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Cognitive tunneling is a psychological phenomenon where a person's attention narrows to a single point, ignoring all other information. This happens most often under high stress or during a sudden, unexpected event, causing a person's brain to transition from a relaxed state to a panicked, focused state that fixates on a narrow set of stimuli. This can lead to an inability to see the bigger picture, sometimes described as inattentional blindness, and is a common cause of errors in high-pressure situations, such as pilots or drivers missing crucial cues.
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