You've likely seen the famous optical illusion, the duck versus rabbit illusion:
I wrote about this illusion a few weeks ago in a series on joy. Today I return to the illusion to make a different point. Specifically, as you look at the illusion here, go back and forth. See the duck. Then see the rabbit. Back and forth.
The point illustrated here is that perception isn't wholly due to sensory stimuli. The brain doesn't passively register "the facts." Rather, the brain shapes sensory data, much like a potter shapes clay. In cognitive psychology this is called "top-down processing," where a goal, idea, or expectation is imposed upon sensory data. In short, the brain isn't passive, but intentional, bringing expectations to the sensory experience. I can see a duck, or I can see a rabbit. Even if the sensory input is identical.
The argument I make in Hunting Magic Eels is that seeing God is a practice of attention, where you direct you gaze. This is true, but there is more. The duck versus rabbit illusion illustrates that seeing God is also an act of perception. I can see reality in many different ways, depending upon my intentions. I can intend a duck, or I can intend a rabbit. And this intention drives my perception, what I see. The argument of Hunting Magic Eels follows this line, that faith in God is less about belief and more about vision, a vision that flows from the mind's intention as it processes the stuff of life. A theist and atheist can be looking at the exact same thing but see it very, very differently.
