⋆ The “cocktail” effect refers to the very common situation in which an individ-ual is able to focus on a particular stimulus while disregarding many others. In neuroscience67, this phenomenon is explained by the fact that the unconscious receives a multitude of external stimuli but only allows one or very few of them to reach consciousness. Selective attention acts as a filter, deciding which stimuli will enter consciousness and which will be ignored.

A purely analogical comparison can be made once again, this time between this awareness and the reduction of the state vector67, symbolized by the transition from (1) to (6)68. In this analogy, the unconscious, which perceives multiple stim-uli, corresponds to a quantum system in a superposition of eigenstates. Selective attention plays the role of the measurement apparatus, while the consciousness of a psychic event approaches a well-defined quantum state, that is, an eigenstate of an operator.

⋆ The mastery bias and, more generally, what could be provocatively named the “illusion” of free will refers to the tendency of certain individuals—or perhaps everyone—to overestimate their ability to control events and make decisions autonomously, or even to possess real freedom of choice. However, it is important to avoid engaging in the complex debate surrounding the very existence of free will, a topic that, to date, has not received any definitive answers within the frame-work of neuroscience 67. Such a discussion would require, beforehand, a clarifica-tion of what we mean by “free will.” What exactly are we free from? Are we free from any historical, personal, genetic, spiritual, or metaphysical influences? And, if we exclude all these influences, what remains to justify or generate a decision?69 Without definitively settling this debate, it is reasonable to think, as we see in the mechanisms observed in the cocktail effect, that our unconscious plays a key role in our decision-making processes, influencing choices that we believe to be conscious and rational. One could then say, with Spinoza: “Freedom is nothing but the ignorance of the causes that determine us.”

⋆ The “Gestalt effect”70 refers to the theory of Gestalt, which takes its name from the German word Gestalt, meaning “form” or “configuration.” This effect is perhaps the most important for our discussion (see below). Originating from psychology and philosophy, the Gestalt theory encompasses a set of principles explaining how, in the face of a complex situation, the human brain spontaneously seeks to attribute meaning or a “form” to it. According to this theory, sensory stimuli, especially visual ones, are perceived in a global and organized manner, rather than in a local and disorganized fashion. One of its fundamental principles is that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

This effect can help explain71 :

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is termed—through a somewhat questionable wordplay—“typoglycemia,” a fusion of “typography” and “hypoglycemia.”72

⋆ Let’s consider one final effect, also very important within cognitive sciences: cognitive dissonance. This concept refers to a situation in which an individual’s behavior conflicts with their deep beliefs, convictions, or values. Faced with this psychological tension, the individual often tries, unconsciously, to reduce the contradiction by either modifying their behavior (which is rare) or their beliefs, even if the modification may sometimes be superficial or cavalier. For example, one might justify harmful or prohibited practices with principles like the famous “Carpe diem”, often invoked to legitimize an irrational or risky behavior. Similarly, some behaviors, generally judged socially or even legally inappropriate, are legiti-mized by their widespread nature—everyone does it—or their historical precedence