Episode Details

The Brain's Reality: How Our Perception Shapes Our World

In this episode of PsyberSpace, host Leslie Poston explores how our brains create different realities through predictive processing. The discussion includes concepts like the McGurk effect, the role of attention, and the impact of body states on perception. Poston explains how memory is a reconstruction influenced by current priors and how culture and language shape our prediction engines. The episode also addresses the implications for clinical settings, media influence, and the rise of DeepFakes. With practical tips for improving our prediction accuracy and updating our beliefs, this episode challenges the notion of objective perception and highlights the ethical stakes of our constructed realities.

00:00 Introduction: Living in Different Realities
00:20 The McGurk Effect: Seeing is Believing
03:47 Predictive Processing: How Brains Build Reality
09:10 Attention and Perception: The Invisible Gorilla
12:48 Interoception: Your Body Votes on Reality
16:33 Memory: Reconstructing the Past
19:46 Cultural Influence: Preloaded Predictions
23:28 Neurodiversity: Different Prediction Parameters
27:52 Manipulated Realities: Algorithms and DeepFakes
32:59 Collective Reality: Synchronizing Priors
37:12 Practical Steps: Flexibility and Accuracy
40:08 Ethical Implications: Life or Death Stakes
44:21 Conclusion: Stay Curious

McGurk Effect (video via BBC)
Green Needle Brainstorm Effect (video)

Resources

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