Andy Clark, a Professor of cognitive philosophy at the University of Sussex, shares his insights on the brain's predictive abilities. He discusses how our perception shapes reality, the role of predictions in managing pain and emotions, and the impact of psychedelics on cognitive processing. The conversation highlights the intersection of mindfulness with anxiety, presenting it as a physical experience to be transformed. Their exploration delves into the complexities of consciousness and how understanding our predictions can enhance well-being.
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insights INSIGHT
Predictive Brain
Our brains predict reality, including sensory inputs, to make sense of the world.
This predictive processing helps us interpret ambiguous information and react efficiently.
insights INSIGHT
Novelty and Prediction
We don't perceive absolute novelty, but rather rely on existing predictions to interpret new information.
Learning involves updating these predictions through cycles of prediction error and refinement.
insights INSIGHT
Precision Weighting
We don't directly experience prediction errors; instead, we experience the refined predictions.
Attention and precision weighting determine how much we trust predictions versus sensory input.
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In this book, Lisa Feldman Barrett presents a new neuroscientific explanation of emotions, overturning the widely held belief that emotions are automatic, universal, and hardwired in different brain regions. Instead, she argues that emotions are constructed in the moment through a unique interplay of brain, body, and culture. Barrett's theory, known as the 'Theory of Constructed Emotions,' suggests that emotions are highly individualized and vary by culture. The book explores how this new understanding has significant implications for fields such as psychology, medicine, law, parenting, and national security. Barrett uses clear, readable prose and practical examples to make her complex theories accessible to a broad audience.
The Experience Machine
How Our Minds Predict and Shape Reality
Andy Clark
In this book, Andy Clark explores the theory that the brain is a powerful, dynamic prediction engine that mediates our experience of both body and world. He illustrates how reality is a complex synthesis of sensory information and expectation, and how this predictive process shapes all human experience, from mundane to sublime. Clark discusses the implications for mental health, society, and our understanding of conditions such as chronic pain and mental illness, suggesting new approaches to treatment. The book also delves into how perception is a form of controlled hallucination and how our minds are entangled with our environments and internal states.
Sam Harris speaks with Andy Clark about the predictive brain, embodied cognition, and the extended mind. They discuss the structure of perception, novelty, precision, pain, psychedelics, emotion, ways to hack our predictions, hypnosis, meditation, artificial intelligence, consciousness, and other topics.
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Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That’s why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life’s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.
Making Sense with Sam Harris 
