Fooling the mind: An approach on attention and concentration based on deceptions

This article explores attention and concentration in relation to the human senses, as depicted in The official C.I.A. Manual of Trickery and Deception (2009). The manual teaches field agents tricks, based on those used by magicians, for espionage purposes, such as object manipulation and covert comm...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Rafael G. Lenzi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Limoges 2025-02-01
Series:Actes Sémiotiques
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.unilim.fr/as/8871
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1825206526681284608
author Rafael G. Lenzi
author_facet Rafael G. Lenzi
author_sort Rafael G. Lenzi
collection DOAJ
description This article explores attention and concentration in relation to the human senses, as depicted in The official C.I.A. Manual of Trickery and Deception (2009). The manual teaches field agents tricks, based on those used by magicians, for espionage purposes, such as object manipulation and covert communication. Its methodology focuses on guiding attention to specific points, providing insights into manipulating perception and awareness. The deception presented by the film Argo (2012) is referenced to illustrate practical applications. The study distinguishes between attention and concentration as different expressions of perception, based on Merleau-Ponty’s approach, and examines the deceptive structures and their functioning through narrative semiotics. Additionally, Gibson’s theory of affordances is contemplated to understand how spies’ interpretation of the environment influences their effectiveness. The results indicate that attention can be handled as an umbrella for somatic senses, being able to be detached from them and from the victim as a whole.
format Article
id doaj-art-ef95da19cb8d4d1c9f2173d83be3a7ab
institution Kabale University
issn 2270-4957
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher University of Limoges
record_format Article
series Actes Sémiotiques
spelling doaj-art-ef95da19cb8d4d1c9f2173d83be3a7ab2025-02-07T09:27:56ZengUniversity of LimogesActes Sémiotiques2270-49572025-02-0113210.25965/as.88718871Fooling the mind: An approach on attention and concentration based on deceptionsRafael G. Lenzi0Centre de Recherches Sémiotiques, LimogesThis article explores attention and concentration in relation to the human senses, as depicted in The official C.I.A. Manual of Trickery and Deception (2009). The manual teaches field agents tricks, based on those used by magicians, for espionage purposes, such as object manipulation and covert communication. Its methodology focuses on guiding attention to specific points, providing insights into manipulating perception and awareness. The deception presented by the film Argo (2012) is referenced to illustrate practical applications. The study distinguishes between attention and concentration as different expressions of perception, based on Merleau-Ponty’s approach, and examines the deceptive structures and their functioning through narrative semiotics. Additionally, Gibson’s theory of affordances is contemplated to understand how spies’ interpretation of the environment influences their effectiveness. The results indicate that attention can be handled as an umbrella for somatic senses, being able to be detached from them and from the victim as a whole.https://www.unilim.fr/as/8871perceptionattentionconcentrationtromperieespionnage
spellingShingle Rafael G. Lenzi
Fooling the mind: An approach on attention and concentration based on deceptions
Actes Sémiotiques
perception
attention
concentration
tromperie
espionnage
title Fooling the mind: An approach on attention and concentration based on deceptions
title_full Fooling the mind: An approach on attention and concentration based on deceptions
title_fullStr Fooling the mind: An approach on attention and concentration based on deceptions
title_full_unstemmed Fooling the mind: An approach on attention and concentration based on deceptions
title_short Fooling the mind: An approach on attention and concentration based on deceptions
title_sort fooling the mind an approach on attention and concentration based on deceptions
topic perception
attention
concentration
tromperie
espionnage
url https://www.unilim.fr/as/8871
work_keys_str_mv AT rafaelglenzi foolingthemindanapproachonattentionandconcentrationbasedondeceptions