgender. The FBI has found that most hate crime offenders are white at 70%...
In this interesting topic of the psychology of colors, the most crucial pattern is the meaning of each color and his impact on the individual as it is represented as the following:
Music and the Brain. (n.d.). Music and the Brain. Retrieved April 25, 2014, from http://tdlc.ucsd.edu/research/highlights/rh-music-and-brain-2011.html
Weinberger, Norman M. “Music and the Brain.” Scientific American Special Edition 16.3 (2006): 36-43. Health Source- Consumer Edition. Web. 10 Oct. 2015.