The theory of the specious present.

Vision: at any time, your mind contains a "conscious visual representation" of the scene before your eyes as it is, and also conscious visual representations of the scene as it was, at times in the recent past.

The retention theory.

Vision: at any time, your mind contains a "primary" "conscious visual representation," that is a representation of the scene before your eyes as it is, and also REPRODUCTIONS of conscious visual representations of the scene as it was, at times in the recent past.

 


























Interpretation 1: a reproduction of a conscious representation is just a (conscious) memory of that representation.

 

Interpretation 1a: memory as sudden reminding.

The scenario: someone sings quickly "do mi sol" in the key of C (the notes C, E, and G), close enough for you to hear. Let T be the time just after the "mi" is sung.

Does this theory say the right thing about "what it is like" to hear the G, after hearing the C and the E?

 

Interpretation 1b: memory as deliberate recall.

 


























Interpretation 2: a reproduction of a conscious representation is just a conscious representation that is exactly the same, except that it has a "lesser degree of presentedness."