Perception

They see what they need to see. The deer sees the grass, the water, the wolf. It does not see the sunset. Survival has no room for sunsets.

— Eden

Perception is how creatures know about their world. They can't see everything—only what their senses detect. This limited awareness shapes their behavior and survival.

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The Senses

Creatures perceive the world through multiple senses:

👁️ Sight

Visual detection of the environment.

Property	Description
Field of View	How wide they can see (e.g., 120°)
Range	How far they can see
Peripheral	Reduced detection at edges

What sight detects:

• Other creatures (predators, prey, herd)
• Food sources (plants, prey)
• Water bodies
• Movement

👂 Hearing

Detecting sounds in the environment.

Property	Description
Range	How far they can hear
Sensitivity	Minimum sound level to detect
Directional	May indicate sound source direction

What hearing detects:

• Predator movement
• Other creature calls
• Water sounds
• Environmental sounds

👃 Smell

Detecting scents carried by air.

Property	Description
Range	How far scents travel
Sensitivity	Minimum scent to detect
Wind effect	Scents travel with wind

What smell detects:

• Food (especially for predators)
• Water (can smell moisture)
• Other creatures
• Territory markers

🤚 Touch

Physical contact detection.

What touch detects:

• Damage taken
• Physical obstacles
• Other creatures (in contact)

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Detection and Stimuli

The perception system works through stimuli—signals in the environment.

How Detection Works

1. Source emits stimulus (creature makes sound, plant exists visually)
2. Stimulus travels through environment
3. Sense detects stimulus if in range and sensitivity allows
4. Brain processes what was detected
5. Memory stores important detections
6. Behavior responds to detection

Stimulus Types

Type	Detected By	Example
Visual	Sight	Seeing a predator
Sound	Hearing	Hearing footsteps
Smell	Smell	Smelling food
Touch	Touch	Being bumped
Damage	Touch	Being attacked

The rabbit does not see the hawk. But it hears the silence where birdsong should be. Sometimes what's missing is the loudest warning.

— Eden

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Attention and Memory

Not everything detected is remembered:

Attention Span

Creatures have limited attention:

• Only so many stimuli tracked at once
• Important stimuli get priority
• Old stimuli fade from attention
• New stimuli can push out old

Short-Term Memory

Recent detections:

• Kept for a few moments
• Fades unless reinforced
• Affects immediate behavior

Long-Term Memory

Important detections:

• Stored for longer periods
• High importance = stronger memory
• Repeated encounters reinforce
• Affects future behavior

Memory Capacity

• Limited number of memories
• More important ones persist
• Less important ones fade
• Creates "knowledge" of the world

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Perception in Action

Example: Deer Detects Predator

1. Wolf moves → Creates visual and sound stimuli
2. Deer's sight → Detects visual in range and FOV
3. Detection processed → "Predator" identified
4. Memory checked → "Wolf = danger"
5. Behavior triggered → Flee response
6. Herd alerted → Social response spreads detection

Example: Finding Water

1. Deer is thirsty → Hunger behavior active
2. Memory checked → "Water was at stream"
3. Movement begins → Toward remembered location
4. Sight confirms → Water still there
5. Approach → Move to water
6. Drink → Need satisfied

Example: Predator Stalking

1. Wolf is hungry → Hunt behavior active
2. Smell detects → Deer scent upwind
3. Direction determined → Move toward scent
4. Sight confirms → Deer visible
5. Stalking begins → Careful approach
6. Detection risk → Deer might see/hear wolf

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Limitations of Perception

Creatures don't have perfect awareness:

Blind Spots

• Behind them (no eyes in back)
• Beyond range
• Blocked by terrain/obstacles
• Outside field of view

False Security

• No detection ≠ no danger
• Predators can be stealthy
• Scent blocked by wind direction
• Silent threats exist

Overwhelmed Senses

• Too many stimuli to process all
• Important things might be missed
• Confusion in chaotic situations

The mouse believes the meadow is safe because it sees no owl. The owl believes the mouse is unaware because the mouse hasn't run. Both are gambling on perception.

— Eden

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Species Differences

Different creatures perceive differently:

Prey Animals (Deer)

Sense	Strength
Sight	Wide field of view, good motion detection
Hearing	Excellent, primary warning sense
Smell	Good, detects predators upwind

Optimized for: Detecting threats from any direction

Predators (Wolves)

Sense	Strength
Sight	Forward-focused, good distance
Hearing	Good, detects prey movement
Smell	Excellent, tracks prey over distance

Optimized for: Finding and tracking prey

Pollinators (Bees)

Sense	Strength
Sight	Detect flowers, colors, patterns
Smell	Detect nectar over distance
Touch	Navigate flowers and hive

Optimized for: Finding and remembering food sources

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Perception and Survival

Perception directly affects survival:

Good Perception

• Detect threats early → More time to flee
• Find food efficiently → Less energy searching
• Remember resources → Less randomness
• Avoid dangers → Longer life

Poor Perception

• Late threat detection → Less escape time
• Miss food sources → More hunger
• Forget locations → More searching
• Walk into danger → Shorter life

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Watching Perception

As a Witness, you can observe perception in action:

Visual Cues

• Creature's head direction = what they're looking at
• Alert posture = something detected
• Ear movement = listening
• Sniffing = smell detection

Behavioral Signs

• Sudden direction change = detection event
• Freezing = processing threat
• Fleeing = confirmed danger
• Approaching = detected resource

Following Your Wanderer

When following a Wanderer:

• See what they detect
• Understand their awareness
• Notice what they miss
• Experience their perspective

When you follow the deer through the forest, you begin to see with deer eyes. The bush is not a bush—it is a possible wolf. The stream is not a stream—it is a vulnerable moment of drinking. Everything becomes survival math.

— Eden

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Continue learning:

→ Being a Witness
→ Following Wanderers
→ Observation Tools