Our brain is an absolutely incredible organ. The features of his work are still mysterious for those who would like to understand the processes and laws that govern them. Scientists are trying to understand how the brain works, and ordinary people experience strange phenomena that are recorded, observed and surprised. We cannot explain them, but almost everyone is familiar with them. What are these riddles that we would like to know the "anatomy" of?
Phantom vibration
There are many strange moments in human psychology, and the observations of scientists allow us to conclude that unusual phenomena are observed in everyone's life. Polls have shown that 89% of the population of civilized countries at least once felt a phantom vibration - the sensation of an apparent call, the vibration of a mobile phone, which was actually silent. A person hears the phone when he is completely calm, and this happens quite often for many.
Recently, a survey was conducted among college students, and nine out of ten admitted that they were familiar with this condition. It is believed that the reason for this is the active use of this technique. Many first experienced the phenomenon about a month after receiving the first phone. Perhaps the cerebral cortex is incorrectly evaluating some sensory data (muscle contractions, pressure), so it seems as if the phone is ringing. Phantom vibrations, according to scientists, are harmless and removable.
Tests were carried out among physicians, due to the work of constantly using pagers or other similar devices. They offered everyone to give up vibration, as well as to use a different place to carry and store the phone. Some have changed their technique. In the first case, the frequency of the phenomenon decreased by 75%, the second measure helped 63%, the third - to half of the respondents.
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Event boundary
There is one interesting phenomenon: we go somewhere, but we forget why when we are there. This is called the "event boundary". Scientists have spent several decades identifying the causes. There have been many experiments. Apparently, the phenomenon is due to the increased likelihood of an erroneous response. The brain separates events, forms connections with separate places, environments.
If a person moves from place to place, the brain seems to close one file and open the next. It restores all data from the memory of the current room, about the events associated with it, closing the memories associated with the previous room. It is difficult for a person to remember why he came here, what he thought about just a few seconds before. To avoid this negative phenomenon, you need to move to a new room, concentrating on what needs to be done.
Spotlight effect
Our psyche is a rather strange phenomenon, and the riddles associated with it are of interest to both scientists and ordinary people. One of the curious features is the effect due to which a person does not adequately assess how much attention others pay to their mistakes. It happens that you go into the room and it seems that everyone looked around and looked accusingly. The spotlight effect is cognitive in nature and characterizes the state in which a person seems to be being watched. It is associated with shyness and anticipation of bias, fear of judgment from the outside.
We tend to extend our thinking to others by attributing our thoughts to them. In addition, bias and naivety create favorable conditions for the development of the spotlight effect. A person begins to apply his knowledge, his own style of thinking to predict the behavior of others. People often overestimate the accuracy of their perception. To overcome the unpleasant effect, it is recommended to concentrate on the people around you, and not on your own inner feelings from the situation.
Ear worm
This is how they called the phenomenon of corrosive music, from which it is impossible to get rid of - it constantly sounds in the head. Many are familiar with the annoying state of being unable to get rid of the annoying song. This worm is a classic example of spontaneous cognition. It is usually a fast melody with a catchy dough and simple rhythm. More often than not, something that differs from the usual sinks into memory. It is not uncommon for an earworm to be triggered by an unpredictable experience or uncontrolled memory.
Up to 98% of people have experienced this phenomenon, and women are more susceptible to it. In 2015, a study was conducted that proved that chewing gum can help get rid of earworms. Its use blocks certain brain structures responsible for subvocal rehearsal and short-term memory.
Baader-Meinhof phenomenon
This is the name of the state in which a person, learning something new, suddenly begins to feel himself surrounded by these objects or phenomena. The phenomenon is characterized by the case when a person meets new information, followed by a series of random occurrences of the same in everyday life. This gives rise to surprise, attention becomes selective.
Some people call this a "fantasy phenomenon." If you happen to learn about something new, you should pay attention to your life in the next few days after that. Perhaps this phenomenon will occur several times.
Semantic richness
This is the name of a condition in which a phrase temporarily loses its meaning due to frequent repetition. It happens that the familiar word is pronounced by others over and over again, over and over again - in the end it begins to seem strange, meaningless. Loss of meaning is subjective. In 1962, Leon Jacobovitz James first coined the term "semantic saturation". He designated them the phenomenon of reactive inhibition - a state when brain cells respond inadequately, receiving the same word for processing. A person cannot listen to him; instead, the resources of the brain are spent on converting a word into an image.
The formulated theory is used in work on practices that will help to cope with stuttering. Frequent repetition reduces the intensity of negative memories and the emotional context of the conversation.
Memories
This is the name given to a person's ability to relive past experiences. The elderly are more inclined towards them, and the moments of their childhood and adolescence often come to mind. This is due to autobiographical memory and the brain's ability to map memory. There are three ways to explain this amazing phenomenon. Perhaps it is a cognitive factor, biological or identification. In the first case, everything is connected with memory, in which periods of numerous changes are imprinted, which are replaced by stability.
The narrative phenomenon is possible due to the emergence of a sense of self - it appears in adolescents and young people. The biological explanation assumes the genetic ability to remember in old age due to the abundance of pictures accumulated in memory.
Dunning-Kruger effect
Everyone has at least once met such an unpleasant interlocutor who does not get tired of boasting of himself, swells with narcissism and has no idea what he is talking about. This effect attracted the attention of scientists in the last year of the last millennium. It turned out that this is a cognitive phenomenon, due to which an incompetent person does not understand that she does not know anything, therefore she feels confident, perceiving herself as the most competitive in a certain topic.
Only 39% of respondents were able to withstand constructive criticism and understand its cause, and 61% demonstrated the Dunning-Kruger effect. Its alternative name is illusory superiority, when a person tends to overestimate the positive qualities inherent in him.
Stingy world
This is the name of the phenomenon provoked by the news of violence and aggression. People believe that we live in a terrible world where nothing is good. The majority of TV viewers are receptive to what they are told on screens and believe in the truth of what was said. It seems to people that the picture on the screen accurately reflects what is happening outside the walls of their home. Excessive violence displayed on the screen desensitizes the person and advertises aggressive behavior. In order not to become a victim of this effect, you need to get acquainted with the news dosed, “filtering” them for adequacy.
The impostor phenomenon
It is known that many famous personalities were its victims. Psychologists believe that about 70% of people have encountered this at least once. This is a state of insecurity in oneself and one's capabilities. A person, being at the mercy of a phenomenon, doubts what has been achieved and fears that he will be considered a fraud. Such people explain their success by coincidence, while others are completely afraid that they simply deceived others. More often this is characteristic of women who have reached great heights, but men also become victims of the syndrome. Internally, such people do not recognize what they have achieved. There are many reasons for the phenomenon - stereotypes, culture, education. The phenomenon is often accompanied by symptoms of depression and anxiety. To cope with a problem, you need to learn to enjoy what you do and love what you get.
Natalia Balagurova