Sensory overload and coping with low-contextual thinking
Our senses directly perceive only a limited part of reality. Research shows that only 20–30% of what we experience comes from direct sensory input, while 70–80% is supplemented by our brain based on context, expectations, and memory.
In people with high-contextual thinking, the brain filters out many irrelevant stimuli. People with low-contextual thinking contextualize less, which means stimuli come in much more directly and intensely. This often leads to sensory overload.
Consequences
- Noise, crowds, and unpredictable situations are experienced as overwhelming more quickly.
- Every new environment must, as it were, be processed all over again.
- The brain gets tired more quickly due to the constant stream of unfiltered signals.
Coping strategies
Many low-contextual individuals develop strategies to cope with this sensory overload:
- strict structure and preparation
- fixed daily schedule, preferably with few unexpected changes
- avoiding places with a lot of noise or unpredictability
- seclusion to limit the stimulus load
Casus
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