WHAT IS PERCEPTION

DEFINITION  OF PERCEPTION

The process by which people translate sensory impressions into a coherent and unified view of the world around them. Though necessarily based on incomplete and unverified (or unreliable) information, perception is equated with reality for most practical purposes and guides human behavior in general.

Perception includes the five senses; touch, sight, taste smell and taste. It also includes what is known as proprioception, a set of senses involving the ability to detect changes in body positions and movements. It also involves the cognitive processes required to process information, such as recognizing the face of a friend or detecting a familiar scent.

SEVEN TYPE OF PERCEPTION

1. NAIGAM NAYA PERCEPTION

NAIGAM NAYA  Perception purpose-based viewpoint: In this viewpoint, the purpose of the activity is taken to represent the entire activity. For example, when a person who is carrying golf clubs is questioned "What are you doing?", he answers, "I am playing golf." In another instance, when we ask a person carrying groceries to the kitchen "What are you doing?", he may reply, "I am cooking meals." The person carrying golf clubs is not actually playing golf but he is involved in an activity whose ultimate goal is playing golf. Similarly, the person carrying groceries is actually not cooking but carrying groceries is part of a series of activities that lead to cooking. This is purpose-based viewpoint.

 2. SAMGRAH NAYA PERCEPTION

 SAMGRAH NAYA Perceptionclass-based viewpoint: In this viewpoint, several things which are essentially similar and which are not incompatible are considered together. Thus class-based viewpoint considers an entire class or group. For example, the word 'citizen' is used for all men and women living in a country without any regard to their gender, color, ethnicity, employment, etc. Similarly, the word 'entity' refers to living as well as non-living entities. Such descriptions are objects of class-based viewpoint.

 3. VYAVAHAAR NAYA PERCEPTION

VYAVAHAAR NAYA Perception analytic viewpoint: This viewpoint examines a certain object or situation based on conventional (popular) ideas. In the above example, considering the citizens such as doctors, lawyers, businessmen, engineers and teachers separately, is the object of analytic viewpoint. In the other example of entities, the analytic viewpoint may consider living and non-living entities separately.

 4. RIJUSUTRA NAYA PERCEPTION

 RIJUSUTRA NAYA Perception,the viewpoint of momentariness: This viewpoint focuses only on the present state or form of the object. All things in the universe undergo transformations continuously. The first three viewpoints do not focus on these transformations. However, the viewpoint of momentariness recognizes the fact that transformations occur in the object but it considers only the state of the object that exists at the present time. For example, a gold coin was turned into a ring from which a necklace can be made later. The viewpoint of momentariness will consider the present mode only, that is, of the ring.

 5. SHABD NAYA PERCEPTION

SHABD NAYA Perception, the viewpoint of terminology: This viewpoint differentiates between terms and names on the basis of their meanings. An example of the viewpoint of terminology are the words 'INDRA'. 'SHAKRA' and 'PURANDAR' which are used to represent the lord of heavenly beings.

 6. SAMABHIROODH NAYA PERCEPTION

 SAMABHIROODH NAYA Perception, the viewpoint of derivatives: This viewpoint differentiates between terms based on their roots. As the name implies, this viewpoint examines the various terms according to their roots. In the case of the example of the lord of heavenly beings, the viewpoint of derivatives distinguishes between the meanings of 'INDRA'. 'SHAKRA' and 'PURANDAR'; 'INDRA' means prosperous, 'SHAKRA' means powerful and 'PURANDAR' means destroyer of enemies.

 7. EVAMBHOOT NAYA PERCEPTION

EVAMBHOOT NAYA Perception the viewpoint of manifestation: Based on this viewpoint, a person (or an object) is considered to be what the name (term) implies only when he (it) is functioning according to the exact meaning of the term. Thus the lord of heavenly beings is called 'PURANDAR' only when he is destroying his enemies and a doctor is called a surgeon only when he is operating on a patient.

 Obviously, the above seven viewpoints are employed to gradually obtain a detailed information on the object under examination. The first four are called import-related viewpoints (ARTH NAYAs) because they deal with the object of knowledge, while the last three, word-related viewpoints (SHABD NAYAs) because they pertain to terms and their meanings. The seven viewpoints are also grouped in a different manner. The first three are entity-based (DRAVYAARTHIK) viewpoints as they focus on the substantive aspect, while the last four are transformation-based (PARYAAYAARTHIK) viewpoints because they deal with modifications.