Peripheral vision -- more to it than meets the eye?

[Enmos]

OK . . . now try this exercise . . . the previous logical explanation is withdrawn.

We change the scenario previously described. The woman is not conversing with her father; she is regarding a recently-acquired picture hanging on the wall. It is not glazed, and there are no mirrors anywhere in the room. There is no one else in the room. It is daytime, and the light-source in the room is sunlight from the window to her left. The doorway is to her right and leads into a hall/lobby, and from where she is standing it is some 10 or 15 degrees beyond (behind) the extreme rightward limit of her peripheral vision. The cat has passed through the doorway in perfect silence, and it cannot be detected by smell.

As the cat pauses just inside the room, the woman turns swiftly to look at it directly. Suggest a perfectly logical reason why her attention might have been attracted to the animal. (This is not a trick question; it is an invitation to exercise your imagination.)

Are subconsciously picked up reflections or shadows ruled out ?

Edit: Inserted the italic bit.

 

[River Ape]

Are subconsciously picked up reflections ruled out ?

Well, if visual data stay in the subconscious,
the conscious mind won't be aware that the subconscious is aware of them
. . . so it becomes a difficult area to speculate upon!
If data don't stay in the subconscious, they won't be regarded as subconscious.

HOWEVER, if you are suggesting that the subconscious can "pull a trigger" for attention without conveying to the conscious mind the data which caused the trigger to be pulled . . . yes, I think that is entirely possible. In fact, I think this can often occur when we are awakened from sleep.

 

[Enmos]

HOWEVER, if you are suggesting that the subconscious can "pull a trigger" for attention without conveying to the conscious mind the data which caused the trigger to be pulled . . . yes, I think that is entirely possible.

^ This

In fact, I think this can often occur when we are awakened from sleep.

Good point.
It has happened a few times that I wake up being sure there is something to be dealt with.. I just stand there for a good couple of seconds staring at the alarmclock before I realize I have to hit the off-button.. all the while dreaming (quite literally) up scenarios of what's up with it. lol
I think I'm somewhere in between states then.

 

[Quantum Quack]

The example of pheromones teaches us that entirely new sensory abilities may come to light. However, once the existence of pheromones was proved, scientific method was able to progress our understanding to its current level.

In these days when all civilised people tend to wear shoes, the power of the feet (shared with some other animals) to chemically detect the elements with which they are in contact tends to be unexplored. But if it was considered to exist at more than the most rudimentary level, we could begin to conduct experiments to extend our knowledge.

Now you refer to the infrared. My response is that the realm of the infrared is an extremely simple one to explore. The thermographic camera is a very standard (and inexpensive) piece of laboratory and industrial equipment. Your claimed ability to detect infrared could easily be examined, perhaps with reasonable expectation that your reliability could be improved upon. You should invest in the necessary equipment, design appropriate experiments, and embark upon a scientific quest for knowledge!

I wont comment in to much detail as this would derail your thread, however what I will say is that most of these so called psychic abilities that people talk of are normally locked into reflexive autonomic function. That is to say that they are governed by subconcsious pressures and conditionings and also the physical bodies actual autonomic reactions.
The minds mental tapestry is generated using these subconscious abilities and when they fall within volition of the conscious mind all hell can break loose. At this moment the last thing I want to do is encourage infra-red "seeing" as this imposes and incredible impost on normal mental function.
The mere ability to cogitate being terribly hampered by the distraction that these sorts of things generate.

A bit like learning how to govern ones own heart rate and then having to unlearn how to do so, so you can sleep at night with out a mechanical ventilator...as an extreme example.

We are talking about a life and not a guinea pig. We are talking about how one feels things like affection and human warmth and how "seeing" these things can rob a person of basic human needs fulfillment and satisfaction.
How devestating these sorts of [dis]-ABILITIES can cripple a person who on one hand recognises the potential of full development but simultaneously recognises just how sub human he must become to acheive so [ if he survives the ordeal long enough that is].

So no thank you not at this moment as I am not really interested in learning anything other than how to manage and eventually send the ability back to a subconscious state where it belongs. [acheiving some success with that too I might add as I haven't "seen" in infrared for some months now.]

However does that render my experience and that of others as invalid when talking of how the sensory ability can be quite a great deal more profound than science would propose?
Personally all it does is point yet again to the nature of the beast, that being the scientific method [which is essential] balanced with the humility of knowing our limitations in our understanding of the most incredible organism in the known universe, that being the human body and never forgetting that we actually know so very little of what makes this organism tick.

 

[River Ape]

I am not at all sure that "humility and knowing our limitatons" has been much of a guiding light
for the march of scientific progress, Quantum Quack.
Science is more driven by the spirit of "I'm bloody well going to find out!"

 

[Quantum Quack]

I am not at all sure that "humility and knowing our limitations" has been much of a guiding light
for the march of scientific progress, Quantum Quack.
Science is more driven by the spirit of "I'm bloody well going to find out!"

ha too bloody right!

The point with the limitations comment was simply that as soon as we assume an arrogant position in our understanding of the human body we loose the ability to learn more about it. It is only when we drop our arrogance and look at our selves with a little humility that we can possibly understand that which was impossible before.
[hence the 12 step program for support groups especially the idea about something being greater than you are - which to me is an expression or demonstration of often much needed humility ]
Years ago someone famous once was said to be using only about 10% of his mental capacity and yet a genius compared to others he was.
The same applies to sensory perception and understanding of those perceptions. Most persons live a life so dulled out that they would venture a score of about 2% of potential. Yogic teachings and training indicates a typical person may lift this with a whole life time of Yogic training to a mere 20% or so....so this may be a good indicator of where I am coming from.

So someone developers max. or 100% potentialization of a given ability and you can see why that this would cause severe hardship and blow away just about any vestige of sanity and comfort the person may have. [When pleasure becomes to intense it becomes painful.]

 

[wynn]

So, Signal, I urge you to be discontent with “I don't know how this works, but I know from personal experience that it does." Examine the evidence in expectation of a solution! For example, in the case of a cat, one may become more aware of its habitual behaviour and its response to various stimuli than one has ever consciously reflected upon.

Spending quality time with my cats has always been a far higher priority than figuring out how come I can sense their presence.

 

[wynn]

I am not at all sure that "humility and knowing our limitatons" has been much of a guiding light
for the march of scientific progress, Quantum Quack.
Science is more driven by the spirit of "I'm bloody well going to find out!"

So what did science "find out"? How high is the priority of the things that science discovered how they work?