The 2014 paper, “The Interface Theory of Perception” by Donald D. Hoffman, Manish Singh, and Chetan Prakash from the University of California, Irvine, offers a fresh take on how we understand reality.
The authors argue that what we perceive doesn’t necessarily reflect the true nature of reality. They compare our perception to a simplified interface on a computer – it’s not an exact representation of the complex processes happening in the background, but it’s user-friendly and helps us navigate the world.
In terms of evolution, the authors suggest that creatures who see only what they need to survive have an advantage over those who see reality as it is. This idea extends to our perception of time, which they argue is more of a useful tool shaped by evolution rather than a reflection of objective reality.
According to the authors, consciousness is the fundamental basis of everything, and it can be modeled mathematically using systems of conscious beings. Each person experiences events in their own subjective timeline. These timelines don’t necessarily align, but they can be connected through cause-and-effect relationships.
The authors propose that we, as observers, construct space and time, and they aren’t inherent realities. They suggest that our measurement of space and time could be a way to represent our potential knowledge or ignorance.
The paper also discusses concepts like Euclidean and Lorentzian symmetries, but suggests that these might just be convenient representations rather than actual properties of the world.
To sum up, the paper proposes that our perception of reality, including time and space, is more of a user-friendly interface that helps us navigate the world rather than an accurate reflection of reality.
See a more extensive discussion at:
Hoffman’s work greatly contributes to the paradigm shift towards a psychocentric understanding of reality. However, it does not fully encompass perception beyond physical senses, such as clairvoyance and clairaudience. This could explain why misrepresentation of reality by *physical* perceptions provides a tangible survival advantage, arming the organism with enhanced *physical* skills to withstand threats and reproduce.
Yet, to assess the concept of ‘survival of the fittest’ in the more abstract domains of logic and the evolutionary development of a post-mind intuitive sense, a more comprehensive (multidimensional) model would be required.
JB
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