#320 — Constructing Self and World
Making Sense with Sam Harris
00:00
Neuroplasticity and Learning in the Visual Cortex
Learning can modify the activity and structure of the visual cortex, allowing individuals to perceive the world differently. This learning process involves areas of the cortex beyond vision that connect back to the visual cortex. Neurologically, the physical changes required for learning are inscribed in the brain, propagating down to the visual cortex. Deeper layers of the cortex develop a predictive model of the world through learning, described as a controlled hallucination resembling the dreaming brain's activity, but influenced by visual inputs in waking life.
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