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Welcome to Cogniphany!

Hi, I’m Dan Hawthorne. This site is my personal home page, and as such presents some of my professional interests and areas of expertise, personal interests, blog, general information about I/O psychology, and ways to get in touch with me. So, if at any point, you have questions, please feel free to contact me.

An important question to answer at this point is, “What is a cogniphany?”

What is a Cogniphany?

I formed Cogniphany from two words, “Cognition” and “Epiphany.” Cognition is defined as “That which comes to be known, as through perception, reasoning, or intuition; knowledge.” The definition of epiphany I’ve chosen to use is, “A comprehension or perception of reality by means of a sudden intuitive realization.”

So, cogniphanies are those hard-won pieces of realization that only come after great thought. The reason that they’re not simple cognitions is because cognition can be anything from the understanding of a complex theory to noticing that an ant is crawling across the sidewalk. A cogniphany is something that involves a strong perceptual shift, giving the feel of a sudden intuitive realization.

A cogniphany is suddenly realizing your place in life, the meaning of something that’s eluded you for a while, or how to finally answer a difficult question after thinking about it for a long time. It’s a shock down your spine, as all the pieces you’ve been mulling over suddenly fall into place.

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