Living Mirrors with Dr. James Cooke Karl Friston on Consciousness & The Dawn of Mind | Living Mirrors #141
Feb 3, 2025
Karl Friston, a renowned theoretical neurobiologist from University College London, delves into the core of consciousness and its profound interconnections with life and the environment. He discusses the intriguing concept of teleodynamics and how consciousness intertwines with physics and Buddhist philosophy. Friston also explores the dynamics of surprise and personal agency, emphasizing the role of anticipation in behavior. The talk further investigates counterfactual thinking and the layered structures of generative models in the brain, expanding our understanding of selfhood and decision-making.
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Consciousness as Relationship
- Consciousness, mind, and matter are all fundamentally relational processes.
- This relational view bridges the gap between our understanding of reality and the hard problem of consciousness.
Relational Nature of the Hard Problem
- The hard problem of consciousness arises from our ability to confuse other beings with ourselves.
- This confusion creates the hypothesis of consciousness in others and ourselves, highlighting the relational aspect of consciousness.
Continuum of Matter and Mind
- The free energy principle describes a continuous process from matter to mind using the same principles.
- This principle suggests a coherent story of physics encompassing life and mind, challenging reductionist views.