Reality is not as it seems.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences December 1, 2019 Steve Paulson, Donald D Hoffman, Suzanne O'Sullivan
A moderated discussion between cognitive scientist Donald D. Hoffman and neurologist Suzanne O'Sullivan challenges the common cognitive science assumption that perception constructs an accurate representation of reality. Hoffman argues that evolution may have shaped perception to guide adaptive behavior rather than to reveal objective truth, suggesting humans may not see reality as it actually is. O'Sullivan brings a neurological perspective, likely drawing on her work with dissociative seizures and synesthesia. The conversation explores implications for understanding consciousness, the mind-body problem, and the hard problem of consciousness, touching on interface theory and quantum physics as frameworks for rethinking the nature of perceptual experience.