WEEK FIVE: Neural Philosophy and Consciousness

1.     Explain the virtual simulation theory of consciousness.

As shown by the examples of the amusement parks in “The Disneyland of Consciousness”, in many times, we always treat something as real, real objects that we could really see, or real human beings around us. The virtual simulation theory of consciousness means that because of the function and characteristics of our consciousness, we tend to believe that something is real and we are really part of a scenario. As stated in “Is The Universe An App”, human beings could “process both external and internal stimuli and then reconstructs a virtual environment in which we react accordingly” (p106). Another example is the experience of dreaming, in the dream when we are asleep, we would believe that everything we are experiencing is real, until when we actually wake up and find that it is only a dream, not something real. “The waking state differs from dreaming because it receives external data streams from the nine orifices of our body”. (p106)

2. How does the brain trick us and for what benefit is it for our genetic survival?

As mentioned in the virtual simulation theory, with the influences of external and internal factors, our brain could trick us that something is real, while it was not at all. I like the comparison that our brain or consciousness is like sandcastle. It sounds like changeable and protective. As revealed in “Is The Universe An App”, “consciousness is a bunch of tricks in the brain and were learning what those tricks are and how they fit together”. Consciousness might trick us in many times, but it also protects us from the exterior danger, make better and safer judgments.