Home

Hyperfocal Distance

There is a property of lens systems that has considerable potential significance in relation to understanding; it is referred to by the term Hyperfocal Distance, it relates to depth of field and is used in relation to photography[1].

Depth of field for a lens, at a particular lens setting, is the range of distances from the lens that the subjects of the image produced by the lens will be rendered in focus. In other words for a given lens at a specified setting (aperture and point of focus) the image will be in focus for subjects that are located between a maximum and a minimum distance from the lens. Hyperfocal distance is the distance from the lens that the lens must be focused on to enable the depth of field itself to be at a maximum for the particular lens in use at its specified setting. That is to say there is a specific distance at which a lens can be focused that will result in the image produced by the lens, for the state in which it is set up, that will maximise the range of distances in the field of view over which the subjects, as produced in the image, will be in focus.
The nature of understanding, a state of awareness achieved by thinking entities, based as it is around the creation of mental states in the brain by processes of stimulation received from external sources through the sensory systems and by internal sensory stimulation caused by the brain sensing its own state, is dependant totally on the exposure to stimulation that thinking entities have experienced; in terms of their Space-Time Occupancy that is their exposure to view points (the point in Space-Time at which external sensory stimulation is received) over their lifetime. Understanding is a process of the phenomenal universe in response to stimulation from and in the physical universe that is restricted by the inability of view point to present a complete picture; it is therefore subject to error, states can be misunderstood. Significantly, thinking can and does evolve in the phenomenal universe based on earlier thinking based on erroneous thoughts etc. etc.!!
The potential significance of Hyperfocal distance in connection with understanding is the metaphorical significance of viewing things in the way that achieves most advantage from the information being made available. In the case of understanding the concept goes far beyond that of the processing of light for it is probable that for the range of stimulants, acting on a thinking being located at a specified point in Space-Time, each has its own equivalent of a hyperfocal point. Subsequently, the same applies to the self sensing processes of the brain, where the ‘hyperfocal distance’ relates to the optimisation of the thinking processes that are the product of ongoing cycles of modification and self sensing of mental state. The point is that understanding needs to be based on evaluation of brain states that utilises optimal extraction of the data available from the sensory stimulation that has contributed to the current brain state; we need to be observant, sensorial aware of the content and meaning of sensory stimulation. This is something that comes from use of the brain.
For thinking entities the opportunity exists for the brain, through constructive thought processes, to fine tune the understanding that is achieved as a result of the self sensing of the modifications of brain state achieved by external sensory stimulation. This may take the form of ‘extracting’ more information from the change of state i.e. increasing the brains own awareness of the subtleties of change that have occurred in its own state as a result of sensory stimulation and or the cross linking experiences, both of which are processes of evolution. This is surely the process involved in the development of skills and understanding. There is an interesting point here related to a potential difference underlying the notions of skill and understanding; skill, in particular, is only developed as a result of frequent and repetitive interaction with the physical universe, understanding on the other hand, while enhanced by contact with the physical universe, can develop from within the phenomenal universe, albeit that the brain state on which it is dependant will of course be continually subject to change during the period of that development of understanding. The probability for low error skill development, within the brain, is therefore significantly greater, because of the repetitive physical universe testing, than for low error understanding, based on the limitations imposed on the phenomenal universe due to its dependence on exposure to view points. The importance of regular testing of theoretical concepts, generated in the phenomenal universe, in the physical universe becomes obvious in the light of this!
The current propensity for governments and corporations to implement changes, especially in relation to statues, based on initiatives formulated in the phenomenal universe, and hence fundamentally inclined to be wrong, without due diligence and physical universe testing is only too obvious and will in all probability lead rapidly to a collapse in the status quo. Too many people in positions of authority live their lives excessively in the error prone realm of the Phenomenal Universe without sufficient contact with the Physical Universe, we are suffering as a result of it and the situation will continue to deteriorate until we act to correct it or organisation as we know it breaks down.


[1] See The Manual of Photography – sixth edition published in 1971 by Focal Press Limited