Learning 4-D Spatial Representations Through Perceptual Experience With Hypercubes

Imagine a day when humans can form mental representations of higher-dimensional space and objects. These higher-dimensional spatial representations may enable us to gain unique insights into scientific and cultural advancements. To augment human spatial cognition from three to four dimensions, we have developed an interactive 4-D visualization system for acquiring an understanding of 4-D space and objects. In this paper, we examine whether humans are capable of formulating 4-D spatial representations through perceptual experience in 4-D space with 4-D objects. Participants learn about 4-D space and hypercubes through an interactive system, and are then examined on a series of 4-D spatial ability tests. They demonstrate the ability to perform perspective taking, navigation, and mental spatial transformation tasks in 4-D space. The results provide empirical evidence that humans are capable of learning 4-D spatial representations. Moreover, the results support the interpretation that humans form a cognitive coordinate system, consisting of an origin and four directional axes, to understand 4-D space and objects.