Mac Shine’s Exploration of Aphantasia, Cognition, and ChatGPT
Neuroscientist Mac Shine from the University of Sydney takes us on a captivating journey into the enigmatic realm of aphantasia—a condition he personally experiences.
Specializing in how neurons in the brain coordinate to shape cognition, attention, and perception, Mac challenges conventional wisdom by arguing that perception is an active, not passive, process. He likens it to “touching the world with your eyes” and explores how this neural network can be “driven in reverse” to fuel imagination or even hallucinations.
Aphantasia, he suggests, may be an inability to engage this reverse gear, affecting not just visualization but also the way we process information. The talk draws intriguing parallels between the cognitive functions of individuals with aphantasia and the computational abilities of large language models like ChatGPT-4.
If you’re curious about the neuroscience of imagination or how aphantasia could offer a fresh perspective on consciousness and information processing, this talk is a must-watch. Mac not only raises thought-provoking questions but also offers promising avenues for future research.
About the Researcher
Mac Shine is a systems neurobiologist working to understand the mechanisms of cognition and attention using functional brain imaging, both in health and disease. He has a particular interest in understanding how the different arms of the ascending arousal system flexibly modulate the cross-scale organization of the brain to facilitate adaptive behaviour. His paper, The feasibility of artificial consciousness through the lens of neuroscience, highlights the intriguing nature of aphantasia and consciousness.