Comments on: On Brains: Is Right for Writers? http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/ About the craft and business of genre fiction Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:27:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Carolyn Branch http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-31847 Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:49:04 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-31847 This is the neatest thing I've ever seen. It was clockwise for me at first and didn't change until I read some of the text and then looked back. I can't make it change at will - but if I relax and breathe deeply while I'm watching it will always go back to clockwise. I agree with Therese. I can't be seeing what I "expect" to see as ggpp indicates. The link was sent to me by a friend with no explanation at all - just "look at this!" This is the neatest thing I’ve ever seen. It was clockwise for me at first and didn’t change until I read some of the text and then looked back. I can’t make it change at will - but if I relax and breathe deeply while I’m watching it will always go back to clockwise.

I agree with Therese. I can’t be seeing what I “expect” to see as ggpp indicates. The link was sent to me by a friend with no explanation at all - just “look at this!”

]]> by: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-31120 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 22:06:04 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-31120 <i>Did you notice people tend to fall down elevator shafts when the door opens and the elevator is not there. They just “know” it should be there and act accordingly.</i> The problem with this argument, ggpp, is that there aren't any expectations when first you glance at the image. It is what it your brain makes of it. Did you notice people tend to fall down elevator shafts when the door opens and the elevator is not there. They just “know” it should be there and act accordingly.

The problem with this argument, ggpp, is that there aren’t any expectations when first you glance at the image. It is what it your brain makes of it.

]]> by: ggpp http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-31103 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 20:42:32 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-31103 It's not brain side dominance that determines the perception or clockwise or counterclockwise rotation. That's just some smart fellow "scientist" trying to invent a reason before he actually studies the issue. The fact is (as many of you noticed) that you can make yourself see it anyway you like. Experiment a bit and you will notice that the direction is determined by your expectation of the direction in the split second you first look at the image. What we expect to see is not negated by what we actually see so the mind decides it must be so... The trick here is that this specific image will not prove us wrong no matter what we expect the rotation to be. So we can see it both ways. The fact that we "guess" reality and then we confirm it by analizing the details of what we see is an optimization our brains use to faster make sense of what we perceive. Did you notice people tend to fall down elevator shafts when the door opens and the elevator is not there. They just "know" it should be there and act accordingly. By the time the mind understands that this time the guess is incorrect ... well it can be too late. Same optimization at work. But now let's say you are a psychologist and you want to make a point about how left side brainiacs are different then right side ones. What kind of explanation would you create for this image to suit your theories ? Hehe .. I can only guess :) It’s not brain side dominance that determines the perception or clockwise or counterclockwise rotation. That’s just some smart fellow “scientist” trying to invent a reason before he actually studies the issue.
The fact is (as many of you noticed) that you can make yourself see it anyway you like. Experiment a bit and you will notice that the direction is determined by your expectation of the direction in the split second you first look at the image.
What we expect to see is not negated by what we actually see so the mind decides it must be so… The trick here is that this specific image will not prove us wrong no matter what we expect the rotation to be. So we can see it both ways.
The fact that we “guess” reality and then we confirm it by analizing the details of what we see is an optimization our brains use to faster make sense of what we perceive.
Did you notice people tend to fall down elevator shafts when the door opens and the elevator is not there. They just “know” it should be there and act accordingly. By the time the mind understands that this time the guess is incorrect … well it can be too late. Same optimization at work.
But now let’s say you are a psychologist and you want to make a point about how left side brainiacs are different then right side ones. What kind of explanation would you create for this image to suit your theories ? Hehe .. I can only guess :)

]]> by: Ottawa Gardener http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-31084 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:42:27 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-31084 Well I'm inflexible. She is only spinning CLOCKWISE. I cannot get her to spin the other way and in fact, examining the figure, I can't see how to. Ah well. For being in a creative moment, I don't feel open. Well I’m inflexible. She is only spinning CLOCKWISE. I cannot get her to spin the other way and in fact, examining the figure, I can’t see how to. Ah well. For being in a creative moment, I don’t feel open.

]]> by: Amy http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-31050 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 15:27:42 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-31050 This is really cool! When I first saw her she was going clockwise....after a few minutes of focusing/practicing I was able to see either direction I wanted at that moment. Really neat! This is really cool! When I first saw her she was going clockwise….after a few minutes of focusing/practicing I was able to see either direction I wanted at that moment. Really neat!

]]> by: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30950 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:37:51 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30950 I had the same reaction, Chris and Beth. As a psych student I saw a lot of optical illusions in various classes, but never did I see anything as fascinating as the spinning dancer. Technology, I guess. ;) I had the same reaction, Chris and Beth. As a psych student I saw a lot of optical illusions in various classes, but never did I see anything as fascinating as the spinning dancer. Technology, I guess. ;)

]]> by: Beth Goulart http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30870 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 03:03:42 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30870 Oh my gosh, this is the coolest thing ever! And so very relevant to my own work/life/world right now -- thank you for sharing!!! Oh my gosh, this is the coolest thing ever! And so very relevant to my own work/life/world right now — thank you for sharing!!!

]]> by: chris eldin http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30806 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:30:21 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30806 Oh, This is really, really cool!!! I could only see the clockwise. Then I read the comments, and tried to see the counter-clockwise. And eventually I could. Can you see it when it does a half rotation one way, then half a rotation the other. Half left, half right, half left, half right. Try to do that. It's really amazing!! Oh, This is really, really cool!!!

I could only see the clockwise. Then I read the comments, and tried to see the counter-clockwise. And eventually I could.

Can you see it when it does a half rotation one way, then half a rotation the other. Half left, half right, half left, half right. Try to do that. It’s really amazing!!

]]> by: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30786 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 23:10:38 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30786 LOL Jane and Robyn! Thanks, Elena and Jaye. :) LOL Jane and Robyn!

Thanks, Elena and Jaye. :)

]]> by: Robyn http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30775 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 19:01:15 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30775 I've been seeing her go one way then the other in the last 20 or so minutes since I first saw her. Even while looking at her she'll change direction. All those years of hard partying are finally catching up to me LOL :D I’ve been seeing her go one way then the other in the last 20 or so minutes since I first saw her. Even while looking at her she’ll change direction. All those years of hard partying are finally catching up to me LOL :D

]]> by: Jane http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30770 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 16:03:26 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30770 I will have to go back to this post later because I think my brain needs to decide how it's feeling at the moment. :) When the picture of the girl was slowly loading the girl was twirling clockwise and when it loaded completely it started to move counter-clockwise. I don't know what that means but it might be connected to some deepseeded psychological issues :P LOL I will have to go back to this post later because I think my brain needs to decide how it’s feeling at the moment. :)

When the picture of the girl was slowly loading the girl was twirling clockwise and when it loaded completely it started to move counter-clockwise.
I don’t know what that means but it might be connected to some deepseeded psychological issues :P LOL

]]> by: Jaye Wells http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30766 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:33:27 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30766 Clockwise for me. Great post! Clockwise for me. Great post!

]]> by: Elena Greene http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30765 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 14:31:35 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30765 So far all I see is clockwise. I'll have to try again later. This surprised me because I've always thought of myself as on the left-side brain spectrum of writers. I am closer to a plotter than a pantser (do both at times). I also use methods and tools like Writer's Journey, GMC charts, etc..., which I know some pantsers don't care for. I think of these tools as ways to get a dialogue going between the left and right brain: asking a logical question and getting a creative answer. Fascinating post! So far all I see is clockwise. I’ll have to try again later.

This surprised me because I’ve always thought of myself as on the left-side brain spectrum of writers. I am closer to a plotter than a pantser (do both at times). I also use methods and tools like Writer’s Journey, GMC charts, etc…, which I know some pantsers don’t care for. I think of these tools as ways to get a dialogue going between the left and right brain: asking a logical question and getting a creative answer.

Fascinating post!

]]> by: Kathleen Bolton http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30764 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:41:52 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30764 Bizarre. When I first clicked on it, it was clockwise. Then when I stared at it, it went counter-clockwise. Weird. Bizarre. When I first clicked on it, it was clockwise. Then when I stared at it, it went counter-clockwise.

Weird.

]]> by: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30760 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 13:11:28 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/10/30/brains-is-right-for-writers/#comment-30760 Thanks, Eric! I added the info to the post. I think she's got to be one of the most fascinating illusions going. Thanks, Eric! I added the info to the post.

I think she’s got to be one of the most fascinating illusions going.

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