Gestalt on Many Levels.

The Gestalt Effect is a term used in art & psychology to describe the capability of the brain to cognitively generate whole forms out of fragments from our senses. The Berlin School's theory of Gestaltism suggests that the brain has self-organizing tendencies seeking holism, parallels, and analog.

What do you see above? 

Your mind fills in illusory contours as if they were real, which allows you to see a whole image. The perceived image is not recognized by identifying individual parts, instead it is perceived simultaneously as a whole. Reification is the constructive or generative aspect of perception were by the experienced percept contains more explicit spacial information that the sensory stimulus on which it is based (Lehar 2004).

Could the Gestalt Effect be applied more profoundly than to just things we detect by our senses, I wonder? After all, we do have the ability to make some sense out of a world filled with abstract events and concepts everyday. Wouldn't this suggest that we get a lot of practice in subconsciously "deciphering" them to the best of our knowledge and that this skill is, actually, probably well developed? 

If this is true then we should be exercising our ability to make complex connections to create life-as-we-know-it depending on what we are exposed to daily.

But what are we exposed to daily? Oh yeah, *chuckle* its advertisements! 

The Unhidden Persuaders
(Lefroy 2011 )

How might being constantly exposed to advertisements since a young age affect individuals in the short and long term future? (hit the jump to learn more about the sinister beginnings of 'public relations' to challenge your current perceptions values and perceptions)

The Century of the Self

As opposed to being swamped by creative commercial ads promoting un-sustainable habits, humanity would greatly benefit from more stimulating information. If information promoting positive social change would tap into our ability to seek  holism, parallels, and analog in order to understand connections between sustainability principals and real life. 

I believe that society, as a whole, can reach higher levels of self-realization;

by the means of realizing two things:

one, that

 our individual self 

is part of  a larger collective being, 

and two, how they both affect each other.

This featured video clip is from ____, an organization that ___.  They use Gestalt theories in their imagery, media used, and with the message that they intend to send.  Great Job! 

According to a Gestalt theory we can cognitively generate whole forms out of fragments from our senses. This is why the little boy, the birds, and the skeleton, were evident in their partial depiction.  Furthermore, according to Gestalts theory the minds' self-organizing tendencies that seek holism, parallels, and analog likely help make sense out of the analogies in this video; the reactions of water and ink compared to the reactions of water and "dirty"...whatever that may be. 

As a 'greeny' I sometimes can't help but get frustrated because not many have an understanding of how important it is that we take care of the earths' precious sources of life if we have any value at all for our species' existence & our unique ability to experience awareness of existence's wonders.  Art is an excellent tool for spreading emotions, news, and influencing ultimately influencing culture because it exists as an engaging experience. 

___Cite___

Lehar, S. 2004, ‘Gestalt Isomorphism and the Primacy of Subjective Conscious Experience: A Gestalt Bubble Model’, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Vol. 26, No. 4, Pg 375-444