Mental movies

Renowned neurologist and author Oliver Sacks has an essay in the current The New York Review of Books entitled In the River of Consciousness. As NewMexiKen understood the piece, our senses operate in much the same manner a movie works; that is, as a series of stills. To me this was a new and rather fascinating concept.

Ever seen the spokes of a wheel appear to move backwards when watching a western movie? We understand that is because the frames of the film catch the spokes at various positions and not continuously. Sacks notes that he can sometimes see this same phenomenon with the blades of his ceiling fan (as can most of us). Our mind works much like the frames of a motion picture.

NewMexiKen must stop before he further corrupts your understanding of consciousness. Check out the essay.