Perception as Formation Interface

Perception is the downstream expression of Object 1 inside a cognitive system. It is the moment when raw signal becomes structured enough for attention to stabilize it and for meaning‑formation to begin. Perception is coherence detection, not sensory input. This paper frames perception as the formation interface: the system’s first structural contact with the world, where gradients, boundaries, and tension arcs become available for downstream operators such as attention, narrative, and identity.