Derived Errors

Articles categorized under Derived Errors represent perhaps the most complex of the topics included within the Practical Perception website. One article might consider how the apparent size of an object may look much smaller than we know to be the case (e.g., a 747 airliner seen in flight against the sky). Another might discuss the fact that the full moon may appear to travel along with us as we walk or drive. Yet another article will consider how misperceptions of our own movement may combine with misperceptions of depth, to create odd or unexpected percepts (e.g., the sensation that the eyes of a painted portrait seem to follow us). Many of the articles to be found in this category will refer to Gogel's Theory of Phenomenal Geometry. Although reading the article that summarizes that theoretical framework should ultimately be useful for a fuller understanding, it may be better to read a selection of the individual articles first. In that way, the ideas encompassed by Phenomenal Geometry may be easier to integrate.