Epigraph:

And they ask you concerning the soul. Say, ‘The soul is by the command of my Lord; and of the knowledge thereof you have been given but a little.’ (Al Quran 17:85)

Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times

The human brain’s ability to generate a cohesive experience of consciousness has been a central topic in neuroscience. A compelling perspective, notably advanced by neuroscientist Anil Seth, suggests that our perception of reality is a “controlled hallucination” constructed by the brain.

CCCB Lab

Perception as Prediction

According to this view, the brain operates as a prediction machine, continuously generating models of the world based on prior experiences and incoming sensory information. These predictions are not mere guesses; they are the brain’s best estimates of reality, refined through constant feedback from sensory inputs. When there is a mismatch between the brain’s predictions and actual sensory data, the brain updates its models to better align with reality.

Edge

Conscious Experience as Controlled Hallucination

In this framework, conscious experience arises from the brain’s interpretations of sensory inputs, shaped by expectations and prior knowledge. Anil Seth describes this process as a “controlled hallucination,” where the brain’s predictions are constrained and corrected by sensory information, leading to a stable perception of reality. This concept implies that what we perceive is not a direct reflection of the external world but a constructed representation, continuously tested against sensory data.

CCCB Lab

Implications for Understanding Consciousness

Viewing consciousness as a controlled hallucination has profound implications:

• Subjectivity of Perception: It explains why different individuals may perceive the same stimulus differently, as each person’s brain generates unique predictions based on their experiences.
• Nature of Reality: It challenges the notion of an objective reality, suggesting that our experiences are deeply personal constructions.
• Mental Health: Understanding perception as a controlled hallucination can shed light on conditions like hallucinations and delusions, where the brain’s predictive models become dysregulated.

Conclusion

The idea that our brains “hallucinate” our conscious reality underscores the active role of the brain in shaping our experiences. By functioning as sophisticated prediction machines, our brains construct a version of reality that is both informed by the external world and deeply influenced by internal models. This perspective offers a nuanced understanding of consciousness, highlighting the intricate interplay between perception, prediction, and reality.

In the video below you will learn that Anil Seth wants to over time scientifically dissolve the hard problem of consciousness as defined by David Chalmer, yet all of his talk and all his work and work of every one in the field has a very basic fallacy. There is an elephant in the room! They are all trying to study the third person perspective of different aspects of consciousness, while it is by definition the first person’s experience of it to which others simply have no access. I simply have now way to directly know, what it is to be you, the reader, or a bat or a butterfly.

For a more in-depth exploration of how the science of consciousness is being developed, you may find the following discussion insightful: