“The illusion of normal”Dr Belinda Goodenough

Manager, Knowledge Translation ProgramDementia Collaborative Research Centres

in my familyNORMAL

is just a setting on the washing machine

Let’s do a test

“name this bird …”

“How normal is my brain?”

< start task >

budgie

flamingo

toucan

Hints:- not a parrot- not feathered

ANSWER:a woman

Johannes StötterItalian, 35, musician, & fine-art-Bodypainter

(that’s normal)

I know what to look for,

but I still see….

What is Johannes Stötter doing?

Stötter manipulates “thing/gap” boundary ...

brain has “rules” to separate figure from ground

Pillars or people?

…to create illusion of connected surface

examples from nature ...

Crypsisblend in with background

Principles of Camouflage

Mimesisresemble something not interesting

Principles of Camouflage

Buff Tip Moth

Motion moving pattern Dazzle (confuse boundaries, location, speed)

Principles of Camouflage

Principles of Camouflage

Principles of Camouflage

Camouflage – the normal illusion

works by (conf)using normal brain processes:

“automatic” visual perception needs effort, i.e. “attention”

From the laboratory

Let’s do a test

Can you find a blue circle? (yes/no)

< start task >

YES

NO

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

NO

< end task >

Camouflage – the normal illusion

• “pop-out effect” → target unique in some way• slow/errors when: target not unique

: more distractors to check• “YES” faster than “NO”

target = distractors =

everywhere & every day

Advertising = harnessing the “pop out” effect

everywhere & every day

everywhere & every day

Or is a person there?...

(secure dementia unit)

YOURbrain

Marvel …Enjoy …

Nurture …

Imagine a home

designedby

JohanneStötter !

Better Brain.Better Life.Better “Normal”…

One last Stötter challenge: How many people?....

(5)