We can
identify things that we percieve. This
does not mean that we do not
percieve
things that we can not identify.
If the input
perturbation is too small, we can not hear, see etc., identify the entity.
For example,
in an orchestra, it is impossible for every violin player in the violin
section to
play exactly the same color, pitch namely the sound. It is impossible
for us, the
listener to hear each performer's different sound but instead we hear the
rich, deep
sound of the violin section, rather than the week sound of a single violin.
We percieve
the minute differences in the violin section as a feeling, a warmth,
richness and
depth. We percieve small changes that
can not be identified not
cognitively
but emotionally.
This may be
the reason why small changes are frequently used in music performances.
The key here
is to make the change, for ex. a temporary tempo change, in such a way
that it can
barely be heard but can not be identified or noticed, though can be
percieved
emotionally.
The entities
that are unidentified include not only very small values but also
unmeasurable
continuous quantities. This varies from
the perception of physical
values of
heat, light etc. to the social values such as risk, friendness etc.
The
languages include words such as hot, cold, very hot, bright etc. or dangerous,
true friend
etc. words to describe these entities.
If paid attention one can notice
that these
are all emotion related words or concepts.
The reason that
an entity is unidentified may be related to the modality of the
perception. We cannot identify quantitatively any visual
input. We cannot
identify
something if it is the first time we see it.
Color, hue,
brightness etc. light attributes are all unmeasurable continuous values.
It is
impossible to identify them objectively.
We cannot remember a view if it
is not
identified in the related semantical memory.
We can only recall that view
if we see it
again. Namely, we can remember a view only if it is recorded
as
part of an
event in the episodic memory.
Aural
modality has some similarities with visual modality. Timbre, loudness,
tempo, etc.
many parameters are continuous unidentifiable values, except pitch.
Instrumental
music can mostly not go to episodic memory.
There is a window of
attention of
the listener which slides through the music piece which builds a
balance of
recalled elements and freshness. The
unity of the piece is achieved
through
making small or unidentifiable changes of the initial material. The
listener can
percieve this emotionally rather than cognitively.
This is the
reason that music expresses things that words cannot. Music touches
the heart
through feelings aroused by unidentified entities.
