How Gestalt Sensory Perception Works

According to Gestalt cognitive theory, we understand meaning in holistic units based on how our brain or mind perceives them. Therefore, the sentence “Oh Wah Tagoo Siam” might seem like the opening line of a religious chant when said slowly in a prayer-like manner, but when spoken more quickly, it could be heard as “Oh what a goose I am.” Similarly, the words “Marsy dose and doesy does and liPle lambsy divy” would make sense when said as “Mares eat oats and does eat oats and liPle lambs eat ivy.” In the movie “Bang the Drum Slowly,” the ballplayers tease and make fun of their naïve “groupies” by pretending there is a card game called “TAGWAR” (The Amazing Game Without Any Rules) and creating arbitrary “rules” as they go, confusing and mocking their fans who never catch on to “rules.” One creates or “finds” meaning even when none exists. Thus, even though our sensory organs provide us with data, it remains just data until we interpret it within some “meaningful” framework or Gestalt.