ABSTRACT
Thinking begins when information enters the mind. Such information may enter through our eyes or ears; it may enter in the form of a scent or a touch; it may even present itself as an idea or a memory. Yet for thinking to ensue, the brain must detect “data”; it must take hold of the data and center it in conscious awareness. Cognitive scientists describe the detection of information as sensation, and they refer to the centering of that information as attention. Together, these processes initiate the act of thinking.
