GaryS

Walter,

Your a man of few words.

I happen to have 2 University degrees, one in Horticulture and one in Psychology.
Through the years people have said, "what a strange combination".

Your words above show why the two go together well. You have thouched on what I would term, "The Psychology of Bonsai". That's how I would entitle your words above.

The whole question of "how do we know what we think we know" has been debated for centuries and is still at the heart of the human condition.

The study of Sensation and Perception is a complex study involving processes that are too great to go into here on this board but I'm am glad you wrote about it.
A bonsai is a stimulus and how each individual perceives it varies, as you have said.

There is one point I would like to touch on though. It deals with pre-emptory perception in regards to viewing bonsai exibits. It is very important to have the right state of mind before going into an exhibit. It helps to prepare your mind before the exhibit by freeing the mind of bias and preconcieved ideas. I think it helps to see better. It's not always an easy thing to do.
I call it "Clear channel seeing".

The poet William Blake wrote: "If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite." Such cleansing would not be desirable. Without the protection of the doors of perception-that is, without the self-controlled chaotic activity of the cortex, from which perceptions spring-people and animals would be overwhelmed by eternity.

Perhaps this is why our brain has defense mechanisms built in to protect our mind. I don't know.

Thanks for writing what you did.

__________________
GaryS