Abstract

Visual encounters set in motion a series of cognitive activities. Orienting responds to a visual stimulus, which gives rise to a primary visual acknowledgement. Orienting precedes all cognitive uptake; it is the ‘instruction’ sent to the visual apparatus to ‘open the door’. One cognitive module then receives the primary visual acknowledgement, a second works to investigate what has been received, and a third further to determine the output of the investigating module. Investigation locates the contours, shape, and boundaries of the object seen (‘It is round and flat’), while determination categorically identifies it (‘It is a coin’). Perceiving does not always give rise to conscious awareness.