No Way Out Military Hardware to Mental Health: Perceptual Control Theory with Warren Mansell, PhD
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Oct 1, 2025 Warren Mansell, PhD, a clinical psychologist and professor at the Enable Institute, dives deep into Perceptual Control Theory (PCT). He reveals how our behaviors reflect an ongoing control of perceptions, rather than simple reactions. Mansell explores psychological conflicts arising from competing goals, the role of consciousness in reorganizing these conflicts, and how PCT offers insights into leadership dynamics. He even discusses the transformative effects of meditation and psychedelics in down-regulating habitual patterns, sparking profound insights.
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Behavior As Perception Control
- William Powers reframed behavior: organisms control their perceptions, not their outputs.
- Behavior is the side effect of adjusting actions to keep perceptions near internally set references.
Powers' Path From Engineering To Psychology
- William Powers left physics after Hiroshima to apply control engineering to psychology.
- He published his foundational book in 1973 after years building practical control devices.
Conflict Is Opposing Set‑Points
- Psychological conflict arises when two control systems set opposing reference values for the same perception.
- Lasting change happens by reorganizing at a higher level to create a new perception that resolves the conflict.
