Intelligence Squared Exploring the Senses, with Guy Leschziner
Feb 15, 2022
Consultant neurologist Guy Leschziner shares insights on our sensory experiences, diving deep into the fascinating world of perception. He introduces captivating cases, like a man who literally tastes words and a woman who sees music as colors. The discussion touches on synesthesia, sensory deprivation, and the powerful link between smell and emotion, especially in light of COVID-19. Leschziner also highlights how individual differences in sensory processing shape our realities, urging a reevaluation of societal attitudes toward perceptual disabilities.
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Virtual Life
- We live a virtual life inside our minds, constructed by our nervous systems, not solely by external reality.
- Minor neurological variations drastically alter perceptions, highlighting the fragility of our reality.
Subjective Reality
- Synesthesia, where senses meld, demonstrates the subjective nature of reality.
- If synesthesia were the norm, our shared reality would be vastly different.
Brain as a Prediction Machine
- Our brains function as prediction machines due to processing limitations.
- We live slightly in the past, lack bandwidth for all sensory input, and face inherent ambiguity.
