I was speaking with a co-worker earlier this morning and I was trying to think of the term used to describe what happens when you’re taught some new piece of information or something is brought to your attention that you had never noticed before, and suddenly you begin to recognize just how prevalent that information is in your everyday life (for example, when someone mentions that there seem to be a lot of people driving PT Cruisers, something you had never noticed, but that you suddenly can’t help but be aware of.) Can anyone think of the term used to describe this “phenomenon?” I know one exists because one of my teachers mentioned it to us years ago! Thanks for any help you can give me.
Heightened awareness?
Power of suggestion? I think this is slightly different, though. If someone asks you to not think about purple cats for the rest of the day, you will think of nothing else.
Epiphany
D’oh!
Nirvana!
I was going to say “heightened awareness”, but Nirvava will do because YOU had it first! All the others just copied you…
As Mangetout said, “epiphany” sounds like the best candidate. Other possibilities - enlightenment, satori.
selective perception?
Epiphany is more “(a) a sudden manifestation of the essence or meaning of something or (b) a comprehension or perception of reality by means of a sudden intuitive realization.” Doesn’t quite fit.
An epiphany is more like Helen Keller making the connection between the remembered “wah-wah” and the signs Anne Sullivan made her do - the understanding that things had names.
Heightened awareness is more apt to the OP’s example although it may not be the term he’s looking for. If you hear a fashion mogul on TV state that this Spring’s color will be pastel green, you will become more aware of people wearing pastel green. You don’t understand any more about the universe than you did yesterday. There probably aren’t many more people wearing pastel green today than there were yesterday. You just weren’t noticing pastel green yesterday.