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Filling in the Blanks
Suppose I came home after my work day was done, and I see that a package is on the table. Oh, good! The creation science videos I ordered arrived. But my wife does not get home from her job until later, so how did the package get on the table? The delivery service either leaves things outside the door or leaves an "undeliverable" note. I see that since it's a warm day, her coat is draped over a chair. My conclusion is that she stopped by for something, brought in the package, and left her coat. Later, I find out that's what happened. Some of this is based on previous experience and knowledge of my wife's methods.
We are designed to have our minds fill in the missing puzzle pieces so we can function. This happens from knowledge and experience, and trying to make sense of our surroundings and circumstances. (Of course, we can mislead ourselves with pareidolia, such as seeing a lady on Mars, but that can involve wishful thinking and disregarding science.) Also, forgetting why you went into a room is not necessarily a "senior moment" or lack of paying attention.
God designed our minds to make quick assumptions about what’s going on around us, without consciously studying it. By “filling in” information ahead of time, based on previous experiences and what we expect, our brains don’t have to constantly process every changing detail in our surroundings. This allows us to respond to important changes speedily and accurately.
To read the rest or download the audio version, click on "The Human Brain—Fill in the Blanks".
