John Vervaeke ~ Active Inference Insights 003 ~ Relevance Realisation, Predictive Processing, Flow
Dec 21, 2023
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In this episode, John Vervaeke and Darius Parvizi-Wayne discuss relevance realization, predictive processing, and flow states. They explore the function of consciousness, implications of radical enactivism, opponent processing, affordances, and the integration of philosophical lineages into active inference theory. The conversation also touches on social baseline theory, rock climbing, dynamic mutual coupling in affordances, and the role of narrative elements in cognitive processes.
Relevance realization challenges the subject-object divide, emphasizing relational cognition and connectedness.
Critiques of active inference call for a more relational and embodied understanding of cognition.
Deep dives
Relevance realization and its importance in problem-solving
Relevance realization is the process by which our brain generates salience landscapes that make the right things stand out as relevant, allowing us to solve a wide variety of problems. It is the ability to zero in on relevant information in a complex and constantly changing world. Relevance realization is not a passive process but an active problem-solving mechanism. It is grounded in the anticipation of goals and the preparation for those goals. Our ability to anticipate deeper into the future exponentially exacerbates the demands of relevance realization. Solving the problem of relevance realization is crucial for our adaptability and problem-solving capabilities in a social and cognitive context.
Opponent processing and the coupling of subsystems
Opponent processing is a phenomenon observed at various levels of analysis in our biology. It involves the coupling of subsystems with opposite biases that cooperatively compete with each other. For example, our sympathetic system is biased towards arousal, seeing the world as a threat or opportunity, while our parasympathetic system is biased towards security and rest. This constant trade-off between opposing processes allows us to dynamically recalibrate our state of arousal based on the demands of the environment. Opponent processing is also observed in other levels of analysis, such as vision and hemispheric activity. Understanding opponent processing helps shed light on the complex problem of relevance realization and how our cognition is embodied and embedded in a dynamically changing world.
Relevance realization and the transcending of subject-object divide
Relevance realization challenges the classical subject-object divide and the common sense notions of appearance and reality. It reveals the deeply interconnected relationship between the subjective and objective aspects of cognition. Relevance realization discloses that our cognition is fundamentally relational and participatory. Instead of treating appearances as deceptive or distracting, it highlights the importance of relationality and connectedness in how we understand the world. This notion aligns with the neoplatonic theory of knowing by conformity, where the observer and the observed participate in the same form or principle. By embracing this allothetic notion of affordance, we can transcend the subject-object divide and foster a deeper understanding of the nature of reality.
Critiques of active inference and predictive processing
There are critiques of active inference and predictive processing from within the broader framework of four E cognitive science. Critics argue against an internalist picture of active inference and the assumption of a homunculus with a representational picture of the world. They emphasize the need for a more relational and embodied understanding of cognition, challenging the individualistic nature of traditional cognitive models. While these critiques are legitimate in the sense that they contribute to scholarly debates and discussions, it is important to engage with them and consider alternative perspectives to further refine our understanding of cognition and problem-solving.
The role of philosophical frameworks in understanding consciousness
In this podcast episode, the discussion revolves around the role of philosophical frameworks in understanding consciousness. The speaker emphasizes the importance of recognizing the relationship between different levels of cognition and how they influence each other. They argue that cognitive science should function as a bridging discipline, allowing various fields to converge on the causal and constraint relationships between these levels. The integration of different perspectives, such as philosophy, neuroscience, psychology, linguistics, and cultural anthropology, can lead to a deeper understanding of the mind. By taking a synoptic integration approach, the speaker highlights the need to avoid reductionism and embrace a big picture perspective in cognitive science.
The relationship between flow states and self-modeling
Another key topic discussed is the relationship between flow states and self-modeling. The conversation revolves around the idea that flow states can enhance implicit learning and skillful coping. The speaker presents different perspectives on the role of flow states in learning, with one argument suggesting that flow states reinforce existing skills, while another proposes that flow states lead to transformative learning and insights. Additionally, the significance of context cues and the potential transferability of flow states to different domains are explored. The speaker points out the importance of ritual frameworks and philosophical frameworks in creating contexts that support the transfer of flow states from one domain to another.
The integration of predictive processing and relevant realization theory
The podcast also delves into the integration of predictive processing and relevant realization theory. The speaker presents their arguments on how these frameworks can be combined to provide a comprehensive understanding of cognition. They discuss the concept of synoptic integration, which emphasizes the need to bridge conceptual vocabulary and theoretical frameworks across different disciplines. The integration of predictive processing and relevant realization theory offers a way to analyze the causal and constraint relationships between different levels of cognition. The speaker highlights the value of understanding how these frameworks can enhance our appreciation and understanding of phenomena, rather than explaining them away or reducing them to simplistic explanations.
The Active Inference Institute is absolutely thrilled to bring you this third episode of Active Inference Insights with our host, Darius Parvizi-Wayne, and his esteemed guest, John Vervaeke. John is a cognitive scientist at the University of Toronto and is a leading intellectual in the fields of intelligence, rationality and meaning in life. He is also the host of the extremely popular lecture series, Awakening From The Meaning Crisis, as well as After Socrates. In this episode, John and Darius work through the convergence points of relevance realisation and predictive processing, before moving onto the function of consciousness, flow states, the implications of radical enactivism, and much, much more.
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