Random Thought on the Subjectivity of Physical Space
Physical space like much of human experience is subjective, a function of psychological states.
Flying home to Virginia for Thanksgiving from ever sunny Bangalore, I noted that that the cold weather there had the psychological effect of restricting my sense of physical space. I didn’t go feel up to walking in the park or going to the beach. These places that were obviously physically still there might as well have not existed because it was cold outside.
Like weather, I imagine our psychological sense of space is affected by many other things:
- emotional states Stress or fear would close off spaces
- physical environmental elements Architectural design or room colors
- income and poverty Certain physical places might not exist unless you could afford them
- people Being with a particular person might open up spaces or vice versa
I suppose, in other words, physical space like much of human experience is subjective, a function of psychological states. Architects, urban planners and designers must think about these ideas a great deal, but I am not familiar with the existing literature.
Image Credit: Psychological Space by AtaxicInferno on Deviant Art