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
A low-contextual student always uses noise-cancelling headphones on the train. While others automatically filter out background noises, for him all conversations, beeps, and sounds come in at once. The headphones help to reduce the stimulus load and make the situation manageable.