Cognitive Sovereignty: How Do You Incentivize Genuinely New Thoughts? Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2024-10-21 | Cognitive Sovereignty: How Do You Incentivize Genuinely New Thoughts?
Two Types of Equanimity: Not Resisting (Shinzen Young) vs. Stillness of Body and Mind (Rob Burbea) Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2024-08-31 | In which I explore the distinction between equanimity as formalized by Shinzen Young (e.g. Science of Enlightenment, Suffering = Pain x Resistance, equanimity as the absence of resistance) and as discussed by Rob Burbea (e.g. Seeing that Frees, Practising the Jhanas, stillness of mind and body).Caveat: I'm not qualified to teach meditation in any specific lineage. I just share what I understand to the best of my ability. That's it.See: Purification and Fulfilment: Four Formulas ~ Shinzen Youngyoutu.be/9u9nuSf9g1g?si=0zRkfsuoDWOcRWnj The Fourth Jhana - (Practising the Jhānas) [Rob Burbea]youtu.be/yBX40v9Hh1U?si=cwPmmOdQnHn1rdbz
Why Meditate on the Three Characteristics: A Recipe for Holistic Valence via Meta-Systemic Annealing Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2024-06-26 | In which I explain how the teachings of impermanence, no self, and dissatisfaction are tools to change one's principles of self-organization rather than statements about reality itself. They're a mode of inquiry, a "way of seeing" with many fruits to give, but we must recognize them as such rather than as metaphysical truths. Of course the teachings over time can reveal true aspects about reality along the way. There really is no conflict between rationality and three characteristics meditation practices.See: buddhanet.net/funbud13.htmQualia of the Day: Annealing Salon Trifecta - Exercise then Breathwork then Meditation.See also: qri.org/blog/mettannealing
How Does the Screen of Consciousness Emerge? - Competing Clusters, Blanketing, Rastering, Filling-In Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2024-06-06 | I explain how the careful balance between attentional systems might be responsible for the emergence of the seemingly 3D Euclidean projective space our experience is embedded in.Qualia of the Day: Here's the QRI 2024 Musical Album - soundcloud.com/user-143546163/sets/qualia-research-institute-2024 (the first three songs are parody - but after those three the album is quite serious in a way - lmk what you think!! - thanks to Libor and Berlin for the inspiration)
On the Topology of Sub-Agents: Non-Linear Optical Computers, Mirror Funhouses, and Laser Chess Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2024-05-29 | In which I discuss QRI's model of the brain as a non-linear optical computer, the intricacy of "internal boundaries", and the causal effects of such boundaries as well as their role in simulating subagents.See also (very relevant background):Don’t forget the boundary problem! How EM field topology can address the overlooked cousin to the binding problem for consciousnessUpdated - frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1233119/fullAndAligning DMT Entities: Shards, Shoggoths, and Waluigis - qualiacomputing.com/2023/03/05/aligning-dmt-entities-shards-shoggoths-and-waluigisTry out Laser Chess online! - laser-chess.com
Energy Management: Discussion on Advanced Techniques for Neural Annealing w/ Libor, Beata, & Andrés Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2024-05-22 | Tune in to a free-flowing discussion about Neural Annealing, Metta, Personality Disorders, Neurodivergence, Risks, Meditation & Psychedelics, Equanimity, Attentional Modes, Sociology, Psychotherapy, and Everything Qualia Related.Recorded in Berlin on May 21st of 2024 after the first QRI Berlin Meetup.Participants: Beata Grobenski (stalkerofmusik at twitter), Libor Burian (burny_tech at twitter), and Andrés Gómez Emilsson (algekalipso at twitter).Infinite bliss! Check out: qri.org
The Phenomenology of MDMA: Self-honesty, Authenticity, & the Unraveling of Gnarly Knots in the Field Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2023-11-26 | In this video I discuss:1. I point out that MDMA is cardiotoxic and likely neurotoxic, with real and significant side-effects when taken often. Don't do that. Respect and honor this beautiful state and save it for when you really need it.2. The phenomenology is often described as "removing layers of conditioning and finding your essential, loving, and pure *core*". It seems to significantly reduce greed, hate, and delusion, for at least a solid 90 minutes.3. I argue that a good frame would be to think of the effects as drastically reducing both reactance and fear. Then you can assess a situation without the distortions of these two mental factors, which tend to generate rather self-serving thought-forms.4. The concept of "authenticity" and its operationalization as a good lens with which to see the effects of MDMA. Big up to Matt Baggott, Co-founder and CEO of Tactogen, who is aiming to perfect MDMA and developed and applied the construct of authenticity in the scientific study of MDMA. Also thanks to Tom Ray, who is in a similar path. Well done! Let's get more people involved!5. Another frame is to think of the state as clarifying what the "substance of thought" is like. We usually live under the illusion that emotional reactions follow Newtonian physics. They don't. A better analogy would be corn starch and water, where applying force quickly can solidify (and even tear) the medium. Thus, we get in our own way and cause a lot of sense of solidity without even realizing it, which will take time and effort to soften and return to normal. 6. Discussion about QRI's Psychedelic Thermodynamics model applied to MDMA.7. Self-organizing principles, such as "repulsion-based algorithms" to undo knots, might explain what is happening to the field on MDMA.8. A possible personality factor might be how "hard" someone is. I discuss personality disorders from a "hardness realism" point of view.9. Emotional processing as a "skill tree" rather than "levels".10. High Entropy Alloys (HEA) are materials made of many metals that, in some cases, lead to really surprising effects, such as a new symmetry space group for their molecular organization (where none of the "ingredients" tend to crystalize that way, but as a whole they do). MDMA might be a bit of a unique HEA that balances serotonin (social anxiety reduction), dopamine (motivation and mental clarity), oxytocin (sense of closeness), and endorphins (bodily pleasure). It is more than the sum of the parts.11. This leads to a speculation where the key high-level effects of MDMA, in addition to reducing fear and reactance, is the presence of courage, love and equanimity. I try to explain these features in terms of MDMA's "vibratory signature".12. Deep discussion about self-honesty and why it develops in the state. I speculate it has to do with the de-modularization of our vascular clusters (or something else, if blood turns out to be a special case).13. This blending of modules with each other results in an uncomfortable but helpful overlap between contradictory faces that we put in social settings. It is ideal to experience this with equanimity and patience, however difficult it is to acknowledge it to ourselves. The other side of this wall is light and beautiful, I promise. 14. It seems to me that MDMA creates a highly redundant and highly overdetermined Euclidean geometric phenomenal space, where each point "knows" really clearly how far it is from every other point. Psychedelics can sometimes do this for short periods of time, but they usually create complex fractaline phenomenal spaces. MDMA is different - highly "clear and normal" yet unblocked and euphoric.15. The concept of Gnarliness as it relates to the "field knots" that MDMA can help unwind.Relevant links:* Gnarly SF Reality. #1: What Is Gnarl? (Rudy Rucker; h/t Ricci Flow on twitter for pointing me to this) - rudyrucker.com/blog/2013/09/06/gnarly-sf-reality-1-what-is-gnarl* The Phenomenal Character of LSD + MDMA (Candy-Flipping) According to Cognitive Scientist Steve Lehar - qualiacomputing.com/2018/12/12/the-phenomenal-character-of-lsd-mdma-candy-flipping-according-to-cognitive-scientist-steve-lehar* Principles of Vasocomputation: A Unification of Buddhist Phenomenology, Active Inference, and Physical Reflex (Part I) (Michael Johnson) - opentheory.net/2023/07/principles-of-vasocomputation-a-unification-of-buddhist-phenomenology-active-inference-and-physical-reflex-part-i* Acute effects of MDMA and LSD co-administration in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in healthy participants - hnature.com/articles/s41386-023-01609-0* Buddhist Annealing: Wireheading Done Right with the Seven Factors of Awakening (ALGE) - qualiacomputing.com/2021/04/04/buddhist-annealing-wireheading-done-right-with-the-seven-factors-of-awakening* Good Vibe Theory - qualiacomputing.com/tag/psychedelic-thermodynamicsImage credit: twitter.com/TilingBot
Consciousness Isnt Substrate-Neutral: From Dancing Qualia & Epiphenomena to Topology & Accelerators Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2023-11-15 | In this video I explain why substrate neutrality is so appealing to the modern educated mind. I zoom in on the Dancing Qualia argument presented by Chalmers which seems to show that if consciousness/qualia requires a specific substrate, then you can build a system where such qualia is epiphenomenal. In this video I deconstruct this whole line of reasoning from several complementary points of view. In particular, I explain:1) How substrate-specific hardware accelerators would generate something akin to a mysterious "consciousness discourse" in organisms that have hybrid computational substrates, with the meta-problem of consciousness (partly) explained via the interaction of two very different computational paradigms that struggle to make sense of each other.2) How the Slicing Problem gives rise to epiphenomenalism for functionalist / computationalist theories of consciousness. This is as big of a problem, from the complete other side, as Dancing Qualia, yet somehow it doesn't seem to receive much attention. To avoid epiphenomenalism here you require physical substrate properties to correspond to (at least in magnitude) degrees/amounts of qualia.3) The idea that you can preserve "organizational invariance" by importing the "causal graph" of the system is question-begging. In particular, it assumes that reality breaks down into bit-sized point-like fundamental interactions between zero-dimensional entities. But this is an interpretation of physical facts, which is put into question by precisely things like field theories of physics (e.g. electromagnetism) and at a much deeper level, things like String Theory, where the *substrate* of reality is topologically non-trivial.4) I show that beneath a computationalist frame for consciousness there is an implicit conception of frames of reference that are real from specific "points of view". But as I explain, it is not possible to bootstrap integrated states out of frames of reference or points of view. Ultimately, any non-trivial integration of information that is happening in these ontologies is a projection of your own mind (you're borrowing the unity of your consciousness to put together pieces of information that define a frame of reference or point of view!).And5) How the mind uses phenomenal binding for information processing can be explained with the lens of self-organizing principles set up in such a way that "following the valence gradient will take you closer to a state that satisfies the constraints of the problem". Meaning that the very *style* of problem solving our experience utilizes has an entirely different logic than classical digital algorithms. No wonder it's so difficult to square our experience with a computationalist frame of reference! To end, I encourage the listener to *enrich* his or her conception of *computation* to include irreducible integrated states as valid inputs, outputs, and intermediate states. This way we put on the same "computational class" things like quantum computers, non-linear optics, soap bubbles, and yes, DMT entity computing systems :-) They all use non-trivially integrated bound states as part of their information processing pipeline.In aggregate, these points explain why the substrate matters for computation in a way that satisfactorily addresses one of the biggest concerns that there is with this view. Namely, Dancing Qualia leading to epiphenomenalism - which gets turned on its head with the Slicing Problem (turns out computational theories were the epiphenomenalist views all along), self-organizing principles for computation, hybrid computing systems, hardware accelerators, field topology, and the insight that "reality as a causal graph is question-begging". Reality, is, instead, a network of bound states that can interact in topologically non-trivial ways.-----Relevant links:Absent Qualia, Fading Qualia, Dancing Qualia (David J. Chalmers) - consc.net/papers/qualia.htmlThe “Slicing Problem” for Computational Theories of Consciousness (Chris Percy, ALGE) - degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/opphil-2022-0225/html?lang=enPanel discussion on AI consciousness with Rob Long and Jeff Sebo - forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/pNhc3jensyBY4Hz6u/panel-discussion-on-ai-consciousness-with-rob-long-and-jeffDigital Sentience Requires Solving the Boundary Problem - qri.org/blog/digital-sentienceThe View From My Topological Pocket: An Introduction to Field Topology for Solving the Boundary Problem - qualiacomputing.com/2023/10/26/the-view-from-my-topological-pocket-an-introduction-to-field-topology-for-solving-the-boundary-problemThe Meta-Problem of Consciousness in Light of the Topological Solution to the Boundary Problem - qualiacomputing.com/2023/10/26/the-view-from-my-topological-pocket-an-introduction-to-field-topology-for-solving-the-boundary-problem
Candy Flipping Optimized: Why LSD + MDMA Points to Blissful Nondual Awareness and How to Maximize It Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2023-08-22 | PLUS FOUR, n. (++++) A rare and precious transcendental state, which has been called a "peak experience," a "religious experience," "divine transformation," a "state of Samadhi" and many other names in other cultures. It is not connected to the +1, +2, and +3 of the measuring of a drug's intensity. It is a state of bliss, a participation mystique, a connectedness with both the interior and exterior universes, which has come about after the ingestion of a psychedelic drug, but which is not necessarily repeatable with a subsequent ingestion of that same drug. If a drug (or technique or process) were ever to be discovered which would consistently produce a plus four experience in all human beings, it is conceivable that it would signal the ultimate evolution, and perhaps the end, of the human experiment.— Alexander Shulgin, PIHKAL, pages 963–965In this video we provide a general "theory of candy flipping" that aims to explain why LSD + MDMA is so synergistic. What makes, say 200 micrograms of LSD and 150mg of MDMA so prone to be spiritual, psychologically healing, and loving? To get there, we address the following three questions:1) How do we improve research on candy flipping?2) How do we optimize candy flipping proper? And how do we generalize candy flipping for even better results?3) What would a general recipe for Shulgin's ++++ be?1- We go over current methodologies used to study candy flipping and why their results are limited (Straumann et al., 2023). Then we explain how a "think tank" approach (e.g. phenomenology club) allows us to create more phenomenologically grounded research paradigms (Gomez-Emilsson, 2021). By weighting in the personal experience of highly precise psychonauts with skills in areas like physics, math, visual art, and signal processing, we can arrive at mechanistic models such as those proposed by Steven Lehar (Lehar, 2010) where MDMA causes your world simulation to vibrate in pleasant ways, which in turn "smooths out the rough edges" of the LSD state, or models involving annealing dynamics (Gomez-Emilsson, 2016; Johnson, 2019; Gómez Emilsson 2021, 2023). This kind of approach would deliver phase diagrams, wave mechanics, and nonlinear effects into the picture.2- Optimizing candy flipping can be done by looking to generate the kind of synergy MDMA + LSD achieve in the best of conditions. Of note, trip reports involving low doses of each together with 2C-B and cannabis are discussed and analyzed. One needs to be mindful of annealing dynamics, drug effect arcs including how to handle the MDMA comedown, and pattern-focused readings of wave effects that for lack of a better metaphor could be catalogued as "qualia lensing".And3 - We hypothesize that the key ingredients to catalyze the blissful nondual awareness that comes from high-end candy flipping are (a) a full-spectrum energizer, (b) something that increases interconnectivity, and (c) a deeply relaxing agent. The combination of these three elements gives rise to a highly-nonlinear effect I call "FU§ION (Field Unification Search/Simplify in Invariant Optical Networks; to be fully unpacked at a later date), where all of the "resonant cavities" are fully relaxed, have a high degree of impedance matching between them, and are energized, so that they kick-start a "field harmonization" process that culminates in profound blissful nondual awareness. The energizer shouldn't be narrow spectrum (like cocaine) and the relaxing agent shouldn't be too blunting or non-Newtonian (like opioids). Examples of each:a- LSD, DMT, Mescaline, Psilocybin, 2C-B, 2C-C, etc.b- Cannabis/cannabinoids, 2C-Bc- MDMA, pregabalin, nitrous, ketamine, GHBCombine one of each, carefully dosed, and you might get a ++++. More research is needed :-)-----------------------Relevant Links:Lehar, S. (2010) The Grand Illusion. Excerpt "The Phenomenal Character of LSD + MDMA (Candy-Flipping) According to Cognitive Scientist Steve Lehar". Retrieved from qualiacomputing.com/2018/12/12/the-phenomenal-character-of-lsd-mdma-candy-flipping-according-to-cognitive-scientist-steve-leharGomez-Emilsson, A. (2016) Peaceful Qualia: The Manhattan Project of Consciousness. Retrieved from qualiacomputing.com/2016/03/29/peaceful-qualia-the-manhattan-project-of-consciousnessJohnson, M., (2019) Neural Annealing. Retrieved from opentheory.net/2019/11/neural-annealing-toward-a-neural-theory-of-everythingGómez-Emilsson, A. (2021, May 8). Healing Trauma With Neural Annealing. Retrieved from qri.org/blog/Neural-AnnealingGómez-Emilsson, A. (2023), Neural Field Annealing and Psychedelic Thermodynamics presentation at PhilaDelic 2023. Retreieved from youtu.be/pM9k1I3VPOgStraumann, I., Ley, L., Holze, F. et al. Acute effects of MDMA and LSD co-administration in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in healthy participants. Neuropsychopharmacol. (2023). doi.org/10.1038/s41386-023-01609-0
The Manhattan Project of Consciousness: The Making of the Love Bomb Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2023-08-17 | In this video we discuss possible meaningful, novel, and non-trivial parallels between something like the Manhattan Project and what we need to do to catalyze a positive breakthrough in our understanding of consciousness.We cover how explosive lenses have a parallel in the "brain as a non-linear optical computer" paradigm developed at QRI. The short explanation is that the "index of refraction" for local field potentials (LFPs) can be modulated with drugs/interventions, and so in principle one can use varying concentrations of things like nitrous oxide, ketamine, and MDMA in order to focus waves of energy to catalyze precisely crafted phase transitions of consciousness. There are also much more subtle parallels.Another one is how the development of the von Neumann computer architecture was a world-transforming significant outcome of the Manhattan Project. In the context of consciousness research, one could envision figuring out the "principles of qualia computing" that allows DMT entities to sample from a wide range of possible "mind designs" as comparable. Arguably most DMT entities are "psychotic", but some of them aren't; the way they copy, mutate, differentiate, and analyze "qualia bundles" hints at a very general set of qualia computing building blocks for alternative qualia-based information processing pipelines. Successful Manhattan Project of Consciousness could in principle lead to a revolution on computing paradigms that generalize to qualia computing systems.In contrast to the atomic bomb, the kind of "phase transition implosion" developed at the Manhattan Project of Consciousness would be deeply relaxing, rejuvenating, and capable of undoing years of trauma in seconds. Using as research leads "candy flipping done right" (usually with some 2C-B/2C-D/2C-C), 5-MeO-DMT, and LSD + nitrous oxide, one has in fact a lot of hints for how to produce instantly relaxing, deeply healing "waves of enlightened qualia". If it takes a bunch of geniuses in the desert to figure out how to optimize this effect, so be it. It would be a really worthwhile investment!~Qualia of the Day: Burning Man Collective Intelligence~---------Relevant Links:Peaceful Qualia: The Manhattan Project of Consciousness - qualiacomputing.com/2016/03/29/peaceful-qualia-the-manhattan-project-of-consciousnessHedonium - qualiacomputing.com/2017/01/05/hedoniumExplosive Lens - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosive_lensMaking Amazing Recreational Drug Cocktails - qualiacomputing.com/2020/03/08/making-amazing-recreational-drug-cocktailsBurning Man (essay about my 2017 experience at the Burn) - qualiacomputing.com/2017/09/12/burning-manBurning Man 2.0: The Eigen-Schelling Religion, Entrainment & Metronomes, and the Eternal Battle Between Consciousness and Replicators - qualiacomputing.com/2018/09/09/burning-man-2-0-the-eigen-schelling-religion-entrainment-metronomes-and-the-eternal-battle-between-consciousness-and-replicatorsUtopia Neuroscience (David Pearce) - superhappiness.comQRI's Guide to Superhappiness - https://superhappiness.xyz/Utilitronium Shockwaves vs. Gradients of Bliss (David Pearce) - qualiacomputing.com/2019/03/20/utilitronium-shockwaves-vs-gradients-of-blissQRI Scents (incl. essay about Hedonium Shockwave) - qri.org/scentsHarmonic Resonance Theory: An Alternative to the "Neuron Doctrine" Paradigm of Neurocomputation to Address Gestalt properties of perception (Steven Lehar) - http://slehar.com/wwwRel/webstuff/hr1/hr1.html
Are DMT Entities and UFOs Connected? Robin Hanson, Alien Politics, and Subagentic Structures Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2023-08-12 | Robin Hanson explores whatever he finds intellectually stimulating with a chance of being neglected, significant, and tractable (he is a real EA at heart according to this characterization, which I think is true). One of the topics that he explores is that of aliens and UFOs. In this video we bring together three of his models about aliens along with DMT phenomenology and QRI insights about how the mind works.QRI sees DMT entities as "subagents gone wild" (cf. Aligning DMT Entities: Shards, Shoggoths, and Waluigis). The mind wants to predict sensory stimuli, and to do this effectively it needs to model other agents around itself. It's not unlike how GPT-4 spins up agents in order to make predictions. This model allows you to "align" them in various ways, so it is practical. But what if at least some of these "entity contacts" are actually real, not just hallucinations?The relevant Hanson models here are: 1) Grabby Aliens, where it is predicted that aliens that decide to expand will reach us in approximately a billion years. 2) UFOs are trying to domesticate us by making credible displays of high status. And 3) World politics converge on a mega-coalition that needs to spend a lot of resources reducing internal friction. More so, we can infer that these aliens decided not to expand, possibly due to risks (Dark Forest, Scary Singularities, and Rebellion Potential).Well, the most compelling aspect of DMT entities is the *quality* of their experience. Their "vibe" can melt your heart. That's so difficult to fake that it is, in many ways, way more impressive to a human than any kind of fancy clothes, gadgets, or physics displays. It is also unlikely that DMT entities and UFOs would be unrelated if they are both "real". They would paint together a picture of the wider (multi)verse.Based on credible phenomenological reports the kind of entity that you encounter depends on the "level" you go to. But any contact above Waiting Room tends to be really compelling for vibe reasons. It is then hypothesized that these experiences are akin to UFO encounters: the entities are trying to impress us so that we eventually, voluntarily, go along with their agenda.Further reports indicate that if you want to "join as a citizen of the inter dimensional medium" you need to go through some kind of "sensitivity training". We can infer from first principles, thus, that the largest coalition in the galaxy actually spends a lot of resources in reducing internal friction. They have a culture of diversity and inclusivity because that's necessary to maintain enough cohesion across the coalition to stably rule over large distances.I then go ahead and proclaim that, really, we shouldn't be pro-aliens or anti-aliens, but merely commit to "Team Consciousness". In other words, we *still* have no idea if the UFOs and entities out there (assuming they are not just internal hallucinations) are tending towards Pure Replicators or if they tilt towards benefiting consciousness. Without more information, it would be highly foolish to commit one way or the other. So rather than aligning with or against aliens/DMT beings, I simply say that we should continue to cultivate Team Consciousness first and foremost and let the rest sit until we have more information.It is important to note that this model would also predict that there are "rebels" out there. It would be conceivable, thus, that the "malignant" entities some people encounter (either on DMT or UFOs) are members of a rebel coalition that is trying to avoid assimilation into the "Galactic Federation". Hence there really is a good reason to be cautious about "who you talk to" in these spaces.~Qualia of the Day: Royal Copenhagen~ A high-entropy alloy of scent that combines facets of powdery, aldehydic, aromatic, sweet/floral, citrus, honey, wood, musk, and lavender. It is a bizarre art-house non-fragrance fragrance.------------Relevant Links by Robin Hanson: Grabby Aliens - grabbyaliens.comThe Coming World Ruling Class - overcomingbias.com/p/the-coming-world-ruling-classhtmlWould UFO Aliens Be Our Gods? - overcomingbias.com/p/would-ufo-aliens-be-our-godshtmlPanspermia Siblings - overcomingbias.com/p/panspermia-siblingshtml------------Other Relevant Links:Aligning DMT Entities: Shards, Shoggoths, and Waluigis - qualiacomputing.com/2023/03/05/aligning-dmt-entities-shards-shoggoths-and-waluigisMemetic Vaccine Against Interdimensional Aliens Infestation - qualiacomputing.com/2017/03/08/memetic-vaccine-against-interdimensional-aliens-infestationThe Universal Plot: Part I – Consciousness vs. Pure Replicators - qualiacomputing.com/2017/12/20/the-universal-plot-part-i-consciousness-vs-pure-replicatorsDMT and Hyperbolic Geometry: 1 Million Views Special - qualiacomputing.com/2022/05/02/dmt-and-hyperbolic-geometry-1-million-views-special
Electromagnetic Field Topology as a Solution to the Boundary Problem of Consciousness Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2023-08-08 | Our paper about our solution to the boundary problem has just been published in Frontiers!Find the (open access) paper here: frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1233119/fullTitle: Don’t forget the boundary problem! How EM field topology can address the overlooked cousin to the binding problem for consciousnessAuthors (both are first-authors): Andrés Gómez-Emilsson, Chris PercyAbstract: The boundary problem is related to the binding problem, part of a family of puzzles and phenomenal experiences that theories of consciousness (ToC) must either explain or eliminate. By comparison with the phenomenal binding problem, the boundary problem has received very little scholarly attention since first framed in detail by Rosengard in 1998, despite discussion by Chalmers in his widely cited 2016 work on the combination problem. However, any ToC that addresses the binding problem must also address the boundary problem. The binding problem asks how a unified first person perspective (1PP) can bind experiences across multiple physically distinct activities, whether billions of individual neurons firing or some other underlying phenomenon. To a first approximation, the boundary problem asks why we experience hard boundaries around those unified 1PPs and why the boundaries operate at their apparent spatiotemporal scale. We review recent discussion of the boundary problem, identifying several promising avenues but none that yet address all aspects of the problem. We set out five specific boundary problems to aid precision in future efforts. We also examine electromagnetic (EM) field theories in detail, given their previous success with the binding problem, and introduce a feature with the necessary characteristics to address the boundary problem at a conceptual level. Topological segmentation can, in principle, create exactly the hard boundaries desired, enclosing holistic, frame-invariant units capable of effecting downward causality. The conclusion outlines a programme for testing this concept, describing how it might also differentiate between competing EM ToCs.------------------In this video I walk you through (a) the personal trajectory that led me to the insight that topology might solve the boundary problem of consciousness, and (b) the outline of the paper and the key arguments we present. (a) I credit David Pearce for disabusing me of the notion that consciousness is a "substrate neutral" information-processing phenomenon (functionalism, computational theories of consciousness, causal integration theories, etc.). I credit Michael E. Johnson for introducing Qualia Formalism, the need for frame invariance in theories of consciousness, and making me think about the boundary (rather than binding) problem. And Steven Lehar for giving me the clue that resonance might be a key "glue" that ties together in a causal way different features of our experience.I was finally able to put these pieces of the puzzle together in a sudden realization around 2018 where, staring into the space while having dinner at a restaurant, a vision of looping structures in the electromagnetic field coalesced into a topological boundary that could "trap energy" and thus reveal a causal role for "ontological unity". Later on I incorporated more specific constraints that the solution satisfies "all at once": non-epiphenomenalism, frame invariance, weak emergence, and no strong emergence. Submitted a first draft for The Science of Consciousness 2020.(b) The paper does a deep dive into the (rather scant) literature about the boundary problem, introduces a new carving of the problem into 5 subproblems, and explains how EM topology satisfies them all.~Qualia of the Day: Vibe Camp Recorder (VCR)~ with notes of Rose, Smoke, Fenugreek, Peony, Key Lime, and Vanilla, plus a ton of galaxolide to solve the olfactory binding problem ;-)------------------See also: Solving the Phenomenal Binding Problem: Topological Segmentation as the Correct Explanation Space - youtu.be/g0YID6XV-PQAndres Gomez Emilsson on Digital Sentience, the Binding Problem, and Fields of Consciousness (in Lucas Perry's channel Mu) - youtu.be/xJzBjBo24g8Digital Sentience Requires Solving the Boundary Problem - qri.org/blog/digital-sentienceHunt, T. (2020). Calculating the boundaries of consciousness in general resonance theory. J. Consc. Stud. 27, 55–80. - ingentaconnect.com/content/imp/jcs/2020/00000027/f0020011/art00003Wang, J., Valligatla, S., Yin, Y., Schwarz, L., Medina-Sánchez, M., Baunack, S., et al. (2023). Experimental observation of Berry phases in optical Möbius-strip microcavities. Nat. Photonics 17, 120–125. doi: 10.1038/s41566-022-01107-7 - nature.com/articles/s41566-022-01107-7Galaxolide - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GalaxolideImage from: Knots in electromagnetism by Arrayás et al. (2017) - sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0370157316303908
VALENCIAGA: Jhanic Fashion, Tantric Humor, and Compassion Alignment Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2023-04-11 | Topics discussed:* How fashion is aligned and misaligned with Team Consciousness (largely counter-productive due to the cultivation of craving, selfing, and envy, but also somewhat aligned with qualia-rich aesthetics)* 2nd Jhana related to humor qualia: Sukka as a softer version of Piti and * Bubbly Humor as an alloy of mostly Sukka and a little bit of Piti.* Tantric Humor as a possible way to accelerate the development of Jhanas.* AGI psychosis and how to avoid it.* Clinically significant humor.* Honoring the victims of pain and suffering.* Strong motivation to tackle suffering and aligning the God Realm and the Buddha Realm.~Qualia of the Day~: Non-Alcoholic BeerLinks:VALENCIAGA QRI Meetup - qualiacomputing.com/2023/04/06/valenciaga-qri-bay-area-meetup-on-saturday-april-8th-2023Aligning DMT Entities - qualiacomputing.com/2023/03/05/aligning-dmt-entities-shards-shoggoths-and-waluigisHarmonic Society: 8 Models of Art for a Scientific Paradigm of Aesthetic Qualia (2019 published article about art) - qri.org/pdf/Harmonic-Society.pdfHypermotivation by David Pearce - http://www.hedweb.com/wirehead/hypermotivation.htmlWireheading Done Right - qualiacomputing.com/2016/08/20/wireheading_done_rightHilarity Scale (caution, it's logarithmic!):-2 - The Grinch (actively anti-humor, not in the Andy Kaufman sense, but in the "I hate people having fun" sense)-1 - Anti-humor (grumpy, too much coffee, Spock, hungover, etc.)0 - Zero humor (this can be one of many states, including neutral valence, anhedonia, and focused arithmetic work)1 - Slightly perked (lightly aroused, hint of something being 'slightly odd', realizing your shirt is inside out)2 - Simple fun (the feeling of connection and banter when playing a board game with friends)3 - Slightly funny ("shadows" of joy and laughter, looking goofy, dad jokes)4 - Clearly funny (well-placed puns, garden-path sentence, manifests as singular discrete chuckles separated by silence, feels like the laughter balloon got slightly inflated and deflated but without much of a buildup)5 - Very funny (cracking some jokes with friends after a few beers, being tickled by a sibling, someone poking fun at your outfit so long as embarrassment does not take over - the balloon is inflated and then let go)6 - Slightly hilarious (the moment you realize your friends have been pulling a good-natured prank on you, getting stoned and watching a comedy show by Bill Hicks (among others), the balloon is getting enough air that it stays inflated while it also lets go of air, energy building crosses threshold where the homeostatic equilibrium keeps things funny at a constant level)7 - Clearly hilarious (when you realize that your entire career was a practical joke by your family, bursts of laughter, the balloon's homeostatic equilibrium is medium-filled, self-sustaining feedback loop of laughter, "the engine has been turned on and can't be turned off", Example*)8 - Very hilarious (Crescendos of laughter, orgasmic laughter, being tickled constantly, being amused by common objects like teacups and chairs as is common on LSD)9 - Outrageous ("absurd laughter", laughter with no semantic referent, laughter that undoes years of trauma, laughter that causes hernias, laughter that needs to be stopped for your own good - I recommend smelling turmeric to help you calm down. The laughter's feedback loop leads to higher and higher levels, chaotic attractors, rolling on the floor uncontrollably, clinically significant humor)10 - Cosmic laughter (Laughter beyond existence and non-existence, transcendent laughter, the laugh of the Buddha mind, pure undiluted nondual hilarity, tantric laughter, the balloon explodes and the air inside becomes one with the air everywhere else - reality is humor, humor is reality, emptiness is laughter, laughter is emptiness - you cannot come back from this level, as you get absorbed by the laughing Buddha)*youtu.be/hSFWgKl-O-A
Reflections on my 2nd (Jhana Meditation) Retreat: From Formless Love to Antivortex Defabrication Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2023-04-03 | I discuss insights, reflections, suggestions, and speculations from my 2nd Jhana Meditation retreat (note: not a retreat on the 2nd Jhana specifically, but rather, the second time I do a Jhana retreat).I cover:0) Qualia Mastery as the core motivation of the practice: for the wellbeing of all sentient beings, for the sake of experiencing the mystery of consciousness directly, for the sake of developing a genuine intellectual understanding of consciousness and reality.1) How it compared to my first retreat.2) The role of caffeine and breathing exercises in Jhana practice.3) Rob Burbea's teachings of "SASSIE" and sensitivity, responsivity, and attunement.4) Mastery of the Jhanas: the importance of having an adequate conceptual framework in order to contextualize and motivate the specific intentions that arise on a moment to moment basis.5) Pleasure as a kind of "Hebbian Glue" that leaves a trail which can then be used by a kind of "ant colony optimization algorithm". Here, each ant is a moment of experience, and when it finds the "nectar" (bliss/jhanic states) it leave a trail of positive valence around it, pointing the way to future moments of experience that get close. Over time, this builds a large network of valence gradients pointing to blissful states. Without this "supporting structure", accessing those states would not leave a trace and could even be "shocking" to the system as it will fail to integrate them (lack of "qualia tethers" to go back and forth from normal consciousness to jhanic states).6) Why I think the 7th Jhana started to open up to me on this retreat despite still having unreliable access to 1st Jhana: due to a history of intense obsession with questions like "why does anything exist?" I've accessed exotic "parajhanic" states by accident, which created a sort of groove in the mind. This retreat involved a lot of "Piti + nothingness" and "sukka + nothingness" hybrid states that were very blissful.7) Following the idea that the boundary problem is solved with topological segmentation and that local binding is the result of partial topological closures, we can reason (and then experientially test) that the defabrication process involves finding the "anti" version of those topological pockets in order so they "cancel each other out". In particular, we discuss how this plays out with a vortex and an antivortex. In practice, we will need a much more general, refined, and formal mathematical language to point at the anti versions of the topological structures that give rise both to phenomenal objects and bound experiences.8) Relationship between Jhanas and psychedelics:- 2C-B: piti, strobing, hedonic tone- THC: mostly unrelated, except for mild Piti at low doses- LSD/psilocybin: neutral energy at 15-20hz that can *anneal* the system into "dirty" version of all the Jhanas- DMT: mostly neutral energy at 30hz with the issue that it gives rise to too much lateral inhibition, and therefore doesn't allow for homogenous/symmetrical field configurations. Sometimes "dirty" 1-4 Jhana states arise by chance.- Ketamine: Un-knotting and un-winding is common. It can also give rise to formless Jhanas but they are "off-key" (the waves travel slower, so you can't use the states as templates to learn the Jhanas - still useful as hints/glimpses)- 5-MeO-DMT: formless Jhanas are attractors of this state, though they tend to be mixed. Shinzen Young and others confirm that it does in fact lead to the "unfabricated"/"the absolute"/9th Jhana at high enough doses combined with equanimity. The most promising research lead for how to accelerate Jhana practice. Caution advised.9) How the Jhanas make sense in light of a non-linear optical computing paradigm of the mind-brain. I discuss how no current neuroscientific theory can explain Jhanas (let alone DMT!) and how the only framework that to me makes sense (the current leading-edge of thinking at QRI) is that the brain is in fact a non-linear optical computer embedded in a predictive processing neural network with various control systems. The nervous system learns by changing its synaptic weights, but what this learning "is for" involves tuning the parameters of an electromagnetic wave which is in fact isomorphic to one's experience. Jhanic states involve highly coherent configurations of this wave with various levels of self-focusing and winding numbers.~Qualia of the Day~: Kinesthetic FeedbackLinks:* Rob Burbea's Practising the Jhānas - dharmaseed.org/retreats/4496* Buddhist Chant - Heart Sutra Complete Version HD - youtu.be/jhGI0X6jhSQ*Ant colony optimization algorithms - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant_colony_optimization_algorithms* Aligning DMT Entities: Shards, Shoggoths, and Waluigis - qualiacomputing.com/2023/03/05/aligning-dmt-entities-shards-shoggoths-and-waluigis* Wim Hof Guided Breathing Session - youtu.be/Cuxppurd-tw* Metta Loving Kindness (Eng.) - youtu.be/Ee4wLOuMNkM
Roger Thisdell reviews Hedonium Shockwave Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2023-03-19 | Context: A conversation between Andrés and Roger on the nature of valence: qualiacomputing.com/2021/11/23/the-supreme-state-unconsciousness-classical-enlightenment-from-the-point-of-view-of-valence-structuralismRoger's website: rogerthisdell.com/aboutQRI's Magical Creatures Line of Scents (where you can find Hedonium Shockwave): qri.org/scentsOn Hedonium Shockwave: Hedonium is matter and energy optimized for pure bliss. It is not a shallow sense of well-being but the most profound sense of holistic well-being possible within the laws of physics. Cosmic awe, deep wellness, and rapturous joys are all human emotions and are merely low-dimensional shadows of the real deal. A Hedonium Shockwave is a hypothetical phase transition traveling near the speed of light which changes the very composition of matter and energy by turning everything it touches into Hedonium. Classical Utilitarianism, in its typical formulation, might hold the latent implication that not only would the instantiation of a Hedonium Shockwave be desirable, but we are morally obliged to bring it into existence. QRI’s ethical theories are agnostic, but Hedonium plays an important role in its memetic landscape. Namely, as a theoretical entity that embodies the essence of pure positive valence, it challenges us to consider the nature of value in and of itself and its possible “physical compilation”.Hedonium Shockwave is a scent developed in-house to illustrate this anticipated phase transition in consciousness. The primary “olfactory idea” of Hedonium Shockwave is the synergistic combination of violet, mint, and an accord of pear and honeysuckle. This combination expresses a powerful yet anodyne uplifting mood grounded in a qualia landscape devoid of negative elements—pure olfactory pleasure at last.---Review by Nick Cammarata: "It is, overall, incredibly smooth. My first thought is that it feels like a combination of Metta and Mudita, which are two different Brahmavihara meditations where it’s very soft and expansive for me. It feels very golden and pink. It’s very soft, but it’s a bit sharper, then a really soft sharp. It’s like a combination of metta and cocaine. It hits you, but in a loving way. It doesn’t hold back, but it hits you in a loving way. It’s almost like being woken up. 'Wake up the world is great!' 'Wake up there’s something important!' but a soft, loving wake-up!"
Presenting QRIs Psychedelic Replication Contest: Win the first place and earn $5K! Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2023-03-18 | Learn all about the three contests here: qri.org/blog/contestImage by: SIMBOLI∆Tt (@simboliatt)
Equanimity as a Tool to Increase the Stress Dissipation Capacity of the Nervous System Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2023-03-15 | See also: qualiacomputing.com/2021/04/04/buddhist-annealing-wireheading-done-right-with-the-seven-factors-of-awakening
Aligning DMT Entities: Shards, Shoggoths, and Waluigis Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2023-03-06 | See more: qualiacomputing.com/2023/03/05/aligning-dmt-entities-shards-shoggoths-and-waluigis
Explaining the 3 Supers, 3 Pillars, & 3 Methods: Some Useful Lenses for Breakthrough Qualia Research Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2023-03-01 | I provide three triplets of lenses that can help us answer the question: "how do you orient towards work that is both likely to be intellectually and ethically significant in the field of qualia research?"The heuristics discussed highlight really promising avenues to radically enhance global well-being.
Digital Simulations of Minds Will Not Be Conscious: from mere causality to real qualia contact Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2023-03-01 | ...
The Screen of Consciousness is Not Fundamental Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2023-02-27 | image by @NuwanShilpa
The Meta-Problem of Consciousness in Light of the Topological Solution to the Boundary Problem Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2023-02-27 | A brief explanation of how the topological solution to the boundary problem addresses the meta-problem of consciousness.
The Slicing Problem for Computational Theories of Consciousness by Andrés G Emilsson & Chris Percy Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-12-19 | [Discussion about the "Slicing Problem" starts at 6:40]We're delighted to announce QRI's first peer-reviewed paper, co-authored by Andrés Gómez-Emilsson and Chris Percy:"The 'Slicing Problem' for Computational Theories of Consciousness", published in Open Philosophy and accessible at: degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/opphil-2022-0225/htmlThe 'Slicing Problem' is a thought experiments that shows strange and absurd implications latent in any theory of consciousness for which instantiating specific _classic_ forms of information processing is sufficient for a system to be conscious. Any substrate-neutral computational theory of consciousness including those that specify a certain causal structure for the computation (like IIT) falls within the purview of the 'Slicing Problem'.The argument goes like this:1) Assume the "computation" of a system generates its consciousness2) Assume that this computation is substrate-neutral and can be implemented in a digital system (logic-gate-based)3) Use the 2D water-based logic gates we propose4) Then "slice" the entire computer along its redundant dimension5) You now have "doubled the amount of consciousness" (which we claim is a meaningful thing to say, cf. "Hamiltonian of Consciousness")6) We call this a "consciousness-multiplying exploit" (CME) and show that it's unavoidable:6.1) In a "token" theory to avoid CMEs you need to accept a smooth increase in "amount of consciousness" as you slice. But this is incoherent: it entails the existence fragments of experience that don't belong to any experience (cf. transitivity of binding).6.2) In a "type" theory you don't have a CME right away, but _as soon_ as the systems diverge you either have a sudden doubling of consciousness or you again encounter fragments of experience with ill-defined belongingness.Does this mean we must embrace substrate-specific theories? Yes.How about Carbon Chauvinism or Epiphenomenalism? No.A physicalist theory _can_ deal with the 'Slicing Problem' by having redundant qualia. Slicing is either impossible _or_ makes each slice have half the amount of consciousness as that of the original system (say, by making each experience "half as intense" or "half as bright").~Qualia of the Day: Coriander, "Coriander" edt by JC, "aromatic" notes in perfumery, and "soapy cilantro"~-----(In APA) please cite the "Slicing Problem" as:Gómez-Emilsson, A., & Percy, C. (2022). The “Slicing Problem” for Computational Theories of Consciousness. Open Philosophy, 5(1), 718-736.Abstract: The “Slicing Problem” is a thought experiment that raises questions for substrate-neutral computational theories of consciousness, including those that specify a certain causal structure for the computation like Integrated Information Theory. The thought experiment uses water-based logic gates to construct a computer in a way that permits cleanly slicing each gate and connection in half, creating two identical computers each instantiating the same computation. The slicing can be reversed and repeated via an on/off switch, without changing the amount of matter in the system. The question is what do different computational theories of consciousness believe is happening to the number and nature of individual conscious units as this switch is toggled. Under a token interpretation, there are now two discrete conscious entities; under a type interpretation, there may remain only one. Both interpretations lead to different implications depending on the adopted theoretical stance. Any route taken either allows mechanisms for “consciousness-multiplying exploits” or requires ambiguous boundaries between conscious entities, raising philosophical and ethical questions for theorists to consider. We discuss resolutions under different theories of consciousness for those unwilling to accept consciousness-multiplying exploits. In particular, we specify three features that may help promising physicalist theories to navigate such thought experiments.Many thanks to: Chris Percy (co-author), Andrew Zuckerman, and Jeremy Hadfield for help writing this paper!-----Coriandre by Jean Couturier - fragrantica.com/perfume/Jean-Couturier/Coriandre-3466.html"Aromatic notes are usually [...] of sage, rosemary, cumin, lavender & other plants which possess a very intense grass-spicy scent." - fragrantica.com/groups/aromatic.htmlDMT and Hyperbolic Geometry ("The Hamiltonian of Consciousness") - qualiacomputing.com/2022/05/02/dmt-and-hyperbolic-geometry-1-million-views-special"Programmable Water" [water-based logic gates design we used] by Paulo Blikstein - http://www.blikstein.com/paulo/projects/project_water.htmlStanford's Symbolic Systems Program - https://symsys.stanford.edu/The Combination Problem for Panpsychism by David Chalmers - consc.net/papers/combination.pdfDigital Sentience Requires Solving the Boundary Problem (ALGE) - qri.org/blog/digital-sentience
Magical Creatures: Explore the State-Space of Consciousness with QRIs First Line of Scents Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-12-14 | Get "Magical Creatures" at the QRI Website: qri.org/scents-------Hello Qualia Enthusiasts,We are excited to announce the release of our first line of Qualia Research Institute scents, "Magical Creatures". This line explores the complex and often puzzling interactions that exist in the state-space of olfaction, highlighting the exotic and unique qualities that can emerge in this space.Rather than thinking of scents as mere points in a Euclidean space, we think of them as exotic creatures inhabiting a complex and irregular universe of possibilities. With over 30-300 dimensions, the state-space of olfaction is far from simple! Our research suggests that it is hyperbolic and irregular, with hidden gems and unexpected phenomena found in unique places like triple points and phase transitions. “Magical Creatures” is a line of scents emphasizing the special effects found in the state-space of scents.As an intuition pump, perhaps think of the range of types that Pokémon have. If you’ve only ever seen water, fire, ground, fighting, and grass Pokémon types, is it possible to derive from first principles that there is also such a thing as an electric type? What about psychic? And ghost? These seem like entirely new categories coming out of the blue rather than linear combinations out of a simple vector basis!Each of the scents in this line has been carefully crafted to showcase the extraordinary and imaginative potential of scent qualia. From the cool, gummy sensation of “Glacial Gumdrop”, to the ASMR-like effects of “Frisson”, these scents will provide new and exciting experiences on your journey through the state-space of consciousness.In addition to providing unique and fascinating experiences, your purchase of these scents will also support the continued research efforts of the Qualia Research Institute. All proceeds from the sale of these scents will be tax deductible and go toward the continuation of existing projects and funding new ones on the cutting-edge of consciousness science.We invite you to join us in this exciting exploration of the state-space of scent qualia. Try out "Magical Creatures" today and discover the hidden wonders of the olfactory state-space of consciousness!Infinite Bliss!~Qualia of the Day: Helpful, Skillful, Loving Imaginary Beings~-------QRI's "Magical Creatures" Line of Scents features:* Fearless: a scent designed for countering and extinguishing fear vibrations.* Dust Devil: a scent that showcases how scents can be mysteriously powdery.* Glacial Gumdrop: a scent that incorporates cooling and “gummy” qualities.* Frisson: A scent that can cause a subtle, strange, and rather remarkable synesthetic ASMR-like sensation.* Eau de Cologne Vide: a scent that explores character impact with no flavor, a celebration of emptiness.* Hedonium Shockwave: a scent that explores positive valence in its purest form - what would a rich scent with no negative features smell like? This is our best attempt.-------Relevant links:Articles by Andrés Gómez Emilsson:Harmonic Society: 8 Models of Art for a Scientific Paradigm of Aesthetic Qualia - qualiacomputing.com/2019/09/16/harmonic-society-1-4-art-as-family-resemblance-cool-kid-theory (buy issue #6 here: artagainstart.com/p/store.html#!/Issue-6-Summer-Fall-2019/p/148907646/category=0)Perfumery as an Artform - qualiacomputing.com/2020/02/21/perfumery-as-an-art-formQualia Research Diary: Scents - qualiacomputing.com/2020/08/14/qualia-research-diary-scentsBurning Man Theme-Camps of the Year 2029: From Replicator to Rainbow God - qualiacomputing.com/2019/02/24/burning-man-theme-camps-of-the-year-2029-from-replicator-to-rainbow-god-1-2The Aesthetic of the Meta-Aesthetic - youtu.be/svmyrKS66S4A Big State-Space of Consciousness - qualiacomputing.com/2020/01/18/a-big-state-space-of-consciousnessSee also: List of Aesthetics - aesthetics.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_Aesthetics?so=searchDaniel Ingram’s dream about Pokémon Go - integrateddaniel.info/a-z-blog/2016/8/3/the-magickal-shamanic-imperial-ethical-and-tanDetailed 2C-B Trip Report by an Anonymous Reader - qualiacomputing.com/2019/02/03/detailed-2c-b-trip-report-by-an-anonymous-reader
The Brain as a Non-Linear Optical Computer: Reflections on a 2-Week Jhana Meditation Retreat Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-11-26 | This is an account of a 2-week Jhana meditation retreat I did at home by following Rob Burbea's talks: dharmaseed.org/retreats/4496I highly, highly (10/10) recommend listening to these talks. If you "only have the time" for one, I'd emphasize this one in particular (~25 minutes): dharmaseed.org/talks/60871I've been wanting to do a Jhana retreat for a while, and just a few weeks ago I finally had the chance to take some weeks off work to do so. I was able to experience the 1st Jhana (w/ 95% confidence) and was deeply impressed. I learned a great deal about the mind, healed a lot, and worked on QRI's "Brain as a Non-Linear Optical Computer" (BaaNLOC) Paradigm of Consciousness. This retreat presented an excellent playground to test, falsify, and further the ideas behind this paradigm, which will be shared in due time.In this video we discuss:0) What it means to "experience higher dimensions". I advance three ways in which higher phenomenal dimensions can actually be experienced: hyperstereoscopy (using two or more dissociated 2.5D visual fields as a source of parallax), compactified extra dimensions (where you vibrate the entire world-simulation along a new dimension uncorrelated with its contents), & compositions of symmetrical spaces (use attention to get the "product" between two crystallographic tessellation's of 3D space, i.e. composing space groups).1) Personal background incl. my experience with meditation (500-1000 hours), philosophy, and "insight practices". This might be valuable context for people interested in doing this kind of practice.2) Retreat protocol: ~8 hours of meditation a day, 8h/d of sleep, 2h/d exercise, etc.3) Commentary on the retreat lectures I followed from Rob Burbea, aka. Bobby Bouba Buddha, aka. BBBBB, aka. R.B. I discuss the "energy body", "energetic antennae" and three core ideas useful for this kind of meditation: sensitivity, responsibility, & attunement (which is similar to the internal move you make when you are at a noisy place and but you want to pay attention to the sound coming from a specific person or thing). Above all always remember that *whatever you pay attention to gets energized*.Note: Rob Burbea's meditation retreat also dealt with the importance of cultivating a connection to one's deepest and most wholesome desires. I learned the value of getting in touch with them and let their energy marinate one's organism.4) Recounting the retreat timeline of states of consciousness, transformations, and effects on the psyche.5) QRI paradigms and how they find their relevance in this context: Neural Annealing, Algorithmic Reduction, STV, attention & awareness, log scales, etc.6) New insights: we have "attention heads" which provide "resonance buckets" (akin to "subagents") whose natural state is to be orthogonal to each other. If the contents of one's world-simulation synchronize above a certain threshold, this can entrain the attention heads and one gets "single pointed attention" as a result.7) Additional realizations: "Energy centers" can be accurately described as the "focal points" for "eigenmodes of attention". Meaning that they are the locations of one's field of experience where, if you energize them in the right way, they will instantiate a global resonant state such that all of the "waves reflect back in phase", much akin to how sound emited at the focal points of an ellipse "bounces off" the walls and converges back at the origin point after having converged at the other focal point first. 8) The effect of various scents/perfumes and mild psychoactives on Jhana meditation. Qualia of the Day ~ Experiencing Higher Dimensions--------"Where there is desire, there is gonna be a flame""Where there is a flame, someone's bound to get burned""But just because it burns doesn't mean you're gonna die""You've gotta get up and try, try, try""Gotta get up and try, try, try"- Try, song by Pink--------Relevant links:DMT and Hyperbolic Geometry, where it was also noted (independent of Rob Burbea) that whatever you pay attention to gets energized - qualiacomputing.com/2022/05/02/dmt-and-hyperbolic-geometry-1-million-views-specialOn Rhythms of the Brain: Jhanas, Local Field Potentials, and Electromagnetic Theories of Consciousness - qualiacomputing.com/2022/10/27/on-rhythms-of-the-brain-jhanas-local-field-potentials-and-electromagnetic-theories-of-consciousnessBuddhist Annealing - qualiacomputing.com/2021/04/04/buddhist-annealing-wireheading-done-right-with-the-seven-factors-of-awakeningNick Cammarata and Jhana by Scott Alexander - astralcodexten.substack.com/p/nick-cammarata-on-jhanaA response to ACX’s “Nick Cammarata and Jhana” post by Stephen Zerfas - jhourney.io/blog/scott-alexander-nick-cammarata-jhanaCan People Be Honestly Wrong About Their Own Experiences? by Scott Alexander - astralcodexten.substack.com/p/can-people-be-honestly-wrong-about
Mathematics as the Study of Patterns of Qualia: From Psychotic Platonism to Enlightened Fictionalism Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-11-03 | What are mathematics? What is it that we *do* when we are reasoning about mathematical objects, implications, and proofs?In this video we argue that, to a first approximation, mathematical cognition involves the use of a special kind of conscious states: you partition your mind with a self-other divide and then manipulate patterns of attention and awareness in order to find transitive equivalences in a network of invariants. A mouthful, no doubt! But nobody said that understanding math would be easy!To get to this understanding, we first provide a set of necessary background assumptions, which consist of:1) Indirect Realism (about perception) - all you ever experience is an inner world simulation2) Recipe vs. Review - the steps needed to take you to a particular state of consciousness are conceptually different than the nature of the resulting state disclosed3) Symmetry Theory of Valence - symmetry & pleasure are related4) Neural Annealing - energization as a way to overcome local energy minima 5) Attention vs. Awareness - fixations that "binds features" vs. background that energizes them.Believing in the external reality of something helps a lot with the process of reification. Same as how we "get into" a story via suspension of disbelief; math requires us to believe in abstract objects to participate in the story. In turn, this means you alienate yourself from part of your experience. You think of it as a big mysterious "other" to which attention field lines converge and which you treat as an object of investigation. With this understanding, we realize that the difference between mathematical cognition and sacred geometrical meditation is perhaps more subtle than it seems. Whereas mathematical cognition reifies abstract entities as an "other" and only rarely "embodies them as part of the self", the "sacred geometer" has a default leaning of embodying these abstractions. Furthermore, it is not literally the case that when you visualize "The Golden Triangle" you become that triangle. Rather, what you become is a complex pattern of interlaced attention and awareness with symmetrical fixation points that bring about pleasant resonances that emit euphoric waves (with soft ADSR envelopes). In this case, the objects of meditation break the self-other divide and cause "nondual states of mind"; the mathematician instead will by default hold the abstractions in a narrow attentional window and thus safely bucket them in the "other" region of the self-other divide. That said, a mathematician who chooses to expand the attentional scope with which she is rendering the abstractions can enter into trippy, meditative, exotic states of mind that, depending on the symmetries involved, might be even more euphoric and fascinating than what a meditator could achieve (on the basis of the irreducible complexity only a dedicated mathematician can render).We conclude by observing that *computation* is akin to the "sequel of mathematics", where the arrow of time is introduced. If mathematics don't exist out there in a Platonic sense, neither do computations. Trying to bootstrap reality from computation might be akin to trying to get an explanation for world politics in terms of "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers". It can be illuminating, and at times incisive, but it ultimately lacks the necessary ontological grounding to be an appropriate "base" for empirical phenomena. And while cellular automata abstractions can have a lot of explanatory power, there is no indication that reality at the most fundamental can neatly emerge out of a cellular automata without trickery. Ultimately, reality might instead be explained in terms of principles like Zero Information, Energy Minimization, and Extrema, which in some cases might be uncomputable.~Qualia of the Day~: Aminoacids as "subtle drugs". Glycine, l-theanine, and l-lysine as mild anxiolytics and relaxing agents. L-tyrosine as a mild stimulant with dopaminergic qualities. And agmatine as a "noise inducer" and "experience blunter" with potential anti-depressant and anti-annealing effects.------Relevant Links:What is David Pearce's view of the philosophy of mathematics? - quora.com/What-is-David-Pearces-view-of-the-philosophy-of-mathematicsOn Rhythms of the Brain: Jhanas, Local Field Potentials, and Electromagnetic Theories of Consciousness - qualiacomputing.com/2022/10/27/on-rhythms-of-the-brain-jhanas-local-field-potentials-and-electromagnetic-theories-of-consciousnessOn Dark Rooms, Jhanas, Ecstasy, and the Symmetry Theory of Valence - qualiacomputing.com/2021/10/31/on-dark-rooms-jhanas-ecstasy-and-the-symmetry-theory-of-valenceHidden Structures of Consciousness: Sacred Geometry & DMT (event by the Oxford Psychedelic Society) - eventbrite.co.uk/e/hidden-structures-of-consciousness-sacred-geometry-dmt-tickets-411505352587The Theory of Neural Annealing (@thestoa) - youtu.be/ndjbeF4EqRs
Qualia of the Day: Violet Candy Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-11-02 | A quick qualia review of violet candy varieties.
Review of The 2022 Tyringham Initiative Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-10-03 | My account of the wonderful Tyringham Initiative. "They should have sent an interdisciplinary group of deeply curious and very smart people with a high 'easiness-of-getting-it' quotient."tyringhaminitiative.com
Just Look At The Thing!: How The Science of Consciousness Informs Ethics Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-09-20 | In this video I explain how philosophy of mind and the science of consciousness has non-trivial and significant implications in the realm of ethics.I cover:1) Mixed Valence States2) Logarithmic Scales of Pleasure and Pain3) Personal Identity / the One Electron Universe, and4) The Symmetry Theory of Valenceand finally... brainstorm a bit about what a great reality show it would be for philosophers to take drugs and go on meditation retreats whil talking about ethics and philosophy of mind.
Response to You Cannot Be Both Smart And Blissful at the Same Time Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-09-02 | O3 - “You cannot be both smart and blissful at the same time.”(On the Hedonistic Imperative Responses Bingo - hpluspedia.org/wiki/Responses_to_the_Hedonistic_Imperative_Bingo)Uniform bliss… an IV heroin rush… meditative cessations - Nirodha-samāpatti - NIRVANA! … are NOT conducive to serious mental compute.But uniform bliss is NOT what we’re talking about.Rather, information-sensitive gradients of wellbeing! Even if hedonic range is necessary for compute - we could remap a motivational architecture from -10 to +10 [in the valence scale], to a range from +70 to +100! It’ll still work to get us moving and thinking, as shown by many people lucky to have naturally high baselines of hedonic tone.That said, why not? Why not sprinkle moments of perfect bliss here and there? It’s a powerful motivator! Even Rob Burbea who advocates against becoming a bliss junkie, says that Samadhi is replenishing, rejuvenating, and motivating! Let’s have some of it! The Hedonistic Imperative (David Pearce) - hedweb.comMastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha (Daniel Ingram) - mctb.org
Response to The Very Concept of Happiness Requires Contrast Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-09-01 | G3 - “The very concept of happiness requires contrast.”(On the Hedonistic Imperative Responses Bingo - hpluspedia.org/wiki/Responses_to_the_Hedonistic_Imperative_Bingo)I don’t think happiness requires contrast. But even if contrast was necessary to appreciate happiness, can’t you take the brain state where such contrast is readily available and then use *that* as your new template for happiness?You could capture the “Phew! I just got out of Hell and I’m moving towards Heaven”-state and stabilize it with neurotech.From another angle, sometimes people bring up a physics metaphor: happiness is like acceleration. You can’t accelerate forever. But even taking this at face value, there’s a simple counter-example: ask any physicist - planets in stable orbits are, in fact, constantly accelerating.The Hedonistic Imperative (David Pearce) - hedweb.comWireheading Done Right: Stay Positive Without Going Insane - qualiacomputing.com/2016/08/20/wireheading_done_right
Response to Predators Are Necessary for the Health of Ecosystems Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-09-01 | I2 - “Predators are necessary for the health of ecosystems!”(On the Hedonistic Imperative Responses Bingo - hpluspedia.org/wiki/Responses_to_the_Hedonistic_Imperative_Bingo)My GAD you’ve been watching some unsuitable David Attenborough, haven’t you? I believe that the *generator* of this critique is a precognitive romanticization of the Food Chain (aka. “Natural ecosystems”). Not a realistic look at what goes on in nature.But, let’s engage at the object level. First - what does it mean for an “ecosystem to be healthy”? - recall that “conservation biology” is value-laden: in the future, we might instead have an ethical “compassionate biology”.Second - the existence of Gaia remains unproven. As far as science is concerned, individuals and not mythical collectives are the only plausible moral patients. Third - yes, chaotic dynamics in natural ecosystems can be problematic. But the future AI-enabled surveillance and control of every square meter of what remains of the wild means that suffering in nature will be a matter of choice.The Hedonistic Imperative - hedweb.comEngineering Compassionate Ecosystems (io9's George Dvorsky interviews David Pearce) - hedweb.com/transhumanism/compassionate-ecosystems.html
Response to A World Without Suffering Is Sociologically Impossible Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-08-31 | B2 - “[A world without suffering is] sociologically impossible.”(On the Hedonistic Imperative Responses Bingo - hpluspedia.org/wiki/Responses_to_the_Hedonistic_Imperative_Bingo)This critique gets something right: the biggest challenges to a world without suffering aren’t technical. They’re sociological. Yes there are many obstacles to overcome in the social domain. However, the Monumental cultural transition is, in my opinion, inevitable.Were Elon Musk to read and grok The Hedonistic Imperative and twit about it - a legion of next-generation teenage fans would no doubt ask him to create a company to research non-tolerance-inducing alternatives to opioids. He might very well comply!The pleasure principle mixed with the difficulties in enforcing a biotechnology moratorium entail that, in the long-run, safe and sustainable mood-brighteners and universal painkillers will be commonplace. Alas, in the meantime, memetic orthodoxy and social signaling games stand in the way. Move aside! For a new paradigm is nigh!The Hedonistic Imperative (David Pearce) - hedweb.comPleasure Principle - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleasure_principle_(psychology)Wireheading Done Right: Stay Positive Without Going Insane - qualiacomputing.com/2016/08/20/wireheading_done_right
Response to You Would Risk Getting Stuck In a Local-Maxima of Collective Wellbeing Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-08-31 | G1 - “You would risk getting stuck in a local-maxima of collective wellbeing”(On the Hedonistic Imperative Responses Bingo - hpluspedia.org/wiki/Responses_to_the_Hedonistic_Imperative_Bingo)This objection is both hypothetical and so far in disagreement with the current available evidence. Think about it. Usually depressed and angst-ridden individuals are stuck in attractors with little to no novelty. Even if someone with depression experiences a wide range of sensory stimuli, the resulting phenomenology tends to be at best bland, and at worst homogeneously horrific.More so, how do you imagine this panning out? What would be the precise policy implementation of this precautionary principle? “Keep migraines around just in case they give us a good idea”? If it truly is the case that pain is necessary to have radically new thoughts, then such research could no doubt be confined to the Ivory Towers of next generation’s Super-Shulgin Academy. There’s no need for grandma to partake in the investigation.The Hedonistic Imperative - hedweb.comThe Super-Shulgin Academy: A Singularity I Can Believe In - qualiacomputing.com/2016/02/04/the-super-shulgin-academy-a-singularity-i-can-believe-in
Response to You know? Some of The Greatest Art Was Inspired by Suffering! Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-08-31 | O1 - “You know, some of the greatest art was inspired by suffering!”(On the Hedonistic Imperative Responses Bingo - hpluspedia.org/wiki/Responses_to_the_Hedonistic_Imperative_Bingo)This response somehow manages to be simultaneously morally reprehensible and intellectually weak. First, what would you think of a similar style of defense for the Games of the Roman Coliseum? The fact that contemporaries believed it had artistic merit, beneficial pro-social effects, and besides it’s a traditional source of entertainment are hardly believable in earnest. Condemning artists to suffer for the sake of “great art” shares some resemblances.In all fairness, art that touches on suffering can be moving, prosocial, and compassionate in its effect. But the very premise of its prosociality relies on it actually delivering on the compassion, if authentic. If taken to its mood-congruent implications, compassion-focused art is funnily self-destructive: systematic compassion can lead to the abolishing of suffering altogether. And would that be a loss? No, it’d be a success according to the very telos of the art that moved us so much! What happens next? We delight in art that celebrates joy!The Hedonistic Imperative - hedweb.comHarmonic Society - qri.org/pdf/Harmonic-Society.pdf
Response to If We Were Always Happy Life Would Be Boring Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-08-31 | O5 - "If we were always happy life would be boring.”(On the Hedonistic Imperative Responses Bingo - hpluspedia.org/wiki/Responses_to_the_Hedonistic_Imperative_Bingo)To a first approximation, very happy states of mind are in fact free from boredom. It’s part of their very nature! Thus, this critique is a contradiction in terms. It’s like saying: “if our visual field was red all the time, it would be blue.” No, it wouldn’t, it wouldn’t be red! Do I really need to elaborate? Sadly, yes. We ought to engage with the *generator* of this critique. There are multiple things going on in here.First, generalizing patterns of emotion transition probabilities within the current human condition to a space where they don’t belong.Second, it’s in issue of projection and inaccurate imagination. And it’s colored by social impression management: You don’t want to *seem* like someone who is easily amused in front of your friends. Because it’s low status.And third, as we’ve seen before(1), we can still have *mixed-valence experiences*. Ok, assume that we can’t figure out the way to implement intelligent novelty-seeking behavior without some degree of boredom. Well, so be it! We can still dilute it with copious amounts of pleasure, motivation, and delight, no problem.———The Hedonistic Imperative - hedweb.com(1) States with Mixed Valence Elements Can Be Net Positive: This is one of those cases in which empirically-informed philosophy of mind has actual consequences in moral philosophy. In particular, the existence of mixed-affect and mixed-valence experiences has yet to receive its proper treatment in the realm of ethics. Taken into account, the wide diversity of possible mixed-valence experiences calls for a veritable Cambrian Explosion of possible utilitarianism subtypes: those that care about pain in any guise, those that only care about aggregate valence on a given moment of experience, and those that distinguish between mixed-valence states and merely noisy/neutral states (cf. CDNS - qualiacomputing.com/2020/12/17/the-symmetry-theory-of-valence-2020-presentation/). But for the time being, we should limit ourselves to pointing out that the net valence of a state of consciousness can be very positive despite the presence of otherwise unpleasant elements. This is because sensations don’t occur in a vacuum: they arise within a context of many other (phenomenally bound) sensations. Thus, a particular pain A, if arising within an experience that has a strong enough pleasant sensation B, will lessen the net valence of the state, but not necessarily make it flip into the realm of the negative (the “I’d rather not exist than exist” territory). Together with the possibility of Consciousness Amplification, one can indeed observe the existence of otherwise extremely troubling sources of discomfort drowned out by enough positive valence (in the guise of metta, equanimity, bodily warmth, “spiritual conviction”, etc.). In other words, even if specks, building blocks, or even entire gestalts of discomfort were to be necessary for some computational purpose (an as-of-yet unproven claim, it must be noted) the simple hack of adding enough pleasure of the right type to counter-balance it while preserving its computational role would be possible.
Response to Are You Going to Force People to Be Happy? Id Rather Die! Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-08-31 | B1 - “Are you going to force people to be happy? I’d rather die.” (On the Hedonistic Imperative Responses Bingo - hpluspedia.org/wiki/Responses_to_the_Hedonistic_Imperative_Bingo)Nobody is going to force you into the pleasure chambers. Usually, the problem is that people (and non-human animals) cannot stop feeling pain, suffering, and malaise, not that they have too much happiness at their disposal. Ask yourself instead what could possibly be motivating this aesthetic response. Do you think people are out there trying to force you to be happy? If so, why? Could it be that you have some kind of social signaling going on that happiness would disrupt? Gaucho Marx’s “I wouldn't want to belong to a club that would have me as a member” is of course a *social stance* that signals independence, strong-mindedness, and a sense of superiority (“I wouldn’t let myself be fooled like everyone else”). But, verily I tell you, you are fooling yourself! For you do want to be happy, even if you don’t want to admit it to yourself. The Hedonistic Imperative - hedweb.com
Response to Pain Serves a Function That Cannot Be Replaced By Anything Else Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-08-31 | I1 - “Pain serves a function that cannot be replaced by anything else.”(On the Hedonistic Imperative Responses Bingo - hpluspedia.org/wiki/Responses_to_the_Hedonistic_Imperative_Bingo)There are many problems with this as a critique of HI as a project and policy option. First, it’s an unproven claim. There are many examples of experiences that seem to, at least on superficial examination, be fully animated by gradients of bliss. Take love-making. If done right, it’s thoroughly enjoyable, even if some parts are ecstatic while others are merely pleasant. Or take a successful MDMA experience; used judiciously and sparingly among the healthy, it can provide periods of time where one feels thoroughly happy and yet able and motivated to interact with one’s surroundings in a purposeful fashion. Second, even if phenomenal pain was necessary for some behavioral effect, we can drown out it with positive valence as explained elsewhere (1) [“States with Mixed Valence Elements Can Be Net Positive”].And third, machine-vision and haptic-sensor-enabled AI prosthesis can keep you safe and take you to the hospital if need be. Why render bodily damage phenomenologically, when insentient AIs can take care of it?--------The Hedonistic Imperative - hedweb.com(1) States with Mixed Valence Elements Can Be Net Positive: This is one of those cases in which empirically-informed philosophy of mind has actual consequences in moral philosophy. In particular, the existence of mixed-affect and mixed-valence experiences has yet to receive its proper treatment in the realm of ethics. Taken into account, the wide diversity of possible mixed-valence experiences calls for a veritable Cambrian Explosion of possible utilitarianism subtypes: those that care about pain in any guise, those that only care about aggregate valence on a given moment of experience, and those that distinguish between mixed-valence states and merely noisy/neutral states (cf. CDNS - qualiacomputing.com/2020/12/17/the-symmetry-theory-of-valence-2020-presentation/). But for the time being, we should limit ourselves to pointing out that the net valence of a state of consciousness can be very positive despite the presence of otherwise unpleasant elements. This is because sensations don’t occur in a vacuum: they arise within a context of many other (phenomenally bound) sensations. Thus, a particular pain A, if arising within an experience that has a strong enough pleasant sensation B, will lessen the net valence of the state, but not necessarily make it flip into the realm of the negative (the “I’d rather not exist than exist” territory). Together with the possibility of Consciousness Amplification, one can indeed observe the existence of otherwise extremely troubling sources of discomfort drowned out by enough positive valence (in the guise of metta, equanimity, bodily warmth, “spiritual conviction”, etc.). In other words, even if specks, building blocks, or even entire gestalts of discomfort were to be necessary for some computational purpose (an as-of-yet unproven claim, it must be noted) the simple hack of adding enough pleasure of the right type to counter-balance it while preserving its computational role would be possible.
Response to The Hedonistic Imperative is Just Brave New World Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-08-31 | N1 - This is basically “Brave New World’.” (On the Hedonistic Imperative Responses Bingo - hpluspedia.org/wiki/Responses_to_the_Hedonistic_Imperative_Bingo)Brave New World (1932) by Aldous Huxley was carefully crafted to make you experience disgust. If you think about it, there are trillions of conceivable blueprints of genetically-driven paradises. Why get fixated in this one in particular?Huxley merely visualizes a future in which dumb-drug Soma keeps people happy with the status quo, society has been stabilized via a status hierarchy embedded in one’s genes and early conditioning, and other repulsive features. He does not, however, at any point, rigorously argue for the *necessity* of the connection between universal happiness and a world akin to the one he describes.The Hedonistic Imperative does not logically entail a particular socio-economic or political system. That said, in practice, making happiness universally accessible is far more compatible with individual freedom and responsibility than a top-down totalitarian system: it is usually depressives who exhibit submissive social behavior. Alphas, by and large, tend to both be happy, and signal happiness (with myriad caveats and corner cases, but you see what I mean).See David Pearce’s devastating critique of Brave New World: huxley.netThe Hedonistic Imperative - hedweb.comAnd Eliezer Yudkowsky’s clever essay “The Logical Fallacy of Generalization from Fictional Evidence”: lesswrong.com/posts/rHBdcHGLJ7KvLJQPk/the-logical-fallacy-of-generalization-from-fictional
Attention & Awareness: Oscillatory Complementarity, Non-Linearities, and the Pointlessness of It All Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-03-16 | "You can never have the use of the inside of a cup without the outside - the inside and outside go together. They're one." - Alan WattsIn this video I make the case that attention and awareness are special cases of a much more general phenomenon. I call this *oscillatory complementarity*. Attention, in its most basic and studied form, can be thought of as a flashlight that highlights the contents of our field of awareness. It adds resolution to them, and then binds their features in coherent phenomenal objects (local binding). But there is a wide range of exotic states of consciousness where attention and awareness seems to work quite differently, yet follow predictable rules.As a manner of introduction, I jokingly argue that everything in math started to go downhill since Euclid defined a point as "that which has no parts". Nonsense! - I say, for a something without parts is a contradiction in terms. Now, of course axiomatic geometry led to huge advancements in math, and admittedly tuned out to be foundational for the development of modern mathematics. But what we gained in conceptual clarity, we lost in perceptual lucidity. Points are artificial constructs that result from the interplay between attention and awareness; not self-existing real entities. Put another way, points- in a deep way- are illusory; a point and its surrounding phenomenal space are co-dependent and co-arising. Points, phenomenologically speaking, require a field of awareness in which they are embedded in order to exist. In fact, a point exists only in so far it is in resonance with a patch of awareness. Thus, we start to see how attention (represented by a point in this case) complements awareness and vice versa. "Points", as a consequence, are really only apparent, since what they represent is a particular pattern of non-linear oscillatory coupling of a *field*. And although experience (and existence) may be pointless, this does not mean it is valueless, for valence is still a perfectly real, meaningful, and holistic property of a field of awareness.I then explore how the paradigm of oscillatory complementarity can articulate and clarify a wide range of exotic phenomena:Concentration meditation can give rise a certain kind of oscillatory annealing where larger and larger parts of the field of awareness oscillate in phase so that they "hit" the meditation object at the same time, and thus energize it and activate its non-linearities. In turn, the "vibe" (see previous video) of the meditation object determines the wave envelope, and thus the consonance-dissonace-noise (CDNS) characteristics of the entire state in a holistic fashion (thus focusing on loving objects makes the entirety of your experience sweeter, and not only the center of your attention).Insight practice involves de-energizing the non-linearities (gestalts) that make up your world-simulation. As you do this over and over again, eventually you start decoupling awareness from the fixation "points", until the linear resonant modes of the field of awareness are all that remains (note: beware of the Dark Night, though).LSD non-duality can be understood as more diffuse elements of experience becoming the non-linear oscillatory complements of the field of awareness, such as "light", "space", and "being". DMT's competing clusters of coherence and their compositional properties also emerge naturally out of a hyper-energized field of awareness that generates oscillatory complements. 5-MeO-DMT is a straight path to insight territory, as it activates a new medium of wave-propagation orthogonal to the one in which our world-simulation is typically embedded. And so on...I also re-evaluate the models introduced in the original Qualia Computing article on the geometry of DMT experiences in light of this new paradigm. In particular, I delve into the concept of exotic attention in the form of wallpaper symmetry groups and Bayesian energy sinks.~Qualia of the Day: The Point~----------Relevant links: Attention and consciousness (Scholarpedia [Don't confuse attention and consciousness!]) - http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Attention_and_consciousnessThe effects of visuospatial attention measured acrossvisual cortex using source-imaged, steady-state EEG - st-andrews.ac.uk/~jma23/papers/lauritzen2010JOV_spatial-attention.pdfThe Constructive Aspect of Visual Perception (Steven Lehar) - http://slehar.com/www/ConstructiveAspect/ConstructiveAspect.htmlThe Hyperbolic Geometry of DMT Experiences (discusses "Bayesian Energy Sinks") - qualiacomputing.com/2016/12/12/the-hyperbolic-geometry-of-dmt-experiencesEuclid's Definitions - mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/HistTopics/Euclid_definitionsBad interactions with MAOIs - reddit.com/r/Drugs/comments/mo6av3/recreational_drugs_and_maoi_treatmentAvoid Runaway Signaling in Effective Altruism - qualiacomputing.com/2017/10/24/avoid-runaway-signaling-in-effective-altruism
Non-Linear Wave Computing: Vibes, Gestalts, and Realms Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-03-05 | How is the geometric structure of our inner world-simulation constructed? What are vibes? Why do we experience gestalts as cohesive percepts that are more than the sum of their parts? And why do we get stuck in psycho-affective attractors (aka. the Buddhist "realms")?In this video I articulate a comprehensive novel paradigm of neural computation that explains all of this and more. Namely, the paradigm of non-linear wave computing.In the context of consciousness research, non-linear wave computing falls under the umbrella of qualia computing (i.e. using qualia for information processing). The core idea is that our nervous system uses mediums with specialized wave-propagation dynamics in order to instantiate self-organizing principles that will "solve the problem on their own" in a massively parallel and holistic fashion. In this talk I delve deeply into the way non-linear waves seem to appear in a wide range of phenomenological domains and thus provide a lot of explanatory power.I explain that most of what people think about when waves are discussed falls in the category of "linear waves". Namely, waves where the "superposition principle" applies, and the behavior of the system can be fully accounted for by a factorization of its dynamics into independent waves "going through each other". But physical waves are often non-linear. For instance, beach waves often "bounce off each other". Key non-linear waves include solitons, phase conjugate mirrors, and self-focusing effects.The thesis of this video is that our world-simulation is constructed with vibes interacting with one another forming gestalts, which in turn form large-scale enduring self-reinforcing attractors aka. "realms". With an analogy to the construction of a building: vibes are tools, gestalts are raw materials, and realms are the complete resulting buildings. Vibes have precise valence characteristics (ADSR envelop, dissonance, etc.) - for instance, metta has a soft attack. When vibes are above a certain level of energy they become non-linear and thus they "bounce off each other" to form gestalt (which are the energy minima of vibes interacting with one another). These gestalts function as non-linearities that our brain stores as building blocks, which are then stacked with each other to form complex scenes, and ultimately entire realms of experience.Importantly, the valence characteristics of vibes and those of the gestalts they give rise to are mutually reinforcing. The valence of our inner representations are thus the CDNS (consonance, dissonance, noise signature) of the vibes making up the gestalts. This allows us to understand how moods work. For example, adrenergic vibes are harsh and thus over time they anneal into gestalts that have unpleasant valence characteristics - the realms embody the vibes of the gestalts that constructed them. So... be wise about your vibes!Credit: This work is a synthesis of QRI research and paradigms (Gomez-Emilsson, Johnson), Steven Lehar's psychedelic phenomenology and his work on the constructive aspect of visual perception, precise and systematic meditative phenomenology (especially: Daniel Ingram, Shinzen Young, and Rob Burbea), and our lineages (qualiaresearchinstitute.org/research-lineages).~Qualia of the Day: Rug Vibes!~Relevant links:Qualia Computing: How Conscious States Are Used For Efficient And Non-Trivial Information Processing - youtu.be/e0mpayTwKDMA Future for Neuroscience(Michael E. Johnson) - opentheory.net/2018/08/a-future-for-neuroscienceThe Constructive Aspect of Visual Perception (Steven Lehar) - http://slehar.com/www/ConstructiveAspect/ConstructiveAspect.htmlWelcoming Steven Lehar as a QRI Lineage - qualiaresearchinstitute.org/blog/steven-lehar-lineageLinear and nonlinear waves - http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/Linear_and_nonlinear_wavesSolitons - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soliton"The later pattern is faster, perhaps ten to eighteen or more Hz, more irregular and chaotic, with faster and slower harmonics in the background and at the periphery of our attention. It tends to make us feel very buzzy and edgy in a scattered, diffuse, ungrounded, restless, irritated way. The fact that the background is beginning to shake is a good sign of progress, as this needs to happen for the cycle to be complete. Remember when I said the goal was to see the three characteristics of the whole field? This is a truly essential, if often painful and confusing, step towards that happening. On the other hand, it is exactly the fact that the background has begun to shake, crumble, and dissolve that can cause people to freak out." - Daniel Ingram on the Dark Night - mctb.org/mctb2/table-of-contents/part-iv-insight/30-the-progress-of-insight/5-dissolution-entrance-to-the-dark-nightPeaceful cheerful heavenly vibe example - "The Everlast" by Amaranth Cove: open.spotify.com/track/4WuBuD1XoYot0tp6v09Wd7?si=6a5c7cb48f2f4b24
Full-Spectrum Superintelligence: From Shape Rotator to Benevolent Rainbow God Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-02-27 | What's a Superintelligence?The main point of this video is to articulate the fact that we all get "the notion of intelligence that we deserve": if your conception of intelligence is "causal power" or "capacity to solve mathematical problems" you will miss out on a much wider world of possibilities. In fact, you will miss out on the foundational elements needed to understand the potential for what David Pearce calls a "Full-Spectrum Supersentient Superintelligence", a mind capable of exploring, recruiting, and instantiating arbitrary state-spaces of consciousness for computational and aesthetic purposes.In order to arrive at such a radically enriched conception of superintelligence we need to build up to it by first exploring mainstream modern conceptions of intelligence based on empirical psychometrics. Yes, it is true that "intelligence tests" measure something meaningful that has predictive power. I explain how General Mental Ability (GMA) is a pragmatically useful concept backed up by decades of psychometrics using statistical techniques such as Principal Component Analysis, Factor Analysis, and Structural Equation Modeling. These paradigms, however, suffer from statistical artifacts as a consequence of their faulty assumptions, such latent traits following a Gaussian distribution. We can avoid these problems by grounding GMA on relative problem solving capacity with Item Response Theory, which clearly shows that even traditional conceptions of intelligence do not follow a normal distribution (where outliers like Terrence Tao and Von Neumann are much more common than would be expected otherwise). I also delve into Spearman's Law of Diminishing Returns and its implication for the "battle" between Shape Rotators and Wordsmiths.But all of this doesn't even touch what I think intelligence is *really* about. Which is, being able to distinguish the trivial from the significant!High-octane mental power, when pointed in a pointless direction, is not particularly useful. Thus, we must enrich our conception of intelligence to encapsulate philosophical, meditative, and existential cognition. And, perhaps the Crown Jewel of Intelligence: the ability to explore, make sense of, navigate, and recruit exotic states of consciousness for information processing and aesthetic purposes. In particular, I make the case that intelligence is truly about identifying *self-organizing principles* of physics that are energetically cheap which can *solve the problem for you* (cf. "Repulsive Shape Optimization").Ultimately, the reason why John von Neumann might be a red herring for a Full-Spectrum Superintelligence was his inability to "exit the simulation of his mind", unidentify with his phenomenal ego, and realize the truth of Open Individualism and Valence Realism. These are, rather, factors of intelligence involving sophisticated self-awareness with "frame exiting" properties quite distinct from mathematical ability.I conclude with a discussion about what a Full-Spectrum Superintelligence would do with its time... perhaps, play a Full-Spectrum variant of the Glass Bead Game!~Qualia of the Day: Cuteness!~--------Relevant links:The Biointelligence Explosion (David Pearce) - biointelligence-explosion.comEmpathetic Super-Intelligence (David Pearce) - qualiacomputing.com/2016/09/10/empathetic-super-intelligenceThe Supreme State of Unconsciousness: Classical Enlightenment from the Point of View of Valence Structuralism - qualiacomputing.com/2021/11/23/the-supreme-state-unconsciousness-classical-enlightenment-from-the-point-of-view-of-valence-structuralismGod and Open Individualism (Roger Thisdell) - qualiacomputing.com/2022/01/28/god-and-open-individualismItem Response Theory - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Item_response_theoryA Song of Shapes and Words (Roon) - roonscape.substack.com/p/a-song-of-shapes-and-wordsSpearman's law of diminishing returns: A statistical artifact? - sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0160289613000809"If you say why not bomb them tomorrow, I say why not today? If you say today at 5 o’clock, I say why not one o’clock?" - John Von Neumann - qualiacomputing.com/2018/06/21/john-von-neumannThe Truth About Mathematical Ability - lesswrong.com/posts/AXXaXJvf7WcTessog/the-truth-about-mathematical-abilityGreat Mathematicians on Math Competitions and "Genius" - lesswrong.com/posts/EdFDwjsLNpgtTMJAp/great-mathematicians-on-math-competitions-and-geniusInnate Mathematical Ability - lesswrong.com/posts/5Xrv5aXfb95uHcseN/innate-mathematical-abilityTerrence Tao blog - terrytao.wordpress.comRepulsive Shape Optimization - youtu.be/dtYGiCpzzbAGlass Bead Game playable variants - ludism.org/gbgwiki/PlayableVariantGlass Bead Game (song by Plini) - open.spotify.com/track/5wZWi4x6afEx6zQ4M1B90h?si=77e23654f10c42c2
Qualia Computing: How Conscious States Are Used For Efficient And Non-Trivial Information Processing Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2022-01-30 | Why are we conscious?The short answer is that bound moments of experience have useful causal and computational properties that can speed up information processing in a nervous system. But what are these properties, exactly? And how do we know? In this video I unpack this answer in order to explain (or at least provide a proof of concept explanation for) how bound conscious states accomplish non-trivial speedups in computational problems (e.g. such as the problem of visual reification).In order to tackle this question we first need to (a) enrich our very conception of *computation*, and (b) also enrich our conception of *intelligence*. (a) Computation: We must realize that the Church-Turing Thesis conception of computation only cares about computing in terms of functions. That is, how inputs get mapped to outputs. But a much more general conception of computation also considers how the substrate allows for computational speed-ups via interacting inner states with intrinsic information. More so, if reality is made of "monads" that have non-zero intrinsic information and interact with one another, then our conception of "computation" must also consider monad networks. And in particular, the "output" of a computation may in fact be an inner bound state rather than just a sequence of discrete outputs (!).(b) Intelligence: currently this is a folk concept poorly formalized by the instruments with which we measure it (primarily in terms of sequential logics-linguistic processing). But, alas, intelligence is a function of one's entire world-simulation: even the shading of the texture of the table in front of you is contributing to the way you "see the world" and thus reason about it. So, an enriched conception of intelligence must also take into account: (1) binding, (2) the presence of a self, (3) perspective-taking, (4) distinguishing between the trivial and significant, and (5) state-space of consciousness navigation.Now that we have these enriched conceptions, we are ready to make sense of the computational role of consciousness: in a way, the whole point of "intelligence" is to avoid brute force solutions by instead recruiting an adequate "self-organizing principle" that can run on the universe's inherent massively parallel nature. Hence, the "clever" way in which our world-simulation is used: as shown by visual illusions, meditative states, psychedelic experiences, and psychophysics, perception is the result of a *balance of field forces* that is "just right". Case in point: our nervous system utilizes the holistic behavior of the field of awareness in order to quickly find symmetry elements (cf. Reverse Grassfire Algorithm). As a concrete example, I articulate the theoretical synthesis QRI has championed that combines Friston's Free Energy Principle, Atasoy's Connectome-Specific Harmonic Waves, Carhart-Harris' Entropic Disintegration, and QRI's Symmetry Theory of Valence and Neural Annealing to shows that the nervous system is recruiting the self-organizing principle of *annealing* to solve a wide range of computational problems. Other principles to be discussed at a later time.To summarize: the reason we are conscious is because being conscious allows you to recruit self-organizing principles that can run on a massively parallel fashion in order to find solutions to problems at [wave propagation] speed. Importantly, this predicts it's possible to use e.g. a visual field on DMT in order to quickly find the "energy minima" of a physical state that has been properly calibrated to correspond to the dynamics of a worldsheet in that state. This is falsifiable and exciting.I conclude with a description of the Goldilock's Zone of Oneness and why to experience it.~Qualia of the Day: Dior's Eau Sauvage (EDT)~--------------------Relevant links:On Dark Rooms, Jhanas, Ecstasy, and the Symmetry Theory of Valence(response to Scott Alexander/ACX) - qualiacomputing.com/2021/10/31/on-dark-rooms-jhanas-ecstasy-and-the-symmetry-theory-of-valenceThe Constructive Aspect of Visual Perception (Steven Lehar) - http://slehar.com/www/ConstructiveAspect/ConstructiveAspect.htmlThinking Like a Musical Instrument or Psychedelics Give Access to the Nature of Brains (Anders Amelin & Maggie Wassinge) - youtu.be/tqRA2m9zlnsIsing Machines: Non-Von Neumann Computing with Nonlinear Optics (Alireza Marandi) 6/7/2019 - youtu.be/V7BxJsLyubkPsychedelics and the Free Energy Principle (Andrés Gómez Emilsson) - youtu.be/45tG1oVigVoGrowing Neural Cellular Automata - https://distill.pub/2020/growing-ca/The Hyperbolic Geometry of DMT Experiences - youtu.be/loCBvaj4eSgMichael Levin on Morphogenetics, Regeneration, Consciousness, and Xenobots (at TOE) - youtu.be/Z0TNfysTazcNeural Annealing (Michael Johnson) - opentheory.net/2019/11/neural-annealing-toward-a-neural-theory-of-everythingQRI Lineages - qualiaresearchinstitute.org/research-lineages
Solving the Phenomenal Binding Problem: Topological Segmentation as the Correct Explanation Space Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2021-11-29 | How can a bundle of atoms form a unified mind? This is far from a trivial question, and it demands an answer.The phenomenal binding problem asks us to consider exactly that. How can spatially and temporally distributed patterns of neural activity contribute to the contents of a unified experience? How can various cognitive modules interlock to produce coherent mental activity that stands as a whole?To address this problem we first need to break down “the hard problem of consciousness” into manageable subcomponents. In particular, we follow Pearce’s breakdown of the problem where we posit that any scientific theory of consciousness must answer: (1) why consciousness exists at all, (2) what are the set of qualia variety and values, and what is the nature of their interrelationships, (3) the binding problem, i.e. why are we not “mind dust”?, and (4) what are the causal properties of consciousness (how could natural selection recruit experience for information processing purposes, and why is it that we can talk about it). We discuss how trying to "solve consciousness" without addressing each of these subproblems is like trying to go to the Moon without taking into account air drag, or the Moon's own gravitational field, or the fact that most of outer space is an air vacuum. Illusionism, in particular, seems to claim "the Moon is an optical illusion" (which would be true for rainbows - but not for the Moon, or consciousness). Zooming in on (3), we suggest that any solution to the binding problem must: (a) avoid strong emergence, (b) side-step the hard problem of consciousness, (c) circumvent epiphenomenalism, and (d) be compatible with the modern scientific word picture, namely the Standard Model of physics (or whichever future version achieves full causal closure).Given this background, we then explain that "the binding problem" as stated is in fact conceptually insoluble. Rather, we ought to reformulate it as the "boundary problem": reality starts out unified, and the real question is how it develops objective and frame invariant boundaries. Additionally, we explain that "classic vs. quantum" is a false dichotomy, at least in so far as "classical explanations" are assumed to involve particles and forces. Field behavior is in fact ubiquitous in conscious experience, and it need not be quantum to be computationally relevant! In fact, we argue that nothing in experience makes sense except in light of holistic field behavior.We then articulate exactly why all of the previously proposed solutions to the binding problem fail to meet the criteria we outlined. Among them, we cover:1) Cellular Automata2) Complexity3) Synchrony4) Integrated Information5) Causality6) Spatial Proximity7) Behavioral Coherence8) Mach Principle9) ResonanceFinally, we present what we believe is an actual plausible solution to the phenomenal binding problem that satisfies all of the necessary key constraints:10) Topological segmentationThe case for (10) is far from trivial, which is why it warrants a detailed explanation. It results from realizing that topological segmentation allows us to simultaneously obtain holistic field behavior useful for computation *and* new and natural regions of fields that we could call "emergent separate beings". This presents a completely new paradigm, which is testable using elements of the cohomology of electromagnetic fields.We conclude by speculating about the nature of multiple personality disorder and extreme meditation and psychedelic states of consciousness in light of a topological solution to the boundary problem. Finally, we articulate the fact that, unlike many other theories, this explanation space is in principle completely testable.~Qualia of the Day: Acqua di Gio by Giorgio Armani and Ambroxan~-------------Links:The Combination Problem for Panpsychism by David J. Chalmers - http://consc.net/papers/combination.pdfDavid Pearce's Physicalism - physicalism.comThe abstract of this talk (originally written for TSC 2020) - qualiacomputing.com/2020/02/15/qualia-computing-at-tsc-2020-ips-2020-unscruz-2020-and-ephemerisle-2020Welcoming Steven Lehar as a QRI Lineage - qualiaresearchinstitute.org/blog/steven-lehar-lineage12 The CEMI Field Theory: Seven Clues to the Nature of Consciousness (Johnjoe McFadden) - philarchive.org/archive/MCFTCF-3v1Consciousness is a Thing not a Process (Susan Pockett) - mdpi.com/2076-3417/7/12/1248/pdf-vor#:~:text=Tononi%20and%20Edelman%20%5B1%5D%20attribute,of%20seconds%20%5B2%5D%E2%80%9D.Principia Qualia (Michael Johnson) - opentheory.net/PrincipiaQualia.pdfRaising the Table Stakes for Successful Theories of Consciousness - qualiacomputing.com/2017/02/19/raising-the-table-stakes-for-successful-theories-of-consciousnessAlgorithmic Reduction of Psychedelic States - qualiacomputing.com/2016/06/20/algorithmic-reduction-of-psychedelic-states
Are Higher Dimensions Real? From Numerology to Precision Xenovalence - 4 5 6 8 10 12 16 20 24 32 Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2021-09-25 | Many people report experiencing "higher dimensions" during deep meditation and/or psychedelic experiences. Vaporized DMT in particular reliably produces this effect in a large percentage of users. But is this an illusion? Is there anything meaningful to it? What could possibly be going on?In this video we provide a steel man (or titanium man?) of the idea that higher dimensions are *real* in a new, meaningful, and non-trivial sense. We must emphasize that most people who believe that DMT experiences are "higher dimensional" interpret their experiences within a direct realist framework. Meaning that they think they are "tuning in" to other dimensions, that some secret sense organ capable of perceiving the etheric realm was "activated", that awareness into divine realms became available to their soul, or something along those lines. In brief, such interpretations operate under the notion that we can perceive the world directly somehow. In this video, we instead work under the premise that we live in a compact world-simulation generated by our nervous system. If DMT gives rise to "higher dimensional experiences", then such dimensions will be phenomenological in nature.We thus try to articulate how it can be possible for an *experience* to acquire higher dimensions. An important idea here is that there is a trade-off between degrees of freedom and geometric dimensions. We present a model where degrees of freedom can become interlocked in such a way that they functionally emulate the behavior of a *virtual* higher dimension. As exemplified by the "harmonograph", one can indeed couple and interlock multiple oscillators in such a way that one generates paths of a point in a space that is higher-dimensional than the space inhabited by any of the oscillators on their own. More so, with a long qualia decay, one can use such technique to "paint" entire images in a *virtual* high dimensional canvas!High-quality detailed phenomenology of DMT by rational psychonauts strongly suggests that higher virtual dimensions are widely present in the state. Also, the unique valence properties of the state seem to follow what we could call a "generalized music theory" where the "vibe" of the space is the net consonance between all of the metronomes in it. We indeed see a duality between spatial symmetry and temporal synchrony with modality-specific symmetries (equivariance maps) constraining the dynamic behavior.This, together with the Symmetry Theory of Valence (Johnson), makes the search for "special divine numbers" suddenly meaningful: numerological correspondences can illuminate the underlying makeup of "heaven worlds" and other hedonically-loaded states of mind!I conclude with a discussion about the nature of "highly-meaningful experiences". In light of all of these frameworks, meaning can be understood as a valence effect that arises when you have strong consonance between abstract (narrative and symbolic), emotional, and sensory fields all at once. A key turning point in your life combined with the right emotion and the right "sacred space" can thus give rise to "peak meaning". The key to infinite bliss!~Qualia of the Day: Numerology~Relevant Links:Kaleidophone (first "philosophical toy") - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KaleidophoneHarmonograph - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HarmonographA Primer on the Symmetry Theory of Valence (Michael E. Johnson) - qualiaresearchinstitute.org/blog/a-primer-on-the-symmetry-theory-of-valenceWelcoming Steven Lehar as a QRI Lineage - qualiaresearchinstitute.org/blog/steven-lehar-lineageThe Symmetry Theory of Valence: 2020 Presentation - qualiacomputing.com/2020/12/17/the-symmetry-theory-of-valence-2020-presentationRelating Tuning and Timbre (William A. Sethares) - https://sethares.engr.wisc.edu/consemi.htmlA Big State-Space of Consciousness - qualiacomputing.com/2020/01/18/a-big-state-space-of-consciousnessSpeculative Exomusicology (William A. Sethares) - https://sethares.engr.wisc.edu/exo.htmlThe Hyperbolic Geometry of DMT Experiences (@Harvard Science of Psychedelics Club) - youtu.be/loCBvaj4eSgGómez-Emilsson (2016, Dec. 12). The Hyperbolic Geometry of DMT Experiences: Symmetries, Sheets, and Saddled Scenes: qualiaresearchinstitute.org/blog/hyperbolic-geometry-DMT4D Toys: a box of four-dimensional toys, and how objects bounce and roll in 4D - youtu.be/0t4aKJuKP0QA Single 3N-Dimensional Universe: Splitting vs. Decoherence (Alyssa Ney, David Z Albert) - qualiacomputing.com/2016/06/29/a-single-3n-dimensional-universe-splitting-vs-decoherenceThumbnail Image Source: Petri G., Expert P., Turkheimer F., Carhart-Harris R., Nutt D., Hellyer P. J. and Vaccarino F. 2014 Homological scaffolds of brain functional networks J. R. Soc. Interface.112014087320140873 - royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsif.2014.0873
Paradigm-Shifting Qualia Research Methods: How to Take Exotic States of Consciousness Seriously Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2021-09-10 | "New scientific paradigms essentially begin life as conspiracy theories, noticing the inconsistencies the previous paradigm is suppressing. Early adopters undergo a process that Kuhn likens to religious deconversion."- Romeo StevensThe field of consciousness research lacks a credible synthesis of what we already know about the mind. One key thing that is holding back the science of consciousness is that it's currently missing an adequate set of methods to "take seriously" the implications of exotic states of consciousness. Imagine a physicist saying that "there is nothing about water that we can learn from studying ice". Silly as it may be, the truth is that this is the typical attitude about exotic consciousness in modern neuroscience. And even with the ongoing resurgence of scientific interest in psychedelics, outside of QRI and Ingram's EPRC there is no real serious attempt at mapping the state-space of consciousness in detail. This is to a large extent because we lack the vocabulary, tools, concepts, and focus at a paradigmatic level to do so. But a new paradigm is arriving, and the following 8 new research methods and others in the works will help bring it about:1) Taking Exotic States of Consciousness Seriously (e.g. when a world-class phenomenologist says that 3D-printed Poincaré projections of hyperbolic honeycombs make the visual system "glitch" when on DMT the rational response is to listen and ask questions rather than ignore and ridicule).2) High-Quality Phenomenology: Precise descriptions of the phenomenal character of experience. Core strategy: useful taxonomies of experience, a language to describe generalized synesthesia (multi-modal coherence), and a rich vocabulary to convey the statistical regularities of textures of qualia (cf. generalizing the concept of "mongrels" in the neuroscience of visual perception to all other modalities).3) Phenomenology Club: Critical mass of smart and rational psychonauts.4) Psychedelic Turk for Psychophysics: Real-time psychedelic task completion.5) Generalized Wada Test: What happens when half of your brain is on LSD and the other half is on ketamine?6) Resonance-Based Hedonic Mapping: You are a network of coupled oscillators. Act like it!7) Pair Qualia Cartography: Like pair programming but for exploring the state-space of consciousness with non-invasive neurostimulation.8) Cognitive Sovereignty: Furthering a culture that has a "Yes &" approach to creativity, keeps track of meta-data, and takes responsibility for the information it puts out.~Qualia of the Day: Being Taken Seriously~----------Relevant Links:Psychedelic Turk: A Platform for People on Altered States of Consciousness - qualiacomputing.com/2018/10/28/psychedelic-turk-a-platform-for-people-on-altered-states-of-consciousnessGeneralized Wada Test and the Total Order of Consciousness - qualiacomputing.com/2015/05/01/generalized-wada-test-and-the-total-order-of-consciousnessCognitive Sovereignty: How Do You Incentivize Genuinely New Thoughts? - youtu.be/XfYKfI2uEnwA Future for Neuroscience (Michael Johnson) - opentheory.net/2018/08/a-future-for-neuroscienceThe Neuroscience of Meditation: Four Models (Michael Johnson) - opentheory.net/2018/12/the-neuroscience-of-meditationEmergent Phenomenology Research Consortium (Daniel Ingram) - theeprc.orgWelcoming Steven Lehar as a QRI Lineage - qualiaresearchinstitute.org/blog/steven-lehar-lineageThe Control Interrupt Model of Psychedelic Action (James Kent) - http://psychedelic-information-theory.com/The-Control-Interrupt-Model-of-Psychedelic-ActionModeling Psychedelic Tracers with QRI’s Psychophysics Toolkit: The Tracer Replication Tool - qualiacomputing.com/2020/10/09/modeling-psychedelic-tracers-with-qris-psychophysics-toolkit-the-tracer-replication-toolHealing Trauma with Neural Annealing - qualiacomputing.com/2021/05/08/healing-trauma-with-neural-annealingPeaceful Qualia: The Manhattan Project of Consciousness - qualiacomputing.com/2016/03/29/peaceful-qualia-the-manhattan-project-of-consciousnessTheir Scientific Significance is Hard to Overstate (David Pearce) - qualiacomputing.com/2017/03/11/their-scientific-significance-is-hard-to-overstateEphemerisle: Health Homeostasis, Worldview Annealing, and the Long-Tails of Serious Fun - qualiacomputing.com/2019/07/30/ephemerisle-health-homeostasis-worldview-annealing-and-the-long-tails-of-serious-funPsychedelic Science 2017: Take-aways, impressions, and what’s next - qualiacomputing.com/2017/04/26/psychedelic-science-2017-take-aways-impressions-and-whats-nextIntellectual Hipsters and Meta-Contrarianism (Scott Alexander) - lesswrong.com/posts/9kcTNWopvXFncXgPy/intellectual-hipsters-and-meta-contrarianismWhy Am I Shirtless (Mario Montano, RIP) - youtu.be/ZRzyN0wK32QCringe | ContraPoints - youtu.be/vRBsaJPkt2Q
Are Others Conscious? Solving the Problem of Other Minds with Mindmelding and Phenomenal Puzzles Andrés Gómez Emilsson 2021-08-21 | How do you know for sure that other people (and non-human animals) are conscious?The so-called "problem of other minds" asks us to consider whether we truly have any solid basis for believing that "we are not alone". In this talk I provide a new, meaningful, and non-trivial solution to the problem of other minds using a combination of mindmelding and phenomenal puzzles in the right sequence such that one can gain confidence that others are indeed "solving problems with qualia computing" and in turn infer that they are independently conscious.This explanatory style contrasts with typical "solutions" to the problem of other minds that focus on either historical, behavioral, or algorithmic similarities between oneself and others (e.g. "passing a Turing test"). Here we explore what the space of possible solutions looks like and show that qualia formalism can be a key to unlock new kinds of understanding currently out of reach within the prevailing paradigms in philosophy of mind. But even with qualia formalism, the radical skeptic solipsist will not be convinced. Direct experience and "proof" is necessary to convince a hardcore solipsist since intellectual "inferential" arguments can always be mere "figments of one's own imagination". We thus explore how mindmelding can greatly increase our certainty of other's consciousness. However, skeptical worries may still linger: how do you know that the source of consciousness during mindmelding is not your brain alone? How do you know that the other brain is conscious *while you are not connected to it*? We thus introduce "phenomenal puzzles" into the picture: these are puzzles that require the use of "qualia comparisons" to be solved. In conjunction with a specific mindmelding information sharing protocol, such phenomenal puzzles can, we argue, actually fully address the problem of other minds in ways even strong skeptics will be satisfied with. You be the judge! :-)~Qualia of the Day: Wire Puzzles~Many thanks to: Everyone who has encouraged the development of the field of qualia research over the years. David Pearce for encouraging me to actually write out my thoughts and share them online, Michael Johnson for our multi-year deep collaboration at QRI, and Murphy-Shigematsu for pushing me over the edge to start working on "what I had been putting off" back in 2014 (which was the trigger to actually write the first Qualia Computing post). In addition, I'd like to thank everyone at the Stanford Transhumanist Association for encouraging me so much over the years (Faust, Karl, Juan-Carlos, Blue, Todor, Keetan, Alan, etc.). Duncan Wilson for the beautiful times discussing these matters. Romeo Stevens for the amazing vibes and high-level thoughts. And of course everyone at QRI, especially Quintin Frerichs, Andrew Zuckerman, Anders and Maggie, and the list goes on (Mackenzie, Sean, Hunter, Elin, Wendi, etc.). Likewise, everyone at Qualia Computing Networking (the closed facebook group where we discuss a lot of these ideas), our advisors, donors, readers, and of course those watching these videos. Much love to all of you!--------------Relevant Links:A workable solution to the problem of other minds - qualiacomputing.com/2015/03/31/a-solution-to-the-problem-of-other-mindsBeyond Turing: A Solution to the Problem of Other Minds Using Mindmelding and Phenomenal Puzzles - qualiacomputing.com/2016/11/12/beyond-turing-a-solution-to-the-problem-of-other-minds-using-mindmelding-and-phenomenal-puzzles(and video: youtube.com/watch?v=sCQUedFo1FM)Wada Test + Phenomenal Puzzles: Testing the Independent Consciousness of Individual Brain Hemispheres (Quintin Frerichs) - qualiacomputing.com/2019/07/19/wada-test-phenomenal-puzzles-testing-the-independent-consciousness-of-individual-brain-hemispheresGeneralized Wada Test and the Total Order of Consciousness - qualiacomputing.com/2015/05/01/generalized-wada-test-and-the-total-order-of-consciousnessWhy Does Anything Exist? Zero Ontology, Physical Information, and Pure Awareness - youtu.be/KdDNfTREQJUHyperbolic geometry of the olfactory space (Zhou, Smith, Sharpee) - pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30167457Letter from Utopia (Nick Bostrom) - qualiacomputing.com/2019/03/02/letter-from-utopia-and-other-triple-s-transhumanist-mediaA Debate on Animal Consciousness (pretty much a "who is who" of the people in the rationalist community who have strong views about consciousness) - rationalconspiracy.com/2015/12/16/a-debate-on-animal-consciousness/comment-page-1/#comment-21539Other Minds (SEP) - https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/other-minds/The QRI Ecosystem: Friends, Collaborators, Blogs, Media, and Adjacent Communities - qualiacomputing.com/2020/06/03/the-qri-ecosystem-friends-collaborators-blogs-media-and-adjacent-communities--------------"Tout comprendre, c'est tout pardonner" - To understand all is to forgive all.
