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Living Mirrors with Dr. James Cooke

The Computational Architecture of Consciousness with Shamil Chandaria | Living Mirrors #133

Oct 16, 2024
Shamil Chandaria, an expert in artificial intelligence and computational neuroscience, returns to discuss his recent paper on consciousness. They dive into the computational architecture of self-awareness, exploring how advanced meditators can gain insights through reflexivity. The conversation touches on active inference, the relationship between consciousness and reality, and the nature of truth. Additionally, they examine how meditation and psychedelics can enhance awareness, bridging neuroscience with spiritual concepts.
01:20:08

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Quick takeaways

  • Consciousness involves reflexivity, where self-awareness enables individuals to recognize their own thinking processes and cognitive functions.
  • The active inference theory suggests that consciousness results from the brain's internal models predicting and refining sensory experiences rather than direct external stimuli.

Deep dives

Reflexivity of Consciousness

Consciousness is characterized by reflexivity, where awareness feeds back on itself. This permits a level of self-awareness, allowing individuals to 'know that they know.' The computational architecture of the brain contains a reality model that reflects this reflexive nature, effectively allowing the brain to monitor its own processing. This self-awareness contributes significantly to cognitive functions and is an essential aspect of understanding consciousness.

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