The Next Big Idea Daily "The Experience Machine: How Our Minds Predict and Shape Reality" by Andy Clark
Nov 15, 2023
Neuroscience and psychology researcher Andy Clark discusses how our minds predict and shape reality. The podcast explores how predictive processing shapes human experience, the role of predictive processing in constructing pain experiences, and harnessing the power of expectations for well-being and performance.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Brain as a Prediction Machine
- Our brains don't passively perceive reality; they actively predict and shape what we experience.
- Strong predictions can cause us to experience things that aren't actually there, like phantom phone vibrations.
Phantom Vibrations and White Christmas
- People often feel phantom phone vibrations or hear non-existent sounds under stress or expectation.
- In an experiment, 40% falsely reported hearing a song within white noise, showing how expectations shape perception.
Pain and Predictive Brain
- Pain perception is a mix of actual bodily signals and the brain's predictions about pain.
- Cases of phantom pain or unexplained symptoms highlight how pain can be constructed by the brain's prediction machinery.