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Week 6[19-25.11.18] Hallucinating our conciousness

How we see reality might not be, and often is not, what it really is. Everything that we feel, see, think, hear is not world around us but rather what our brain thinks of it. Our experience have impact on our perception and it might change our way feeling the world around us. According to Anil Seth perception can be described as a controlled hallucination. What if the same goes with something we call “self awareness” and what we think that makes US.
Lets see what Anil Seth has to say about this in his fascinating TED talk.



Now, to the discussion:
1. How much our world is different from how do we perceive it? What do you think?
2. Have you ever experienced loosing ability to “control” our perception? Loosing consciousness for example. How was it, what did you feel?
3. Do you think that we will be able to create self-aware AI?

Comments

I have lost consciousness once, it was when I was hanging out with my friends. I mixed a lot of beer with a lot of poorly made hookah, and passed out. For a short time, though, so it was rather fun than terrifying. But losing control over senses was not a pleasant experience.

Personally I do not put much thought in how our brain works. I just do not see much sense in it. Humanity does not have enough knowledge about this in its possession to make at least some concrete conclusion. Therefore, all this guessing is just sort of divination.
Unknown said…
1. Everyone perceives the world a little differently. A few people look at the same situation and can tell it in a different way, have different feelings.
Once at school, I had several lessons with a psychology student. She asked us at the last lesson that everyone would describe her in a few words. Everyone thought he was a very open person and easily makes friendships. However, she said that she does not think so about herself. She said she considers herself a very secretive person. Everyone also sees themselves differently.
2. Once I lost consciousness in the shop because of the heat. It was not a pleasant experience. I woke up on the floor when someone lifted my legs up. I do not know how much time I was unconscious. After waking up, I did not remember anything and felt dizzy.
3. I think it is impossible.
Unknown said…
I believe that my world is real to the best of my knowledge about it, rather, it coincides with my perception of life. I do not give much importance to problems and misfortunes. I am happy and I am completely satisfied with my life so as not to invent other parallel realities for myself.
Yes, I lost consciousness a couple of times, but nothing happened at these moments, like a click the consciousness turned off (like a dream), then I woke up and lived on, no changes, and life in the unconscious.
For me, artificial intelligence is. He perceives the world around only by means of awareness in this world. All that knows about this and that
1. How much our world is different from how do we perceive it? What do you think?
I think that everyone see the world differently and put attention to different features. Some people because of health issues perceive things completly different for example when someone is color-blind, blind or deaf he perceive world in his own way.
2. Have you ever experienced loosing ability to “control” our perception? Loosing consciousness for example. How was it, what did you feel?
Yes, I have lost consciousness once. It was in amusement park becouse of heat and adrenaline. I was very sudden and when I woke up I didn't know what just happend.
3. Do you think that we will be able to create self-aware AI?
Yes, I think it is possible
Unknown said…
I think that we can’t say what our world looks like because the way we perceive it’s unchangeable to us and we can’t look at it objectively.

I have never lost my perception of control and I wouldn’t like to experience it.

In my opinion nearly people will be able to to create self-aware AI but it’s not best idea because we can’t predict how this technology will grow.
Unknown said…

1. We can’t really say how our world is different from how do we perceive it because all the measures we have to describe the world around us are created by humankind. In other words we have agreed on some version of the world around us and we call it reality.
2. I have temporarily lost consciousness once in my life after hard workout. I felt like I was dreaming and then wake up suddenly. After that it was some kind of “black hole” in my memory I didn’t remember what had happened before I fainted.3.
3. I think it will not be possible to create AI which is as self-aware as humans are. The reason has been already stated in the video - consciousness experiences are strictly related to biological mechanisms which take place in our bodies. Therefore, AI would have to implement somehow biological processes to be able to reflect human consciousness, which I think is not feasible in the near future.
Unknown said…
I am always fascinated with how our brain works. I think it can help us understand it strong and weak sides to improve them. And we are slowly but surely getting more and more knowledge. In past 10 years we learned so much about our mind and body.
Unknown said…
Thank you for your opinion! I know that loosing consciousness makes you feel so dizzy. And you have no idea how much time passed. It is unpleasant, but I thought it would be worse.
And I think one day we might create perfect AI.
Unknown said…
Pavlo, what I mean about difference of perceiving the world is how our brain understands reality from its memories and experience sometimes in other way that it really is.
Unknown said…
Thank you for your insight! Yes, people having different health issues might see and perceive world differently. For example I know autistic person who sees numbers floating around him as he thinks of them, like they are a part of the real world.
Unknown said…
And I hope you will never loose consciousness! It is not a pleasant feeling.
Unknown said…
You answerd the first question exactly how I would ;)
I think that meeting extraterestial lifeform would be the only way to learn about different perspective on our world.
Unknown said…
Motivation speaks usually say that your problem only in your head. Some of this meaning is true because the way of our thinking can physically be represented of how we communicate or even how we look.
Like happy person sees more colorful world around and unhappy other way around.

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