In this episode, Wendy speaks with cognitive scientist Anil Seth about his work on consciousness and the mind. They discuss:
- the idea of the brain as a prediction machine;
- how perception is a kind of "controlled" hallucination;
- the self as a construction and implications for psychiatric disorders;
- connections between this view of the mind and Buddhist ideas;
- how these views might inform our subjective experience;
- the important role of the body in perception;
- the connection between life and mind (and Anil's views on panpsychism);
- emotions as prediction and interoception;
- the question of free will;
- communicating science to a public audience, and other topics.
Full show notes and resources