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Theory of Perception
According to Buddhism everything in the world is impermanent. Everything is momentary. But there is a difference of life-span of mind and matter. The life-span of consciousness is termed as mind-moment (cittakkha%a). The mind-moment is so infinitesimal that millions of mind-moments can occur during the period of blinking eyes. Further each mind-moment consists of three sub-moments:
Moment of arising
Moment of existence
Moment of destruction
The dissolution of the mind-moment provides the condition for arising of another consciousness and it also passes the three moments. Material phenomena also pass through the same stages of arising, existence and destruction. But the time that requires for passing the three stages of material phenomena is equal to seventeen mind-moments. The stages of arising and destruction are equal in duration regarding both material and mental processes. Therefore the moment of existence of material phenomena is equal to forty-nine sub-moments of mental phenomena. The equation can be presented as follows:
Approximately the duration of mind-moment and sub-moment is as follows:
1 sub-moment = 0.000250 seconds (250?10-6 seconds) or
0.250 milliseconds or
250 microseconds
1 mind-moment = 0.000750 seconds (750?10-6 seconds) or
0.750 milliseconds or
750 microseconds
Therefore
17 mind-moments or 51 sub-moments is 0.013 seconds (13?10-3 seconds) or 13 milliseconds.
Recent research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in USA has proved that the duration of life-span of material phenomena (arising, existing and destruction) is 0.013 second or 13 milliseconds. (Mary C. Potter, Brad Wyble, Carl Erick Hagmann and Emily S. McCourt, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Journal: Attention, Perception and Psychophysics, 2014)
According to Theravada theory of perception explained in the Abhidhamma a full process of sense-perception consists of 17 mind-moments or 51 sub mind-moments. During this period of time material phenomena arises, exists and disappears. The 17 mind-moments or 51 sub mind-moments are equal to 0.013 seconds (13?10-3 seconds) or 13 milliseconds. Note that average time taken for blink of an eye is 0.250 seconds (250x10-3 seconds) or 250 milliseconds. Therefore, within a blink of an eye 20 material phenomena may arise, exist and disappear. It is amazing that the 21st century discovery in science approximately equal to Abhidhammic analyses of Sri Lankan Theravada tradition belonging to the 5th century A. D.
According to the Theravada Abhidhammic theory of sense-perception two kinds of processes have been identified.
i. Perception related to five senses
ii. Perception between mind and thoughts
The processes of perception are not complete all the time. A complete process of perception between five physical senses and five sense-objects (material) takes 17 mind-moments and each of them consists of three sub-moments. The 17 mind-moments are as follows:
i. Stream of sub-consciousness
ii. Vibration of sub-consciousness
iii. Breaking of sub-consciousness
iv. Stimulation of five sense-consciousnesses
v. Sense-consciousness
vi. Receiving consciousness
vii. Investigating consciousness
viii. Determining consciousness
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An article of the Buddhist theory or perception will be published very soon.
Reference ?
*1 millisecond = 1/1000 second
**1 microsecond = 1/1000000 second
Ed. Bhikkhu Bodhi, A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 1999, pp. 148-162
G. D. Sumanapala, An Introduction to Theravada Abhidhamma, Singapore, 1998
G. D. Sumanapala, Abhidhammic Interpretations of Early Buddhist Teachings, Singapore, 2005 |
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