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        general >> psychology >> What is more powerful touch or vision?
        
(Message started by: Tim_Johnson on Sep 9^th, 2014, 1:26am)

Title: What is more powerful touch or vision?
Post by Tim_Johnson on Sep 9^th, 2014, 1:26am

What is the more powerful sense. The sense of touch or vision?

This is an experiment I did 20 years ago when studying after images. It may help answer this question.

You will need a xeon flash (camera flash). Computer monitor or television screen. The larger
the better. I used a CRT (being 20 years ago). An LCD or LED screen should be adequate. A chair and an assistant to hold the flash.

Sit in the chair arm length in front of the monitor. Hold out one arm with your hand touching the monitor.

Have the assistant turn the lights off and hold the flash about 6 inches above and a little behind your head.
Then when ready trigger the flash once.

Relax and don't move. You should see a full color after image of your arm. Now switch arms quickly.
(Hold out your other arm and touch the monitor).

What do you observe?

You may want to repeat this experiment a few times to get the timing right. Color after images may take 5-10 seconds to dissipate. The black and white images may take 10-20 seconds to dissipate.

I observed when I switched arms before the color after image dissipated I could not feel my hand touching the television or the movement of my arm until the after image dissipated.

My conclusion. In this experiment vision is more powerful than the sense of touch.

TIM

Title: Re: What is more powerful touch or vision?
Post by towr on Sep 9^th, 2014, 10:16am

I'm not quite clear on your criteria for what makes a sense powerful. But I do know some people feel their arms years after they have been amputated. So as far as after-sensing goes, that seems a clear "win".

And as far as usefulness to survival; people that have no sense of pain tend to die young, because they don't notice injuries. Blind people have a much better survival rate (in modern society).

Title: Re: What is more powerful touch or vision?
Post by gitanas on Jan 28^th, 2016, 7:22am

As I know experienced fighters can fight with eyes closed. They just feel the enemy with touch.