For this book, temporal processes are of special importance

For this book, temporal processes are of special importance. Tem-poral processes can be segmented. They have a beginning and an end. Segmentation is how we make distinctions in the temporal world. Once a segment is cut off from other processes it starts to represent a small unit or episode. A thing that is thrown first flies up and then down until it hits the ground. Then it lies still and stays in place. This sequence is a minimal unit. Wood is piled up; someone kneels in front of it until it starts to become bright and warm, and flames can be seen. A noise outside the door announces that the door is about to open and someone will appear. The segmentation of temporal pro-cesses allows us to see what belongs together. The sound at the door signals a person at the door; that in turn signals an arrival. Piles of wood belong with fire and warmth. We cut out small episodes from the many overlapping actions and events, observing that they usually occur together. The temporal proximity allows for predictions of what will happen when one of the elements of a sequence is perceived. The sound of the microwave suggests food. The accumulation of wood in the cave shows that there will soon be heat. Someone is coming. The world becomes more predictable. Temporal processes also attract at-tention. As the studies with chicks show, chicks pay special attention to objects that move. One may perhaps assume that objects only be-come recognizable as objects for humans, too, because they appear in temporal chains in which they can be detached from the back-ground

— from The Instruments (Awareness/Perception/Expectations) · Narrative Brain: the Stories Our Neurons Tell by Fritz Breithaupt

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