perceptionen

Perceptionen is the plural form of Perzeption in German-language philosophical and cognitive science literature, and is sometimes used in English-language discussions as a loan form. The common English plural is perceptions. The term refers to the set of perceptual experiences or the processes by which sensory input is interpreted.

In general usage, perceptionen describes how stimuli from the external world are organized, interpreted, and given meaning by the brain. They encompass multistable and illusory phenomena, top-down expectations, attention, context, and prior knowledge that shape perceptual content across senses such as vision, audition, touch, and proprioception.

In philosophy and cognitive science, perceptionen are studied to understand how perception relates to belief, action, and knowledge. Different theories address whether perceptions are veridical representations of reality or constructions produced by cognitive systems. Phenomenology emphasizes the lived character of perception.

Methodologically, researchers investigate perceptionen through psychophysical experiments, neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG), and computational modeling, exploring topics like multisensory integration, perceptual constancies, and the influence of expectations.

In multilingual contexts, the term appears primarily in German texts but is encountered in English-language work as a direct borrow. Related terms include Wahrnehmung, perception, and perceptual psychology.