(Well, that’s one way to put it.) Emotion clear-cuts the natural diversity of original, unfiltered perception. Certainly, this tendency to blindside ourselves is a built-in survival adaptation. I imagine anything ‘aware’ would need such a way to filter out extraneous sensory data. Extraneous meaning that which has no immediate bearing on survival. Even given our extremely narrow sensory ranges, there’s still an infinite amount of stimuli out there to arouse the nervous system.

So far so good. Now, consider the filtering effects of language on perception. Words and names allow our brain to filter out extraneous sensory data to a fault! These preconceptions (along with emotion) ensue vast pre clear-cut landscapes of consciousness. Oh my, too much of a good thing, eh?… Continue reading ‘Emotion Clear-cuts Perception’

I’m on facebook. Are you? As we long ago lost our real village life, this is a way of feeling part of one, in some ways. Luke couldn’t believe I was joined at first. I like to read what “friends” say and be able to respond or write some things others may see. I put “friends’ in quotes. Most of my “friends” really are friends but there are a few I haven’t met in person. They may have “met” me through a friend and asked me to confirm them as a friend or visa versa. I have friends from high school, the neighborhood, home school days, but most of them are through a musical connection.

The other day, coffee in… Continue reading ‘Will you confirm me, Steve Martin?’

Science News has another research article that further narrows the gap between humans and other primates. Apparently rhesus macaque mothers act like human mothers when it comes to nursing their babies. When other monkeys are nearby a mother will indulge her baby’s tantrum more. If she doesn’t, macaque onlookers nearby get irritated and make threatening gestures or worse toward the mother.

… Continue reading ‘Public Tantrums’

For those of us who read the Abbott Family Blog once every four days know that we have a full fledged music business. In this business, Luke is the president*, Mama is the social director, Papa is the Grand Mufti (who bring good advice and reminds us from getting to caught up in details), and I am the finance manager, which fulfills my two great passions in life: … Continue reading ‘Luke Being Financial’