In this insightful discussion, Andy Clark, a cognitive philosopher and professor at the University of Sussex, delves into the fascinating workings of the brain and its predictive processing model. He explores how our minds shape experiences like phantom sensations and chronic pain. The conversation extends to the paradox of the honest placebo, revealing how mental predictions can influence real-world outcomes. They also address the interplay between neurodiversity, perception, and decision-making, shedding light on the profound connections between mind, body, and experience.
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insights INSIGHT
Top-Down Perception
Predictive processing models view perception as a top-down process.
Expectations shape perceptions, unlike the traditional bottom-up empiricist view.
insights INSIGHT
Four Stages of Brain Processing
The brain operates in four stages: modeling, prediction, error handling, and precision estimation.
It generates an internal model, makes predictions, handles mismatches, and weighs sensory input versus predictions.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Implicit Bias in Policing
Police killing unarmed Black men is driven by implicit bias, influenced by predictive processing.
If officers feel threatened, they are more likely to perceive a threat, regardless of reality.
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In 'Being You: A New Science of Consciousness,' Anil Seth presents a radical new theory of consciousness, arguing that we are 'prediction machines' constantly inventing and correcting our perception of the world. The book delves into the biological mechanisms of the brain, exploring how billions of neurons create our conscious experience. Seth discusses the 'controlled hallucination' viewpoint, active inference, and the 'beast machine' theory, which views consciousness as a process of regulating the body's essential variables through interoceptive signals. The book is a synthesis of philosophy, science, literature, and personal experience, making complex science accessible and engaging[1][3][5].
An essay towards solving a problem in the doctrine of chances
An essay towards solving a problem in the doctrine of chances
Thomas Bayes
Thomas Bayes' "An Essay towards Solving a Problem in the Doctrine of Chances" is a foundational work in probability theory. Published posthumously by Richard Price, the essay introduces Bayes' theorem, a crucial concept for calculating conditional probabilities. This theorem allows for the updating of beliefs based on new evidence, a cornerstone of Bayesian inference. The essay's impact on statistics and related fields has been immense, shaping how we approach uncertainty and make inferences from data. Its influence extends to various disciplines, including science, technology, and decision-making. The essay's elegant mathematical formulation and profound implications continue to inspire research and applications today.
Out of Our Heads: Why You Are Not Your Brain and Other Lessons from the Biology of Consciousness
Out of Our Heads: Why You Are Not Your Brain and Other Lessons from the Biology of Consciousness
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Alva Noë
Alva Noë's "Out of Our Heads: Why You Are Not Your Brain and Other Lessons from the Biology of Consciousness" challenges the widely held belief that consciousness is solely a product of brain activity. Noë argues that consciousness is an active process of engagement with the world, shaped by our bodies, our actions, and our environment. He draws on insights from neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy to develop a comprehensive account of consciousness. The book is a significant contribution to the philosophy of mind, its ideas have had a profound impact on the field.
A treatise of human nature
David Hume
In this influential work, Hume seeks to establish a 'science of man' by applying the experimental method of reasoning, inspired by Isaac Newton's achievements in the physical sciences. The treatise is divided into three books: 'Of the Understanding', 'Of the Passions', and 'Of Morals'. Hume argues that human behavior is driven by passions rather than reason, introduces the problem of induction, and defends a sentimentalist account of morality. He also discusses personal identity and free will from a sceptical and compatibilist perspective.
Treatise on Physiological Optics
Treatise on Physiological Optics
Hermann Von Helmholtz
Hermann von Helmholtz's "Treatise on Physiological Optics" is a comprehensive work on the physics and physiology of vision. It details the workings of the eye and the visual system, including the processes of image formation, color perception, and depth perception. Helmholtz's work significantly advanced the understanding of visual perception and introduced the concept of unconscious inference, a precursor to modern predictive processing theories. He argued that perception is not a passive reception of sensory data but an active process of interpretation and inference. His contributions remain highly influential in the fields of vision science and cognitive psychology.
Phantom phone buzzes? Painless mosquito bites? Toy masks flipped inside-out? It might be your brain bringing order to its complex world. In episode 109 of Overthink, Ellie and David interview cognitive philosopher Andy Clark, whose cutting edge work on perception builds off theories of computation to offer an intriguing new model of mind and experience. He explains why the predictive processing model promises a healthier relation to neurodiversity, and they all explore its real-world applications across placebos, road safety, chronic pain, anxiety, and even the accidental success of ‘positive thinking.’ Plus, in the bonus, Ellie and David discuss depression, plasticity, qualia, zombies, and what phenomenologists can bring to the cognitive table.
Works Discussed: Thomas Bayes, An Essay Towards Solving a Problem in the Doctrine of Chances Anjali Bhat, et al., "Immunoceptive inference: why are psychiatric disorders and immune responses intertwined?" Andy Clark, The Experience Machine: How Our Minds Predict and Shape Reality Sarah Garfinkel, et al., "Knowing your own heart: distinguishing interoceptive accuracy from interoceptive awareness" Hermann von Helmholtz, Treatise on Physiological Optics David Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature Alva Nöe, Out of Our Heads: Why You Are Not Your Brain, and Other Lessons from the Biology of Consciousness Anil Seth, Being You This Might Hurt (2019)
Overthink 
