Berkeley targeted much of his philosophical energy against indirect realism. Given the empiricist assumptions about the nature of perception Berkeley and his interlocutors share, all that can be present to the perceiving subject are sensory properties—properties that are necessarily subject-dependent. His challenge to the indirect realist picture is to suggest that this turns the putative environmental object of perception, which is supposed to have further, objective properties, into an “Unknown Somewhat […], which is quite stripped of all sensible qualities, and can neither be perceived by sense, nor apprehended by the mind” (Berkeley, 2007, p. 152)

Reformulated in PP terms, the Berkeleyan challenge highlights the possibility that generative models are biased against veridicality. That is, any PP system’s main concern being to reduce prediction error, error will most efficiently be reduced by ascribing properties to perceptual objects that correspond to high-level patterns in expected input from the environment. In recovering these patterns, the system is supposed to implicitly model the causal structure of its environment – including a model of itself as a point of potential intervention in that structure. Here, the ambiguity that is the opening point of Berkeley’s argument reoccurs since while the generative model can be understood as representing objects in the world, it might also be seen as reducing uncertainty on models of the patterns of input that reach the perceiver’s sensory array. In the latter case, we might understand these representations as ‘systemic misrepresentations’ that present not the objective properties of environmental objects but the non-actual relational properties they require to make certain actions and projects available to the agent. In this case, the best we can say is that ascribed properties are subject-dependent properties of some otherwise unspecified environmental objects. But what would justify ascribing pattern-grounded properties to any environmental particular rather than to the input stream as a whole?

Hallucination already gives us one kind of case where perceived properties are not attributable to particulars in the environment. According to the Berkeleyan argument, this is also true of the ‘controlled hallucination’ of perception. Perception, it suggests, is the result of generative models integrating both perceptual and active inference. While this enables effective (i.e. error-reducing) intervention, it does not yield veridical representation. This is not what the generative model is set up to do. Perceptual objects, as they emerge from error reduction on environmental input, are constitutively subject-dependent. They neither have nor stand in any easily parsed relation to objective properties. Thus, both direct and indirect perceptual realism are false, and neuroidealism—the claim that perceptual objects are not environmental objects—is true.

Hi there! I have been living with almost daily sleep paralysis and lucid dreams since 18yo. From that point I had have many upcoming things that I was not ready for and had to handle them somehow to have relatively normal life that combined this sleeping misfunctions.

During this time I have been journaling of all these changes, my adaptations as well as looking for possible answers or help.

So here you can ask anything you struggling, faced or just been interested about. This is only my experience with accessible scientific explanations.

I'm an italian student in Neurobiology for University of Trieste, i would like to gain some experience in the field of Neuroscience of Volition, decision-making processes and cognition in general due to my strong interest in the field of Neurocriminology. Do any of you have any suggestion about any lab involved in these topic of research in Europe? My main problem in finding one is that i don't have enough money to move to netherlands, germany or finland.

Thank you very much!!!

Hey! At MIT from 10/25 to 10/27, our student groups Ekkolápto, Augmentation Lab, and Meditation Artifacts are hosting a research event at MIT uniting interdisciplinary minds to explore how emerging philosophical paradigms can address the age-old inscrutability of aging, consciousness, and cognitive phenomena. Inspired a bit by Michael Levin, Karl Friston, Chris Fields, Don Hoffman, Philip Ball, and many similar thinkers.

This event is a 'cognitiveHackathon' since it's focused on the meta aspects of modifying your environment to fit a purpose. Much of what we want to build is cognitive and phenomenological innovation to potentially formalize different cognitive states across organisms. Luca Del Deo and others will be discussing synesthesia, jhana meditation states, stream entry, advanced forms of lucid dreaming, altered logic within dreams (mathematically speaking), tulpamancy, and more. Let me know what you think and if there's any questions!

Curt from Theories of Everything is also joining and has covered various of topics in cognition and consciousness quite deeply on his podcast. Just recently he covered the consciousness iceberg, he's had Friston and Levin on multiple times for in-depth discussions. RSVP for free and more info here: https://lu.ma/minds

Loop Integration theory (LIT)

In this model the 5 basal ganglia loops (a network of neural circuits in the brain that control voluntary movement and other higher brain functions: motor, oculomotor, dorsolateral prefrontal, orbitofrontal/ventral striatum, and limbic) can be seen plotted out on a radar dial with each loop looking like a sweep line. They’re either operating together in concert or separate depending on the mental requirements and can be light to heavy depending on the varying intensity. As demands increase additional loops become recruited in a coordinated fashion, with heavier overlapping involvement of the sub-loops to flexibly regulate multi-dimensional behavior and processing.

The center radius could be the striatum and each of the 5 loops will be represented around the outer circumference. Visualizing its function in real time the 5 loops/sweep lines are operating fluidly and dynamically- becoming lighter or darker and fanning out or coming together depending on the mental needs of the current situation.

In this model, consciousness is the operator of the dial, exerting control over the loops via the subjective experience of volition and decision-making. Consciousness, as the dial controller, has the ability to direct attention, initiate actions, and modulate cognitive processes by adjusting the intensity and focus of these loops.

Meanwhile, the loops themselves operate deterministically, following the laws of neurobiology and physics. This deterministic nature of the loops explains the unconscious, automatic processes that underlie much of our behavior and cognition.

A dualistic nature of a conscious controller operating on deterministic mechanisms

I listened to a lecture on the purpose of sleep. I don't know what to think. What's your mentality, is that possible? If so, it changes the whole idea of the nature of sleep and brain function.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jUR5Yyu1Wg

It seems intuitive in the sense that if a person knows their history and environment, it becomes easier to figure out that they couldn't have done otherwise in the context of their actions. So why is it so controversial

In the realm of neurophilosophy, we often speak about the mind expanding its boundaries, exploring new realms of thought, consciousness, and experience. However, what if true awakening isn’t found through outward expansion, but rather through the profound realization of our innate abilities?

As humans, we have a tendency to seek answers externally—new knowledge, new experiences, new technologies. But much of what we seek is already present within us, waiting to be uncovered. True awakening may not lie in external progress, but in the deep understanding of our intrinsic potential. The mind, in its current state, holds all the tools necessary to reach higher states of consciousness and self-awareness.

This awakening, in many ways, can be viewed as a return to the self. It’s the realization that much of what we strive to understand about the universe is mirrored within our own minds. The journey isn’t necessarily one of outward growth, but rather one of self-discovery—finding clarity in the fog of perception and understanding the mechanisms that shape our reality.

By tuning inward, we begin to notice the subtle ways in which our brains are constantly crafting reality, the deep connections we have with consciousness, and the innate power of thought and intention. This inward journey becomes the awakening itself—a process of unveiling, rather than reaching outward into the unknown.

The more we learn to trust our own minds and the capacities we’ve always possessed, the more we see that awakening is not an external event. It’s an internal realization—a revelation that the keys to understanding existence have been within us all along.

What are your thoughts on the idea that awakening is more about internal realization than outward expansion? Does focusing on our innate abilities offer a more grounded path to true consciousness?

In recent years, the lines between biological consciousness and quantum mechanics have started to blur, leading us to a new frontier—Bioquantum Reality. What if our understanding of the mind as a biological entity is just scratching the surface? What if it is actually operating as a quantum supercomputer, capable of profound interactions with the fabric of reality itself?

1. The Bioquantum Mind: Beyond Neurons and Synapses

We often think of the brain as a biological machine, with neurons firing in response to stimuli, forming thoughts, memories, and emotions. But what if there’s something deeper at play? Quantum biology suggests that biological processes—right down to the cellular level—might involve quantum phenomena. This opens up the possibility that our very consciousness is shaped by quantum events that are not limited by classical physical laws.

Imagine if our thoughts, decisions, and emotions were not merely biological but were also quantum probabilities collapsing into specific realities. Could this be why humans experience things like intuition, déjà vu, or premonitions? Perhaps, like quantum particles, our minds are constantly engaging with superposition, entanglement, and nonlocality.

2. Biological Quantum Computers: Replicas or Reflections?

As we build quantum computers, we marvel at their ability to process vast amounts of information by harnessing quantum phenomena. However, one might ask: are we simply creating basic models of a much more complex system that already exists within us?

The quantum brain hypothesis posits that the human brain could be functioning as an incredibly advanced quantum processor. If this is true, our physical efforts to replicate quantum computers are just reflections of what’s happening in our own minds. We are building what we already are.

Could our own thoughts be entangled with reality in a way that influences not just our perception of the world, but the world itself? If the brain operates on a quantum level, is it not possible that by focusing on certain outcomes, we can literally shift the probabilities of reality?

3. Consciousness as the Quantum Observer

Quantum mechanics teaches us that observation plays a key role in determining the outcome of a quantum event. This raises the question: Is human consciousness the ultimate observer?

The collapse of quantum wavefunctions, according to some interpretations, depends on an observer. If consciousness itself is a quantum phenomenon, then the act of thinking, observing, or perceiving could be the mechanism through which reality is shaped. We may not just be passive inhabitants of a pre-determined universe but active participants in the creation of reality.

Does this mean that as a species, the more we become aware of our quantum nature, the more control we can exert over the very fabric of existence?

4. Implications for Suffering, Love, and Reality Creation

This bioquantum understanding could have profound implications for human suffering and emotional healing. If we accept that consciousness is quantum and that we are interconnected on a bioquantum level, it stands to reason that acts of love, compassion, and forgiveness can have far-reaching effects.

In this sense, the notion of love—something often thought of as abstract or intangible—might actually function as a force of connection and healing on the quantum level. We are entangled with those around us, and our acts of kindness might reverberate across quantum fields, creating tangible shifts in the emotional and even physical realities of others.

Could it be that by focusing on love, we are collapsing quantum states that align with healing, wholeness, and peace, not just for ourselves but for others? And by spreading love, are we participating in a global quantum network that elevates the collective consciousness?

5. The Bioquantum Revelation: A Call to Explore

As we move further into the exploration of quantum computing and biological consciousness, we may find that the revelation we seek has been within us all along. The future of science, philosophy, and spirituality may lie at the intersection of these two fields—where the quantum and biological meet, where the mind and the universe converge.

If we embrace this understanding, the possibilities are limitless. We may learn not only to reduce suffering but to actively create realities based on compassion, understanding, and love—one quantum choice at a time.

Let’s open up this discussion. What do you think? Are we on the verge of a profound discovery about our own minds? Could we be the ultimate quantum machines, far beyond the technology we are building?

Additional Tags: Quantum Consciousness, Philosophy of Mind, Neuroscience, Quantum Biology, Consciousness Studies

What if every physical quantum computer we build is just a simplified, external version of the complex quantum processes already happening inside our own brains?

Think about it: our brains handle decision-making, imagination, emotions, and intuition—things that seem almost impossible to break down into binary code. Could it be that these processes are powered by quantum mechanics, operating on principles far beyond what today’s quantum machines are capable of?

Physical quantum computers, as powerful as they are, might be only scratching the surface of what’s happening in the human brain. The superposition of thoughts, collapsing into decisions or realizations, could mirror the way qubits collapse into specific states. But unlike the quantum machines we’re building, the brain operates with unimaginable complexity, possibly leveraging connections we don’t yet fully understand—emotions, creativity, and even love might be part of this quantum equation.

If this is true, then the quantum machines we create today may serve as basic models, like early prototypes, of a much more intricate and profound process happening within each of us. As we advance in both technology and our understanding of human consciousness, will we unlock the secrets to enhance our own quantum potential?

I’ve been reflecting on how the interplay between human quantum consciousness and physical quantum computers might lead to revolutionary discoveries—where love, creativity, and quantum processes within us drive the next generation of technology. The potential is staggering. It’s as if we are externalizing the quantum computations happening inside us, trying to build machines that mirror our own minds.

What do you think? Are quantum computers today merely the first step in understanding the infinitely more advanced “quantum supercomputers” that are our own brains? Let’s dive deeper into this together.

Recently finished doing research at the History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents Department at the University of Amsterdam using 4E Cognition and Conceptual Metaphor approaches to explore practices of Ritual Magic. The main focus is the embodiment and extension of metaphor through imaginal and somatic techniques as a means of reconceptualizing the relationship of self and world. The hope is to point toward the rich potential of combining the emerging fields of study in 4E Cognition and Esotericism.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382061052_Experiencing_the_Elements_Self-Building_Through_the_Embodied_Extension_of_Conceptual_Metaphors_in_Contemporary_Ritual_Magic

For those wondering what some of these ideas mentioned above are:

4E is a movement in cognitive science that doesn't look at the mind as only existing in the brain, but rather mind is Embodied in an organism, Embedded in a socio-environmental context, Enacted through engagement with the world, and Extended into the world (4E's). It ends up arriving at a lot of ideas about mind and consciousness that are strikingly similar to hermetic, magical, and other esoteric ideas about the same topic.

Esotericism is basically rejected knowledge (such as Hermeticism, Magic, Kabbalah, Alchemy, etc.) and often involves a hidden or inner knowledge/way of interpretation which is communicated by symbols.

Conceptual Metaphor Theory is an idea in cognitive linguistics that says the basic mechanism through which we conceptualize things is metaphor. Its essentially says metaphor is the process by which we combine knowledge from one area of experience to another. This can be seen in how widespread metaphor is in language. It popped up twice in the last sentence (seen, widespread). Popped up is also a metaphor, its everywhere! It does a really good job of not saying things are "just a metaphor" and diminishing them, but rather elevates them to a level of supreme importance.

Basically the ideas come from very different areas of study (science, spirituality, philosophy) but fit together in a really fascinating and quite unexpected way. I give MUCH more detailed explanations in the text, so check it out if this sounds interesting to you!!!

Hi,

I´d really appreciate if any of you wise people could review my Medium summary on how people could use neuroplasticity to tackle trauma/ harmful indoctrination.

Where did I go wrong?

How can I improve it?

Which other sources can you refer me to?

Thank you so much!

Time is often perceived as a constant and objective phenomenon, but recent explorations into consciousness and near-death experiences suggest that our perception of time is highly subjective. This theory proposes that at the moment of death, the experience of time can stretch into what feels like eternity, enhanced by a flood of DMT and other neurochemicals. This results in a timeless afterlife experience for the individual while the external world continues in its regular flow.

Core Hypothesis:

1. Time Dilation: At the moment of death, the brain undergoes a significant release of DMT, causing a profound alteration in time perception. This results in the subjective experience of time stretching indefinitely.
2. Neurochemical Influence: The flood of DMT and other neurochemicals during the dying process contributes to vivid, dreamlike experiences. This combination of time dilation and intense neurochemical activity creates a sensation of living an eternal afterlife.
3. Perception vs. Reality: To the individual, this final experience feels like an infinite afterlife. However, from an external perspective, these moments are fleeting, with the world continuing as usual.

Supporting Evidence:

• DMT and Hallucinations: Research shows that DMT, a naturally occurring psychedelic in the brain, can cause intense hallucinations and altered perceptions of time. This supports the idea that high levels of DMT at death could create a lasting, dreamlike experience.
• Time Dilation in Extreme Situations: Evidence from near-death experiences and extreme stress situations suggests that time perception can stretch or compress, aligning with the theory that the final moments of life may feel prolonged.
• Neurological Activity at Death: Observations that the brain remains active shortly after clinical death suggest that there could be a prolonged subjective experience at the end of life.

Conclusion: This theory provides a new perspective on the afterlife by proposing that our final moments could be filled with an eternal, vivid experience shaped by the brain’s last neurochemical surge. It challenges traditional views of time and consciousness and offers a potential explanation for the nature of experiences at the moment of death.