The focusing illusion is indeed an illusion, but so is almost all our perception, because an objective animal would not survive for long. As neuroscientist Michael Graziano explains, ‘If the wind rustles the grass and you misinterpret it as a lion, no harm done. But if you fail to detect an actual lion, you’re taken out of the gene pool.’* It is thus in our evolutionary best interests to be slightly paranoid, but it is also essential that our levels of attention vary according to our emotional state. When walking on our own down an unlit street, the sound of footsteps will occupy more of our
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