Our left hemisphere unconsciously focuses on only a select few of the sensory signals it receives that it considers important🧠
The left hemisphere prioritizes things that it already knows and expects. We receive around 10,000 sensory signals per minute and our default mode network edits out probably around 9990 of them, and then the left hemisphere narrows its attention on less than 10 signals that seem important to us and that we already expect. The other 9990 signals are unconsciously classified as “meaningless” or “irrelevant.” These signals are not consciously suppressed because they never reach the conscious centers of the brain. If the majority of these signals did reach the conscious centers, we would be so overwhelmed that we would not be able to act at all. The default mode network admits only that measly trickle of information required for us to get through the day.
The reason why our brains are ordinarily so constrained rather than open may be as simple as efficiency. To form a perception of something out in the world, the brain takes in as little sensory information as it needs to make an educated guess. We are forever cutting to the chase and leaping to conclusions, relying on prior experience to inform current perception. When this process goes awry, it is at the root of several forms of mental suffering, including addiction, obsession, depression, and ruminative response styles.
References
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Wilson, A., Robert. (1986). The New Inquisition Irrational Rationalism and the Citadel of Science Chapter 7 the Open Universe (Page 220 · Location 4615). Grand Junction, Colorado: Hilaritas Press.
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Pollan, Micheal. (2018). How to Change Your Mind Chapter 5. The Neuroscience of Your Brain on Psychedelics (Location ❗️). New York, NY: Penguin Random House.
Metadata
Type:🔴 Tags: Psychology / Neuroscience / Biology Status:☀️