Qualia Research Institute
Qualia Research Institute
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The Hard Problem of Valence
In this thought-provoking presentation, Asher Soryl (ashersoryl.com/) discusses the "hard problem of valence" - why some experiences feel better or worse than others, and what mechanisms might ground these differences in affect. He outlines a framework for developing theories of valence, including key phenomena that need to be explained and different categories of potential theories. Asher argues that understanding valence is crucial for ethics, AI alignment, and expanding our scientific understanding of consciousness. This talk provides an overview of an upcoming paper co-authored with QRI researchers, aiming to catalyze more rigorous inquiry into the nature of positive and negative experiences.
Key topics covered:
- Defining valence and its importance
- Proposed criteria for theories of valence
- Overview of different types of valence theories
- Challenges in grounding and measuring valence
- Implications for ethics, AI, and consciousness research
For those interested in consciousness, philosophy of mind, ethics, or the nature of experience, this presentation offers an intriguing look at an under-explored but vital area of inquiry.
The Qualia Research Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research institute studying consciousness in a consistent, meaningful, and rigorous way. We rely on donations from watchers like you, please consider making a donation to our efforts if you appreciate our content and would like to further our research efforts visit qri.org/donate
Переглядів: 1 426

Відео

A Tool to Visualize 4D Rotations
Переглядів 2,6 тис.Місяць тому
Tool: qri.org/demo/4d_wave_control.html In this video, we introduce the 4D Wave Control tool from the Qualia Research Institute. This tool helps you intuitively understand complex concepts like matrix transformations and four-dimensional rotations. We’ll guide you through manipulating the interface to explore how matrices affect objects in both 3D and 4D spaces. Whether you’re a student of line...
Grounding QRI in First Principles (Part I): Bridging Computation and Philosophy
Переглядів 2,8 тис.3 місяці тому
Join us for an in-depth discussion that bridges computational and implementation perspectives on the mind, grounding the Qualia Research Institute (QRI) from first principles for those already somewhat familiar with the philosophy of mind. Filmed after a QRI meetup in Berlin, this conversation between QRI collaborator Libor Burian and Andrés Gómez Emilsson provides an overview of our research a...
From Gemologist to Psychedelic Retreat Founder: Jessica's Journey of Healing Chronic Pain
Переглядів 7354 місяці тому
In this intimate interview with Andrés Gómez Emilsson of the Qualia Research Institute, Jessica Khurana, the founder of Eleusinia retreat center, shares her transformative journey from a successful gemologist to a pioneering facilitator of psychedelic healing for chronic pain sufferers. After being struck by the debilitating neurological condition hemicrania continua, Jessica found herself unab...
Topological Segmentation of the EM Field: A New Approach to the Boundary Problem of Consciousness
Переглядів 1,8 тис.4 місяці тому
In this presentation from The Science of Consciousness conference in Tucson, Andrés Gómez Emilsson introduces a novel approach to addressing the boundary problem of consciousness through the lens of electromagnetic field topology. The talk covers three key points: 1. The causal relationship between topological segmentation of the EM field and the emergence of phenomenal boundaries and resonant ...
Exploring Psychedelic Phenomenology: A Conversation with Andrés Gómez Emilsson & Josie Kins
Переглядів 2,7 тис.8 місяців тому
Qualia Research Institute founder Andrés Gómez Emilsson joins Josie Kins from the Subjective Effect Index to explore psychedelic phenomenology. Delving into how psychedelics interact with the mind, they discuss the unique effects “trips” can produce and explore bridging the gap between subjective experience and empirical research. For more information about their work check out the following li...
Guided Meditation: Don't Pay Attention
Переглядів 99311 місяців тому
Normally in meditation we are focused on what IS in experience, but to be able to notice the absence of phenomena is key as well! Where there once were qualia, now there aren’t - what does that reveal to us about their nature? Roger Thisdell guides a meditation starting with a taste session on the major ingredients which make up our experience. Then after paying attention to these components, w...
Guided Meditation: Goldilocks Zone of Oneness
Переглядів 90611 місяців тому
In this guided meditation, we dive into the phenomenology of various conceptions of personal identity. Specifically, we observe the experiential nuances of believing that we are individual souls (Closed Individualism), that we are a single universal consciousness (Open Individualism), that we represent ephemeral moments of experience (Empty Individualism), and that we encompass all these identi...
Guided Meditation: A Clap of Thunder
Переглядів 33411 місяців тому
In this guided meditation, our invited facilitator, Wystan, leads participants through meticulous body scanning techniques designed to cultivate an acute consciousness of the immediate present. Transitioning seamlessly from body scanning to methods of introspection, and further incorporating the nuanced technique of finger-following to “spread out the vision”, Wystan imparts a spectrum of metho...
Guided Meditation: Absorption Into Platonic Objects
Переглядів 43111 місяців тому
This meditation explores the phenomenology of absorption into Platonic objects. We delve into what it feels like to imagine, embody, and generate the sense of knowing of classic geometric and mathematical constructs. One of the main takeaways from this meditation is that we can attune to the difference between (1) how we render a particular instance of a Platonic object and (2) the sense of kno...
Guided Meditation: Co-Arising Expansion and Contraction
Переглядів 39311 місяців тому
Expansion and contraction are the subtlest distinguishing features of experience. This meditation on expansion and contraction, given by Roger Thisdell, is a guide for finding and synchronizing to the oscillatory nature of experience at different levels, and then realising the co-dependence on one another in order to exist. Where there is expansion there is contraction and vice versa. By having...
Guided Meditation: Self-Organizing Principles
Переглядів 46211 місяців тому
There are many spiritual and yogic practices that utilize “elemental” objects of meditation. For example, the guided meditation by Michael Taft called “Five Elements Meditation” (link below) centers the mind around mental formations evocative of earth, water, fire, air, and space. Alas, it is natural to be skeptical of the value of these practices on the basis that science has shown that the un...
Guided Meditation: Deeply Letting Go
Переглядів 1,5 тис.11 місяців тому
Guided Meditation: Deeply Letting Go
Guided Mediation: Waves of Ever Becoming
Переглядів 41711 місяців тому
Guided Mediation: Waves of Ever Becoming
Guided Meditation: Metta - Fabric Softener for Your Consciousness
Переглядів 1,5 тис.11 місяців тому
Guided Meditation: Metta - Fabric Softener for Your Consciousness
Consciousness and Personal Identity: What does it feel like to believe we are all one?
Переглядів 3,3 тис.Рік тому
Consciousness and Personal Identity: What does it feel like to believe we are all one?
On Connectome and Geometric Eigenmodes of Brain Activity
Переглядів 1,5 тис.Рік тому
On Connectome and Geometric Eigenmodes of Brain Activity
Neural Field Annealing and Psychedelic Thermodynamics
Переглядів 2,7 тис.Рік тому
Neural Field Annealing and Psychedelic Thermodynamics
QRI Workshop at Vibe Camp: Guided Meditation
Переглядів 461Рік тому
QRI Workshop at Vibe Camp: Guided Meditation
QRI Workshop at Vibe Camp: Main Speech
Переглядів 811Рік тому
QRI Workshop at Vibe Camp: Main Speech
Guided Meditation: The Phenomenology of Ontology
Переглядів 1,8 тис.Рік тому
Guided Meditation: The Phenomenology of Ontology
Can You See Us
Переглядів 55 тис.Рік тому
Can You See Us
Guided Meditation: Harmonic Meditation - Calibration Exercises
Переглядів 2,7 тис.Рік тому
Guided Meditation: Harmonic Meditation - Calibration Exercises
Psychedelic Replication Contest Winner "Forest Synesthesia" (by Symmetric Vision)
Переглядів 5 тис.Рік тому
Psychedelic Replication Contest Winner "Forest Synesthesia" (by Symmetric Vision)
Guided Meditation: Divine Qualia - Open Sourcing God
Переглядів 1,4 тис.Рік тому
Guided Meditation: Divine Qualia - Open Sourcing God
Psychedelic Cryptography Contest Winner (by Symmetric Vision)
Переглядів 6 тис.Рік тому
Psychedelic Cryptography Contest Winner (by Symmetric Vision)
Guided Meditation: High-Valence Calisthenics - Exploring the Heaven Worlds
Переглядів 1,7 тис.Рік тому
Guided Meditation: High-Valence Calisthenics - Exploring the Heaven Worlds
Guided Meditation: The Thermodynamics of Consciousness and the Ecosystem of Agents
Переглядів 1,5 тис.Рік тому
Guided Meditation: The Thermodynamics of Consciousness and the Ecosystem of Agents
Guided Meditation: Local Binding and the PageRank of Attention
Переглядів 1,4 тис.Рік тому
Guided Meditation: Local Binding and the PageRank of Attention
Guided Meditation: Textures of Valence - Consonance, Dissonance, and Noise
Переглядів 1,6 тис.Рік тому
Guided Meditation: Textures of Valence - Consonance, Dissonance, and Noise

КОМЕНТАРІ

  • @josephescobar-hk9nt
    @josephescobar-hk9nt 2 дні тому

    Any one in SD? 😊

  • @Aleksandrgrc
    @Aleksandrgrc 3 дні тому

    I folded an entity up. There was a process. But believing the geometry is mirrors skewed reflecting its parts repeatedly. is one of the keys. I turned it into a portal and I can do several things with it. It's been crazy amazing. I'm meditating not unconscious. But I can also do it. At will with a mirror. I don't control what I look like but I do control when I change and what sections lines that morph. And when it's done I stare at a stranger the moves like I do. Sometimes a monster sometimes just another dude. Sometimes I'm not sure what to say. I hold it for as long as I want or can and the moment I go back to being me is also triggered by me or i feel it slipping. But I do change back to Myself before I become yet another dude. At first when I really slipped into the meditative state I felt like a head just floating about kinda not noticing my aches pains bladder or sweat. But now I've definitely had sensation of having a body and feeling it move. Hallucinating I had several arms. Feeling my body have other geometry like a Salvia Shiva.

  • @JTManual
    @JTManual 4 дні тому

    you were right

  • @SoulaORyvall
    @SoulaORyvall 4 дні тому

    That makes a lot of sense to me. It is a beautiful theory! I was wondering the whole time how that applies to perception or, at least, to the discretization of sensory stimuli. Further yet, apart from geospace mapping, could there be other processes on the brain that rely on the topology of the neural activation? So much to think about! I love it!

  • @EllyCatfox
    @EllyCatfox 9 днів тому

    Haven't needed to do this in a few months, but I had a vision of a stronghold made of dragonteeth today that ChatGPT and I recognized as being representative of me having my walls up and badly needing to peer inside to see what's there. Sure enough when we got to the part about asking myself "who am I?" I was met with the most mixed responses imaginable, ranging from my outer vision being deeply negatively impacted to my inner vision being filled with joyous technicolour existence in the natural world. We live in a terrible, terrible, terrible dystopia for people like me in this society and I hope someday queer and trans and neurodivergent people and the poor are treated better and more equitably. :'(

  • @EstafaniQuijote
    @EstafaniQuijote 14 днів тому

    Thanks for the breakdown! A bit off-topic, but I wanted to ask: My OKX wallet holds some USDT, and I have the seed phrase. (air carpet target dish off jeans toilet sweet piano spoil fruit essay). What's the best way to send them to Binance?

  • @marycatherinelin
    @marycatherinelin 23 дні тому

    I'm blown away, Steven! Brilliant work. Can't wait to hear your latest questions and discoveries.

  • @JUAN-c6l
    @JUAN-c6l 25 днів тому

    GEOMETRÍA SAGRADA, Y FRACTAL, EL NÚMERO PHI Y LA PROPORCIÓN AÚREA ACTÚAN BAJO LA TOMA DE DMT. THANKS TO SHARE THIS VIDEO. FROM SPAIN, THANKS...

  • @jaydenwilson9522
    @jaydenwilson9522 Місяць тому

    What is your definition for Qualia and why is Conscience undermined in all of these discussions?

  • @FayeCox-w2p
    @FayeCox-w2p Місяць тому

    Anderson David Brown Sarah Young Charles

  • @GH4O4S4T
    @GH4O4S4T Місяць тому

    54:20 yes

  • @MikeWiest
    @MikeWiest Місяць тому

    The contemporary attempts to address this issue seem to all rely on functional explanations, which probably can’t address the fundamental ontological issue. I favor your category 2/3 theories, specifically the Orch OR theory of consciousness. The efficacious unity of consciousness requires a quantum substrate. Spinoza is the only thinker I know of who provides a fundamental definition of pleasure, pain, joy, sadness, and many other varieties. I think we will need to go back to Spinoza for this, and combine it with our new quantum understanding of matter.

  • @MikeWiest
    @MikeWiest Місяць тому

    You can find more literature about this under the name “problem of phenomenological affect.”

  • @neuralsoup
    @neuralsoup Місяць тому

    Great video! I think there's something to the prediction theory. If I slowly pinch my arm and anticipate there being pain then I can have a strong sensation but it doesn't feel painful. Or if something unexpected happens that requires me to use more energy than I had anticipated an initial negative reaction can arise. Perhaps thats why cultivating equanimity can be so helpful. Some of the theories mentioned seem like different levels of description and both have some truth to them. Like describing valence in terms of what's happening informationally and what's happening chemically and electrically and topologically and energy use and the valence tendencies of organisms being shaped by evolution.

  • @mertyklmaz1553
    @mertyklmaz1553 Місяць тому

    I am quite curious about what is it that you covered with the QRI logo

  • @jamescash4065
    @jamescash4065 Місяць тому

    You are on the right track! This gives me so much hope for the future of consciousness research!

  • @gregwickham9841
    @gregwickham9841 Місяць тому

    Pleasure -- of the behavior-reinforcing dopamine variety anyway -- is experienced not when observation actually lines up with prediction, but when the apparatus *anticipates* such alignment. Pain is triggered by *observed* misalignment, pleasure is triggered by *anticipated* alignment.

    • @notmyrealpseudonym6702
      @notmyrealpseudonym6702 Місяць тому

      Watch Sapolsky who disputes the dopamine hypothesis of valence. Too little 'bad'; too much 'bad' (cocaine overdose). So the dose not the substance is the 'thing'. Valence is to positive and negative what Tao is to yin and yang or similar is to same and difference. It's the nekker cube.

  • @gregwickham9841
    @gregwickham9841 Місяць тому

    Pain appears to correlate positively with prediction error and leads to an increase in learning rate. "He who learns must suffer" -- Aeschylus

    • @notmyrealpseudonym6702
      @notmyrealpseudonym6702 Місяць тому

      Nociception does, pain is too variably correlated with nociception or 'error' that causes a spectrum of bodily harm that can range from 'near miss' to 'slight hit' to 'hit' to 'damage' (noxious as a term covers 3 different states). So predictive process, of which bodily physiology is a part, may be more implicated at an inflammatory or tissue disruption level than the necessary noci and non-noci integration at perceptual level to allow an experience. It's where Friston's or Peter's work runs into problems with a necessary duality integration at a unified experiential level.

  • @red_kaleidoscope2707
    @red_kaleidoscope2707 Місяць тому

    I like this, such an accurate interpretation of neurophenomenology. Whenever we take a psychedelic, what's actually going on is that the graphics of our world simulation start to disassemble. The properties and features of the model shift to an abnormal behavior. The world of our experience is actually our brain activity masquerading itself as the authentic external world.

  • @henrikljungstrand2036
    @henrikljungstrand2036 Місяць тому

    I don't agree at all. LSD expands our senses for real, by weakening our physical energetic protections against psychic signals. These psychic signals are material but not physical. There is overwhelming evidence for superphysical layers of reality. Stop being dishonest in order to try to "save" the physical materialistic paradigm, because it is doomed anyways, just like the paradigm of dogmatic supernatural religious faith is doomed, both paradigms are severely out of touch with reality.

  • @hamishfox
    @hamishfox Місяць тому

    How to make an interesting topic extremely boring

  • @hamishfox
    @hamishfox Місяць тому

    Oh my god get to the fucking point

  • @philosophicalmixedmedia
    @philosophicalmixedmedia Місяць тому

    The self, as a subjective agent, has private experiences. These private experiences can be extracted via social cues and used for self-evaluation. The subcategories "private" and "regulatable" within the category of the self might converge to function as a social value or valence. We have private thoughts and feelings. Society influences how we see ourselves. So, our private experiences and social influences combine to create our sense (valence) of self-worth as a member in a cohort within a society.

    • @notmyrealpseudonym6702
      @notmyrealpseudonym6702 Місяць тому

      Would that also require a social experience and private influence as well (a quadratic not a binary or dichotomy) and be bidirectional as well as bipositional? Otherwise you end up with the social dominance way of observation, such as Marxism, without agency of the individual assimilated within the masses despite the masses being dividuated down to individuals

    • @philosophicalmixedmedia
      @philosophicalmixedmedia Місяць тому

      @@notmyrealpseudonym6702 A Micro-Analysis of the First Interrogative: "Would that require social and private phenomenology qua experience and influence?" Yes! The affirmative response to this question is supported by comparative analysis grounded in data derived from in-group dynamics. This analysis posits that individuals situate themselves along a spectrum of self-evaluation within a group, constantly assessing their position relative to others. This self-evaluation, in turn, drives behavior and shapes a person's sense of self-worth. Self-Worth: Downward vs. Upward Evaluation The concept of self-worth plays a crucial role in this dynamic. Downward evaluation, where individuals compare themselves to those perceived as less fortunate or capable, can boost self-esteem and create a sense of superiority. Conversely, upward evaluation, where comparisons are made to those deemed more successful or accomplished, can lead to feelings of inadequacy and inferiority. Striving for Balance The interplay between these two types of evaluation is essential for maintaining a stable personal identity over time. Individuals constantly navigate the tension between the desire to feel good about themselves (downward evaluation) and the aspiration to improve and achieve more (upward evaluation). The Role of Social and Private Phenomenology This complex interplay between self-evaluation, self-worth, and the striving for balance underscores the importance of both social and private phenomenology. Social phenomenology encompasses the individual's lived experience within the group, including their perceptions of others and their place within the social hierarchy. Private phenomenology involves the individual's internal thoughts, feelings, and self-perceptions, which are shaped by both social interactions and personal reflections. Conclusion The first interrogative raises a crucial point that necessitates a deeper exploration of the interconnectedness between social and private phenomenology in the context of self-evaluation and identity formation. The proposed affirmative response is substantiated by comparative analysis and data from in-group dynamics, highlighting the dynamic interplay between self-worth, social comparisons, and the individual's ongoing quest for a balanced and stable personal identity.

  • @nascentcomplacence3302
    @nascentcomplacence3302 Місяць тому

    Super interesting and important topic of research!

  • @seitothot6120
    @seitothot6120 Місяць тому

    anybody working on visuals watchin this plss hmu

  • @PatriciaConway-y6n
    @PatriciaConway-y6n Місяць тому

    Im legit confused by all the "I'm pleasantly surprised to know that Harvard is now researching psychedelics." Um pretty much every major university in the US has received federal grant money for decades to research psychedelics

  • @doctorbill37
    @doctorbill37 Місяць тому

    Excellent work! -Would you consider porting this to Unity3d and then deploying it as a 3D VR app? Rotations look great and are even more physically intuitive in AR/VR immersive space.

    •  Місяць тому

      Very cool idea! It should be done :D

  • @TheMemesofDestruction
    @TheMemesofDestruction Місяць тому

    Groovy! Thank you! ^.^

  • @gandolphdong7963
    @gandolphdong7963 Місяць тому

    That matrix is gay!

  • @TheLama666
    @TheLama666 Місяць тому

    Coś pięknego : )

  • @thelotuseater6496
    @thelotuseater6496 Місяць тому

    Now do Graham’s Number dimensions so we can finally prove that one problem in Ramsay Theory

  • @RAyLV17
    @RAyLV17 Місяць тому

    How will I make sure that by "tweaking the parameters of my world simulator", I am looking at something that is still close to "realness" or am messing it up even more? Isn't it just hallucinations, and any interpretation that we make are just that, interpretations.

  • @ATH42069
    @ATH42069 Місяць тому

    I love to tool. Too much button clicking. Need github

  • @OfficialGOD
    @OfficialGOD Місяць тому

    👀👀

  • @dtown5id
    @dtown5id Місяць тому

    Interesting you get this sacred geometry type aliasing from this

  • @dtown5id
    @dtown5id Місяць тому

    Algorithm!!!

  • @_.l58I3
    @_.l58I3 Місяць тому

    Would you consider adding steamVR support? 4D being translated onto a 2D monitor is fine, but 3D visualization through VR support would be great.

    • @doctorbill37
      @doctorbill37 Місяць тому

      My thoughts exactly. Why stay limited to a flat 2D screen when VR tech is available to see these projections in 3D?

  • @christopherd.winnan8701
    @christopherd.winnan8701 Місяць тому

    Thank you for sharing this. Is it possible to upload and visualise existing data, such as sections of Wikidata, for example? it looks like it would be interesting if applied to everything for codebases to mind maps and genealogies. At the moment, it is still very abstract and quite difficult to grasp.

  • @tzimmermann
    @tzimmermann Місяць тому

    Hmmm. 1) Author published a couple articles in predatory journals (in Beall's list) 2) also gave a presentation in the -Stuart Hameroff Show- Science of Consciousness conference, known to have gone off the rails a long time ago, the presentation itself is pseudoscientific. 3a) qri website is shady AF, the legal disclaimer alone gives all the reasons not to trust anything in there, but still, you can donate 3b) articles are pseudoscientific, many "mathematical" claims but no actual maths, a lot of name-dropping and conflating "sciency" concepts with "spiritual" / religious ones 👌 nice.

  • @dwijgurram5490
    @dwijgurram5490 Місяць тому

    Bats have been doing it for generations

  • @dwijgurram5490
    @dwijgurram5490 Місяць тому

    I thought the same too. But I must say there are plenty of instances which prove that premonition exists. And one time on lsd at 300 mics I saw a huge ball of plasma that lit up the entire area .

    • @henrikljungstrand2036
      @henrikljungstrand2036 Місяць тому

      Yes i agree. LSD *does* expand our senses. This talk is a mere dishonest attempt to save the false paradigm of purely physical materialism. There is overwhelming evidence for a non-physical, material, psychic layer of realitý.

  • @easygame4241
    @easygame4241 Місяць тому

    Thank you!!

  • @jugodevaca7540
    @jugodevaca7540 Місяць тому

    This would have been so handy a few months back 😭 this is awesome, thank you so much

  • @mikestaub
    @mikestaub Місяць тому

    When can I do 5d rotations?

  • @wardygrub
    @wardygrub Місяць тому

    Yes!!! - One dimension = 🥱 Two dimension = 🤔 Three dimension = 🎲 Fourth dimension? = NOW YA TALKIN!

  • @drxyd
    @drxyd Місяць тому

    I've written something similar in p5.js and it's fairly straightforward to generalize to arbitrary dimensions though my implementation chokes at 12.

  • @tokrv
    @tokrv Місяць тому

    Cool that when we have a bunch of colors together, we perceive them as white

  • @augustodelerme7233
    @augustodelerme7233 Місяць тому

    Roger penrose was right consciouness is non-computational. 🧠

  • @NightmareCourtPictures
    @NightmareCourtPictures Місяць тому

    btw if i can ask : Do you think in the future you'd have plans to make a tool exactly like this, that encompasses non uniform lattices...like networks? or even more, system structures that allow you to arbitrarily define the the location of points in the system to construct a network? Basically... a more visual way to see potential patterns in a systems data structure.

    •  Місяць тому

      Yes! :D

  • @NightmareCourtPictures
    @NightmareCourtPictures Місяць тому

    lovely. been waiting for something like this.