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Your conscious experience is nothing more than an invented future, a prediction based on the information your brain received a fraction of a second ago.

💨 tl;dr

Your brain constructs your reality, editing perceptions and memories in real-time. You’re blind for about 2 hours daily due to vision shutdown during saccades, and you experience the past, not the present, as your brain processes events with a delay. It predicts future positions of objects and generates emotions based on past experiences, often without your conscious control.

💡 Key Ideas

• The world you see is a constructed reality; your brain edits memories and perceptions in real-time.
• Vision is limited; only a small area of your visual field is clear, while the brain fills in the gaps.
• Your brain shuts down vision during saccades, leading to about 2 hours of blindness daily.
• You experience time inaccurately, processing sensory inputs at different times, leading to an edited version of the past.
• The present moment is a selectively edited perception occurring 0.3 to 0.5 seconds after events.
• Your brain predicts the future positions of fast-moving objects to avoid delays, creating a fictional reality.
• Decisions are made by your brain before you're consciously aware, based on past experiences.
• Different brain areas process information at varying speeds and can make independent decisions.
• The brain prepares for unexpected events by activating emergency responses before you're aware.
• Emotions and sensations are predictions by your brain based on expected needs and past experiences.
• The conscious self directs long-term planning and abstract thinking, crafting a narrative of life.
• There can be a disconnect between the conscious self and the brain, but the conscious self ultimately holds power.
• The conscious self enjoys simple pleasures and engages in deep thoughts, creating a convincing life story.

🎓 Lessons Learnt

• Your brain edits your reality. The world you see isn’t real; your brain constructs and edits your perception of reality, meaning you're not experiencing the moment as it truly is.

• You’re blind for 2 hours each day. During saccades, your brain shuts off your vision to avoid motion blur, leading to around 2 hours of complete blindness daily, filled in by your brain's best guesses.

• You experience the past, not the present. You only consciously experience the world 0.3 to 0.5 seconds after things happen, making your sense of 'now' a selectively edited version of the past.

• Your brain predicts the future. To react quickly, like in table tennis, your brain calculates where objects will be, creating a fictional version to help you respond effectively.

• Emotions are predictions. Feelings like hunger or anxiety are predictions made by your brain about what you’ll need or how you’ll feel in certain situations.

• You don’t control everything consciously. Much of what your body does is managed by your brain without your conscious input, like reflexive reactions.

• Self-fulfilling prophecies exist. If your brain predicts you’ll feel a certain way, it adjusts your body's response, making you actually feel that way, reinforcing the prediction.

• You can edit and write new predictions. Your conscious mind is the storyteller of your life, allowing you to direct your journey and make positive changes.

• Disagreements between you and your brain are normal. It’s common to have conflicts between your conscious desires and your brain’s automatic processes.

• Embrace the small joys in life. Finding happiness in little moments can help balance out the complexities of how your brain works.

🌚 Conclusion

Understanding how your brain works can help you navigate life better. You can rewrite your predictions and embrace small joys, despite the disconnect between your conscious self and automatic brain processes. Ultimately, you have the power to shape your narrative.

In-Depth

All Key Ideas

Perceptions of Reality

• The world you see is not real; your brain constructs your reality and edits memories as they happen.
• Vision is limited; only a small area of your visual field is in high resolution, and the brain fills in the rest.
• Your brain shuts down vision during saccades, leading to about 2 hours of blindness each day.
• You experience time incorrectly; your brain processes different sensory inputs at different times, creating an edited version of the past.
• The present moment you experience is a selectively edited version of the past, occurring 0.3 to 0.5 seconds after events happen.
• Your brain predicts future positions of fast-moving objects to avoid reaction delays, creating a fictional version of reality.
• Multiple potential responses exist in your brain before a decision is made, leading to the experience of only one 'winning' action.

Insights on Brain Function

• Your brain makes decisions before you're consciously aware of them, predicting actions and outcomes based on past information.
• Walking involves your brain operating in multiple time spheres simultaneously, processing past sensory feedback, current state, and future predictions.
• Different parts of your body and brain process information at different speeds and can make independent decisions.
• The brain prepares your body for unexpected events, like slipping, by activating emergency recovery patterns before you're aware of the situation.
• Emotions and physical sensations, like hunger and fatigue, are predictions made by your brain based on expected needs and past experiences.
• Your brain influences your feelings and reactions to social situations based on prior experiences, which can create a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Conscious Self and Brain Dynamics

• The brain acts like a butler, managing busy work, while the conscious self is the passenger deciding the direction.
• The conscious self excels at long-term planning and abstract thinking, creating a narrative of one's life.
• There is a disagreement between the conscious self and the brain regarding what is correct, but the conscious self ultimately holds power.
• The conscious self crafts a convincing story that feels like undeniable reality.
• The conscious self enjoys simple pleasures and engages in deep thoughts, like ice cream and Pokémon types.

All Lessons Learnt

Interesting Facts About Your Brain

• Your brain edits your reality: The world you see isn’t real; your brain constructs and edits your perception of reality, which means you're not experiencing the moment as it truly is.
• You’re blind for 2 hours each day: During saccades, your brain shuts off your vision to avoid motion blur, leading to around 2 hours of complete blindness each day, filled in by your brain's best guesses.
• You experience the past, not the present: You only consciously experience the world 0.3 to 0.5 seconds after things happen, meaning your sense of 'now' is a selectively edited version of the past.
• Your brain predicts the future: To react to fast-moving objects, like in table tennis, your brain calculates where the object will be, creating a fictional version of it to help you respond effectively.
• Multiple potential actions exist in your brain: When preparing to act, your brain considers multiple possible responses and only finalizes one, meaning you’re only aware of the winning action while the others are deleted.

Understanding Brain Predictions

• Your brain is always predicting: Instead of just reacting, your brain constantly predicts what will happen next based on past experiences and current sensory input.
• Emotions are predictions: Your feelings, like hunger or anxiety, are not just reactions but predictions made by your brain about what you’ll need or how you’ll feel in certain situations.
• You don’t control everything consciously: Much of what your body does is managed by your brain without your conscious input, like your reaction to slipping on a banana peel.
• Self-fulfilling prophecies: If your brain predicts you’ll feel a certain way (like anxious), it can adjust your body’s response, making you actually feel that way, which reinforces the prediction.

Insights on Consciousness and Personal Growth

• You are not in the driver's seat, but you can direct your journey.
• Your conscious mind is the storyteller of your life.
• You can edit and write new predictions into your system.
• Disagreements between you and your brain are normal.
• Embrace the small joys in life.