PRIME: PSYCHOLOGY

        To understand an individual's perception and the brain's ability to process colour, it can be useful, to consider a psychological view (footnote 7.).   Generally, visual perception is thought of, as quite separate from cognitive problem solving.   While controversial, Hermann von Helmholtz thought of visual perceptions as being unconscious inferences, and so related perception to thinking.   The Cambridge psychologist, Kenneth Craik (1914-45), forwarded the notion that the brain works with psychologically existing functional " internal models " of perceived and imagined objects and situations.   The notion of representing by the brain is accepted as central to cognitive approaches, and the notion of the intelligent eye, as a philosophy or paradigm, largely derived from Helmholtz, suggests that visual and other perception is intelligent decision taking, from limited sensory evidence.   Essentially, sensory signals are not adequate for direct or certain perceptions; so intelligent guessing is needed for seeing objects.

        Perceptions are viewed as predictive, never entirely certain; an hypothesis of what may be observable.   Richard L. Gregory takes the view that contemporary psychologists think of the brain as representing, rather like the symbols of language represent characteristics of things; although the shapes and sounds of language are quite different from whatever is being represented.   Language requires rules of grammar (syntax), and meanings of symbols (semantics).   Both seem necessary for the process of vision; though its syntax and semantics are implicit, to be discovered by experiment.   Visual perception may therefore be enhanced by learning the vocabulary, syntax and semantics of "image communication", which might amongst other things, include studious observation, drawing, painting; and the reading and manipulation of various two and three-dimensional media.