Being You

1. Consciousness is a controlled hallucination shaped by our brains

You could even say that we're all hallucinating all the time. It's just that when we agree about our hallucinations, that's what we call reality.

Perceptual inference. Our brains constantly generate predictions about the causes of sensory inputs, creating a controlled hallucination of reality. This process, known as predictive processing, involves top-down predictions meeting bottom-up sensory signals. The brain minimizes prediction errors by updating its models or through action.

Bayesian brain. The brain operates on Bayesian principles, updating beliefs based on new evidence. Prior expectations and sensory data are combined to form posterior probabilities, which become the new priors for future perceptions. This ongoing cycle of prediction and update shapes our conscious experience of the world.

Key aspects of predictive processing:

• Top-down predictions
• Bottom-up sensory signals
• Prediction error minimization
• Bayesian inference
• Continuous updating of internal models

2. The self is a perception, not an immutable entity

Being you is literally about your body.

Multifaceted selfhood. The self is not a singular, unchanging essence but a collection of perceptions and experiences. These include:

Aspects of selfhood:

• Embodied selfhood (body ownership, emotions)
• Perspectival self (first-person point of view)
• Volitional self (sense of agency and intention)
• Narrative self (autobiographical memories and identity)
• Social self (perception of others' perceptions of us)

Constructed self. Like other perceptions, the self is a controlled hallucination generated by the brain. This view challenges the intuition of an immutable "soul" or essence of self, revealing it as a dynamic construct shaped by ongoing perceptual processes.

3. Conscious experiences arise from predictive processing in the brain

We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are.

Prediction machine. The brain's primary function is to generate predictions about the causes of sensory inputs, not merely to process incoming information. This predictive processing underlies all conscious experiences, from perception of the external world to emotions and sense of self.

Active inference. The brain doesn't passively receive information but actively seeks to confirm its predictions through action. This process, called active inference, involves both changing sensory inputs through movement and updating internal models based on new information.

Key components of predictive processing:

• Generative models
• Prediction errors
• Precision weighting
• Active inference

4. Our perception of reality is both less and more than objective truth

We perceive the world around us, and ourselves within it, with, through, and because of our living bodies.

Selective perception. Our conscious experience is a carefully curated subset of all possible sensory information, shaped by evolutionary pressures for survival rather than accurate representation of reality. This means we perceive less than what's objectively "out there."

Constructive perception. At the same time, our brains add richness and meaning to raw sensory data, creating a vivid inner world that goes beyond mere reflection of external stimuli. This constructed reality includes qualia, emotions, and the sense of self.

Aspects of perception that diverge from objective reality:

• Color (a construction of the brain, not an inherent property of objects)
• Time (our sense of duration is subjective and malleable)
• Continuity (we perceive a smooth, uninterrupted world despite constant eye movements)
• Objecthood (we infer whole objects from partial sensory information)

5. Consciousness is more closely tied to being alive than being intelligent

I predict myself therefore I am.

Biological roots. Consciousness arises from the fundamental processes of living organisms striving to maintain their physiological integrity. This "beast machine" theory ties consciousness to the regulatory needs of biological systems rather than to abstract information processing.

Interoception and emotion. A key aspect of consciousness is the perception of the body's internal state, or interoception. Emotions and moods are best understood as control-oriented perceptions of physiological conditions, serving to guide behavior for survival.

Key aspects of the "beast machine" theory:

• Physiological regulation as the basis for consciousness
• Interoceptive inference
• Emotions as perceptions of bodily states
• Active maintenance of low-entropy states

6. The "hard problem" of consciousness can be dissolved through scientific inquiry

Everything in conscious experience is a perception of sorts, and every perception is a kind of controlled – or controlling – hallucination.

Real problem approach. Instead of tackling the "hard problem" of why consciousness exists at all, the "real problem" approach focuses on explaining specific properties of conscious experience in terms of brain mechanisms. This strategy has proven more fruitful in advancing our understanding.

Bridging mechanism and phenomenology. By building explanatory bridges between brain processes and subjective experiences, the seemingly unbridgeable gap between physical and mental phenomena may gradually close. This approach has already yielded insights into conscious level, content, and selfhood.

Key strategies in the "real problem" approach:

• Focus on explaining, predicting, and controlling phenomenological properties
• Develop measures of consciousness (e.g., perturbational complexity index)
• Investigate neural correlates of specific conscious experiences
• Explore the deep structure of perception and selfhood

7. Animal consciousness exists on a spectrum, challenging human exceptionalism

If we want to understand other minds, the minds of cephalopods are the most other of all.

Continuity of consciousness. Consciousness likely exists on a spectrum across animal species, with varying degrees of complexity and content. This view challenges the notion of human exceptionalism and encourages a more nuanced understanding of animal minds.

Diverse inner worlds. Different animals may have radically different conscious experiences based on their sensory systems, brain structures, and evolutionary pressures. The octopus, with its distributed nervous system and unique capabilities, offers a striking example of how alien animal consciousness can be.

Factors influencing animal consciousness:

• Brain structure and complexity
• Sensory systems and perceptual dominance
• Evolutionary pressures and ecological niches
• Social behavior and cognitive abilities

8. Free will is a perceptual experience, not a metaphysical truth

Man can do what he wills, but he cannot will what he wills.

Illusory causation. The experience of free will is a perceptual inference, not a direct insight into the causal structure of decision-making. Our sense of agency and volition arises from predictive processes in the brain, similar to other perceptions.

Degrees of freedom. While metaphysical free will may not exist, humans possess a real capacity for flexible, voluntary behavior. This ability to control many degrees of freedom in alignment with our beliefs and goals is what we experience as free will.

Key aspects of the free will debate:

• Compatibilism vs. libertarianism
• Neuroscientific evidence (e.g., Libet experiments)
• Implications for moral responsibility and ethics

9. Artificial consciousness is unlikely in the near future, despite AI advances

We are building intelligent tools, not colleagues.

Intelligence ≠ consciousness. The development of artificial intelligence does not necessarily lead to artificial consciousness. Current AI systems, despite impressive capabilities, lack the biological foundations that give rise to consciousness in living beings.

Ethical considerations. As AI becomes more sophisticated, we must grapple with ethical questions about the treatment of seemingly conscious machines and the potential creation of new forms of suffering. Preventative ethics is crucial in guiding AI development.

Challenges in creating artificial consciousness:

• Lack of biological substrate
• Difficulty in replicating interoception and embodiment
• Uncertainty about the necessary conditions for consciousness
• Ethical concerns about creating potentially suffering entities

10. Understanding consciousness has profound implications for ethics and society

Every time science has displaced us from the centre of things it has given back far more in return.

Expanded moral circle. A deeper understanding of consciousness in humans and other animals may lead to an expansion of our moral considerations, influencing how we treat non-human animals and potentially artificial entities.

Medical and technological applications. Advances in consciousness science have practical implications for medicine (e.g., detecting awareness in unresponsive patients), mental health treatment, and the development of brain-computer interfaces.

Potential impacts of consciousness science:

• Redefinition of personhood and rights
• Improved treatment of disorders of consciousness
• Ethical guidelines for AI development
• New approaches to mental health and well-being
• Enhanced understanding of altered states of consciousness (e.g., psychedelics)

Last updated: August 7, 2024