Post by Shannon Turley on Jul 14, 2016 4:59:54 GMT
1. The virtual simulation theory of consciousness occurs when our brain confuses true reality from simulated reality. As stated in the book, “Is the Universe An App,” consciousness is ‘a virtual simulator where there are times that our dreaming brain can overlap with our waking state and confuse us about what is internal and what is external’ (101). The fact that our brains function as a virtual simulator is one of the reasons why humans have been able to survive for so long (Brain Burn). Our brain, through imagination and dreaming, plays out different scenarios for a specific course of action. It can then filter as to what solutions worked and which didn’t. Organisms which lack a conscious mind are unable to do this and oftentimes act out on their first instinct, which is sometimes harmful to their survival.
2. The brain tricks us into believing certain things in order to ensure that we can survive long enough to reproduce (102). For instance, our brains are programmed into believing an event is happening at that very second when in fact it happened milliseconds before. Deception is a key element in ensuring human survival. It allows us to visualize all the possible scenarios present without exposing us to any harm. In a sense, it is protecting us from any danger, which allows us to successfully live longer than other organisms. For example, in the film “The Disneyland of Consciousness,” the narrator was fooled into believing that an animatronic character on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride was a real-life person. Our brain can trick us into believing that something is real at the time it happens, only to reveal to us later that is was in fact not.
Diem-Lane, Andrea, and David Christopher Lane. Is The Universe An App? Walnut: MSAC Philosophy Group, 2014. Web. 14 July 2016.
Neuralsurfer. "Brain Burn: Consciousness as a Virtual Simulator." YouTube. YouTube, 25 Nov. 2008. Web. 14 July 2016.
Neuralsurfer. "The Disneyland of Consciousness: Exploring the Animatronic Image." YouTube. YouTube, 12 Nov. 2011. Web. 14 July 2016.
2. The brain tricks us into believing certain things in order to ensure that we can survive long enough to reproduce (102). For instance, our brains are programmed into believing an event is happening at that very second when in fact it happened milliseconds before. Deception is a key element in ensuring human survival. It allows us to visualize all the possible scenarios present without exposing us to any harm. In a sense, it is protecting us from any danger, which allows us to successfully live longer than other organisms. For example, in the film “The Disneyland of Consciousness,” the narrator was fooled into believing that an animatronic character on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride was a real-life person. Our brain can trick us into believing that something is real at the time it happens, only to reveal to us later that is was in fact not.
Works Cited
Diem-Lane, Andrea, and David Christopher Lane. Is The Universe An App? Walnut: MSAC Philosophy Group, 2014. Web. 14 July 2016.
Neuralsurfer. "Brain Burn: Consciousness as a Virtual Simulator." YouTube. YouTube, 25 Nov. 2008. Web. 14 July 2016.
Neuralsurfer. "The Disneyland of Consciousness: Exploring the Animatronic Image." YouTube. YouTube, 12 Nov. 2011. Web. 14 July 2016.