Mac Shine is a neuroscientist at the University of Sydney who is interested in how the coordinated activity amongst neurons in the brain gives rise to cognition, attention, and perception. He also happens to have aphantasia.

In this engaging presentation, Mac challenges conventional wisdom by arguing that perception is an active, not passive, process. He likens it to “touching the world with your eyes” and explores how this neural network can be “driven in reverse” to fuel imagination or even hallucinations.

Aphantasia, he suggests, may be an inability to engage this reverse gear, affecting not just visualization but also the way we process information. The talk draws intriguing parallels between the cognitive functions of individuals with aphantasia and the computational abilities of large language models like ChatGPT-4.

If you’re curious about the neuroscience of imagination or how aphantasia could offer a fresh perspective on consciousness and information processing, this talk is a must-watch. Mac raises thought-provoking questions and offers promising avenues for future research.

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