ideasthesia

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ACTIVE INFERENCE

FEP, expected surprise, polyvagal, predictive processing

You Don't Just Think Your Way Through Life—You Act Your Way to Understanding

You Don't Just Think Your Way Through Life—You Act Your Way to Understanding

Formative Note This essay represents early thinking by Ryan Collison that contributed to the development of A Theory of Meaning (AToM). The canonical statement of AToM is defined here. There's a story we tell about understanding. First, you perceive the world. Then, you think about what you perceived.

Surprise Isn't Just a Feeling—It's the Currency Your Brain Trades In

Surprise Isn't Just a Feeling—It's the Currency Your Brain Trades In

Formative Note This essay represents early thinking by Ryan Collison that contributed to the development of A Theory of Meaning (AToM). The canonical statement of AToM is defined here. Open your eyes. The room appears. Objects, surfaces, colors, depths—all rendered instantly, effortlessly, as if the world were simply presenting

What Physics and Anxiety Have in Common: A New Theory of Mind

What Physics and Anxiety Have in Common: A New Theory of Mind

Formative Note This essay represents early thinking by Ryan Collison that contributed to the development of A Theory of Meaning (AToM). The canonical statement of AToM is defined here. There's an equation that describes black holes, chemical reactions, and your panic attacks. It sounds absurd. What could the

The Neuroscientist Who Says You're Hallucinating Reality Right Now

The Neuroscientist Who Says You're Hallucinating Reality Right Now

Formative Note This essay represents early thinking by Ryan Collison that contributed to the development of A Theory of Meaning (AToM). The canonical statement of AToM is defined here. Karl Friston doesn't look like a revolutionary. The British neuroscientist, based at University College London, speaks in the measured

Why You Flinch Before the Punch Lands: The Science of Prediction

Why You Flinch Before the Punch Lands: The Science of Prediction

Formative Note This essay represents early thinking by Ryan Collison that contributed to the development of A Theory of Meaning (AToM). The canonical statement of AToM is defined here. Your body knows things before you do. A boxer slips a punch he couldn't consciously see. A mother reaches

Your Brain Isn't Watching the World—It's Guessing What Happens Next

Your Brain Isn't Watching the World—It's Guessing What Happens Next

Formative Note This essay represents early thinking by Ryan Collison that contributed to the development of A Theory of Meaning (AToM). The canonical statement of AToM is defined here. You've been lied to about perception. The conventional story goes like this: light enters your eyes, sound enters your

Active Inference

Coherence is expected surprise minimisation across scales. The free-energy principle is not theory. It is the physics of staying alive while staying coherent. Nervous systems, organoids, AIs, families — all are inference engines minimising variational free energy by updating internal models or changing the world to match predictions. Precision weighting, active