The spherical model of visual perception, based on the hypothesis of vector encoding of information by neurons-detectors, is suggested and discussed. The following global features of the model are under special consideration: sphericity, universality, and the connection of its metric parameters (spherical angles, Cartesian coordinates) with subjective and neurophysiological aspects of vision. Theoretical states are illustrated by the data of experimental researches of different forms of visual perception in human and animals – perception of ‘color’, ‘direction of moving’, ‘spatial frequencies’, ‘orientation’.

Limitations of subjective estimation of differences method, which is used in modeling stimuli discrimination spaces, are discussed in the article. A new approach is suggested, that is based on using «pop-out effect» in visual search. The suggested method of measuring differences among stimuli is validated. The experiment shows that the efficiency of visual search (measured on its time and accuracy) is an adequate measure of differences among stimuli, which is correlated with subjective estimation of difference. It is shown that at visual search task oriented lines are discriminated in a three-dimensional spherical space.

The article is devoted brain activity and its investigation in the psychophysiological school by E.N. Sokolov. The role of novelty neurons in hippocampus and nonspecific neurons of thalamus in an origin of cortical activation processes is shown. Resonance properties of EEG and evoked potentials components in human and animals are revealed. Representation about EEG as a total activity of set of local wave generators is formulated. The new EEG-parameter as activated frequency-selective gamma- and the bеtа-generators displaying activity of pacemaker neurons in local neuron networks, confirming the concept of vector coding the information is allocated.

This article is devoted to E.N. Sokolov and his role in the scientific guidance to neurophysiology studies. Research of animal’s visual cortex neurons showed that many features of neuronal discharges, e.g. correlation with EEG-activity, coincide with such features revealed in human psychophysiology studies. Sensory spaces were revealed using the rates of animal’s neuronal discharges in response to substitution of stimuli with different intensity, color and orientation. These spaces were similar to such spaces reconstructed using psychophysiological methods in human. Coincidence of spaces structure and some other facts corroborate the theory of vector encoding of information in nervous system.