Brain filtering information, metaphor concept

Decoding Metaphors: How Your Brain Filters Meaning

Theo Raines in Mind & Education August 2025 • 4 min read.

"Uncover the cognitive processes behind metaphor comprehension and how your mind separates relevant from irrelevant information."

Metaphors are more than just literary devices; they're a fundamental part of how we understand the world. Our brains are constantly working to decipher these figures of speech, a process that involves filtering out irrelevant information to arrive at the intended meaning. This article delves into the cognitive mechanisms behind metaphor comprehension, drawing on research in psycholinguistics and distributed models of conceptual representation.

One of the key concepts in understanding metaphor is suppression. This is the brain's ability to dampen the activation of extraneous, unnecessary, or inappropriate information. Imagine trying to understand the phrase 'Rumors are viruses.' Your brain needs to suppress the literal meaning of 'virus' as a biological entity to focus on the shared quality of rapid spread or harmfulness.

Distributed models of conceptual representation offer a valuable framework for understanding this suppression process. These models propose that concepts are represented in our minds as a network of interconnected features. When we encounter a metaphor, certain features become more prominent while others are suppressed, allowing us to grasp the intended meaning.

The Brain's Sieve: How Suppression Works

Brain filtering information, metaphor concept

The suppression mechanism can be thought of as a sieve, separating relevant information from the irrelevant. It discards what isn't needed and keeps the important stuff for further processing. This allows us to focus on what truly matters in a statement and disregard the rest. This is particularly important in metaphor comprehension, where the literal meaning of words can often be a distraction.

Distributed models suggest that the meaning of every concept is represented by a set of feature nodes in a connectionist network. The co-activation of these nodes leads to the understanding of that concept. The degree of distinctiveness of features plays an important role in the suppression of metaphorically irrelevant features during metaphor comprehension. When processing a metaphor like 'X is a Y,' a salient feature of Y creates a metaphorical class to which both X and Y belong. The remaining, metaphorically irrelevant features are then suppressed.

Here's a breakdown of how this process unfolds:

Activation of Features: When you encounter a word, your brain activates all the features associated with that word.
Metaphorical Class Creation: A salient feature of the vehicle (Y) creates a metaphorical class to which both the topic (X) and vehicle (Y) belong.
Suppression of Irrelevant Features: The rest of the features, which are metaphorically irrelevant, are suppressed. Features with a high degree of correlational strength are suppressed collectively.
Topic Dependence: The set of suppressed features depends on the topic of the metaphor.

Those irrelevant features which have a high degree of correlational strength are suppressed collectively. The suppression of metaphorically irrelevant features is dependent on the topic. If the defining feature of the metaphorical class of the vehicle (Y) matches the topic (X), the rest of the features will be suppressed, and both topic and vehicle of the metaphor are included in a common metaphorical class. If the defining feature of metaphorical class of the vehicle (Y) does not match the topic (X), X is understood in its literal sense, and the sentence X is a Y will not have a logical metaphorical interpretation.

The Interplay of Topic and Vehicle

Ultimately, understanding a metaphor isn't just about the vehicle; it's about the interaction between the topic and the vehicle. The features of both the topic and the vehicle, and the ways these features interact with each other determines the ultimate interpretation of the metaphor.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1007/s41470-018-0025-4, Alternate LINK

Title: Suppression From The Perspective Of Distributed Models Of Conceptual Representation

Subject: Behavioral Neuroscience

Journal: Activitas Nervosa Superior

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Authors: Omid Khatin-Zadeh, Hooshang Khoshsima, Nahid Yarahmadzehi

Published: 2018-12-01

Everything You Need To Know

What role does suppression play in understanding metaphors?

Suppression is a critical cognitive function that allows the brain to dampen the activation of unnecessary or inappropriate information when processing metaphors. It's like a sieve, filtering out the literal meanings of words that would be a distraction and enabling us to focus on the shared qualities between the topic and the vehicle of the metaphor. For instance, understanding 'Rumors are viruses' requires suppressing the biological aspects of 'virus' and highlighting the shared feature of rapid spread.

How do distributed models of conceptual representation help explain metaphor comprehension?

Distributed models of conceptual representation propose that concepts are stored as interconnected networks of features. When we encounter a metaphor, these models explain that certain features within the network become more prominent, while others are suppressed. This dynamic activation and suppression of features allows us to move beyond the literal interpretation and grasp the intended metaphorical meaning by identifying a metaphorical class. Understanding these models is crucial because it highlights the brain's ability to be flexible in understanding different meanings.

Can you elaborate on the 'metaphorical class creation' process that occurs during metaphor interpretation?

When processing a metaphor structured as 'X is a Y,' a salient feature of the vehicle (Y) creates a metaphorical class. This class encompasses both the topic (X) and the vehicle (Y). For example, in the metaphor 'Time is a thief,' the salient feature of a thief – stealing – creates a class where both time and thieves can be grouped. Subsequently, features of 'thief' that don't align with 'time,' like having hands or a mask, are suppressed. This step is important for recognizing common underlying themes.

How does the interaction between the topic and the vehicle influence the interpretation of a metaphor?

The ultimate interpretation of a metaphor isn't solely based on the vehicle, but significantly relies on the interplay between the features of both the topic and the vehicle. If the defining feature of the metaphorical class of the vehicle matches the topic, the irrelevant features are suppressed, including both topic and vehicle into a common metaphorical class. If there isn't a match, it can lead to a literal, non-metaphorical understanding.

What does it mean for metaphorically irrelevant features to have a 'high degree of correlational strength,' and how does that affect suppression?

Features with a high degree of correlational strength are those that are closely associated and tend to be activated together in the brain. When processing metaphors, these strongly linked, irrelevant features are suppressed collectively. This means that instead of suppressing each irrelevant feature individually, the brain efficiently suppresses them as a group, streamlining the comprehension process and allowing for quicker understanding. This mechanism shows how our brains make connections between concepts.