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There must be a psychological component of processing color that can be influenced by language. But is there an actual psychosomatic effect to the extent that
by Gormo 16y ago
There must be a psychological component of processing color that can be influenced by language. But is there an actual psychosomatic effect to the extent that the actual neurological processing of color is influenced by the mind, whether consciously or subconsciously?
I remember as an infant perceiving blue and green as being two "shades" of the same color, and being surprised that no one else thought of them that way. My early intuitive understanding succumbed to habit, and I no longer make that association, but my physical perception of the colors has never changed.
- stcredzero 16y agoThis is precisely why L and R are hard to distinguish for Asians, or why Americans are confused by the Korean distinction of more than 2 phonemes in the D to T spectrum and G to K.
- gojomo 16y agoMy American-English ears also can't hear certain distinctions along a S-Sh-Sch-Tsh spectrum that at different times Hebrew and Japanese speakers have tried to highlight for me. So I don't buy Dawkins' conjecture there are unused 'qualia' waiting to be stimulated; the brain adapts itself to the sensory ranges available from its body and environment, discarding those distinctions rarely needed. Perhaps years of exposure would slowly grow back the sensitivity -- but there'd be no surprise moment of new experience.