Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal

Anil Seth on The Neuroscience of Consciousness, Sapir Whorf, and Daniel Dennett's ideas

Nov 23, 2020

Anil Seth, a neuroscientist from the University of Sussex, dives deep into the mysteries of consciousness. He discusses the captivating interplay between perception and reality, examining how our brains interpret sensory information. The conversation touches on the influential Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, questioning how language shapes our experiences. Seth also explores the notion of time perception during intense emotions and challenges conventional beliefs about brain hemispheres. Additionally, he examines the complexities of consciousness in the context of quantum mechanics and psychedelics.

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INSIGHT

Consciousness Research

Consciousness research tackles fundamental questions like the mind-brain relationship and what it means to be conscious.
It explores various aspects, from the nature of experience to its neural underpinnings.

INSIGHT

Phenomenology of Consciousness

Phenomenology in consciousness research focuses on the properties of experience itself.
It aims to explain why experiences like redness or emotions feel distinct.

INSIGHT

Explaining Consciousness

Explaining consciousness involves more than just finding neural correlates.
It requires understanding why certain brain processes give rise to specific experiences.

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Anil Seth's Links WEBSITE: https://anilseth.com TWITTER: https://twitter.com/anilkseth TED TALK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyu7v7nWzfo

00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:08 What's alluring about "consciousness" research? 01:03:51 Defining "phenomenonology" 02:05:56 What does it mean to "explain" consciousness? 03:14:52 Difference between illusion and hallucination 04:18:16 If perception is tuned for fitness, why care about objective reality? 05:24:44 Applying Donald Hoffman's ideas to Anil Seth's 06:33:39 Does time actually slow down, during high valence emotions 07:36:31 Details on the Bayesian model of consciousness 08:41:50 Can you be wrong about your own perceptions? 09:46:29 Myth of left brain vs. right brain 10:54:31 The role of the "ego" and the loss of it 11:56:45 Consciousness and quantum mechanics 13:00:37 Sapir Whorf hypothesis and Curt's polemics 14:10:24 Language and conscious experience 15:13:33 Can I "see" without noticing? What's the difference? 16:17:27 The Bayesian model of consciousness (and its limitations) 17:25:16 How does the Bayesian model deal with mental disorders 18:36:26 Gödel's incompleteness theorem's implications on the computational nature of the brain 19:42:23 Can we upload our minds? (a neuroscientific perspective) 20:45:48 Integrated Information Theory and measuring Phi 21:50:21 Peter Lush's recent paper and undermining the rubber hand illusion 22:55:09 Placebo effect and hypnosis 24:01:25 Experiments involving psychedelics (LSD and microdosing) 25:04:01 Anil's personal insights from psychedelics 26:06:18 Anil's views on Daniel Dennett's "Explaining Consciousness" 27:12:26 Compatibilism, free will, and Douglas Hofstadter 28:15:21 Global Workspace Theory 29:19:45 Anil Seth and Pragmatism 30:22:39 Curt's list of final questions, repudiated 31:23:35 How do the various AI architectures relate to the brain? (GAN / Convultional / etc.) 32:32:17 How does Anil stay so fit? 33:33:44 Comporting rationalism with irrational behaviors

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