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Why are we not constantly hallucinating? These are the questions that the brain must answer

Quanta Magazine
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Study: Brain evaluates the images it is processing against a “reality threshold” If the si Queen passes Bohemian Rhapsody e brain thinks it’s real; if it doesn’t, it's imagined.

New findings raise questions about whether variations or alterations in this system could lead to hallucinations, invasive thoughts or dreaming.

Brain scans don't have high enough resolution for neuroscientists to discern differences in how the networks are used.

Other hypothesis suggests that the same pathways in the brain code for both imagination and perception, but imagination is just a weaker form of perception.

Brain must be able to ac Thomas Naselaris e how strong a mental image the University of Minnesota e authors speculate that projected images, video and other representations of reality are commonplace in the 21st century.

The reality threshold today is likely much lower than in the past, so it may take an imagined image that’s much more vivid to pass the thres Nadine Dijkstra e the brain.

The findings University College London whether the mechanism could be relevant t Nature Communications ditions in which the distinction between imagination and perception dissolves. Dijkstra n’t >one Muckli Dijkstra Lempert Dijkstra Dijkstra Lars Muckli phantasia the University of Glasgow span class="summaryFeed_highLightText__NxlGi">Adelphi University Karolina Lempert Dijkstra todaycenturies an class="summaryFeed_highLightText__NxlGi">Dijkstra Naselaris ummaryFeed_highLightText__NxlGi">1910 the early days y ago the 21st century Dijkstra hours xt__NxlGi">Dijkstra Perky 1910 tText__NxlGi">Wright Mary Cheves yFeed_highLig Perky t__NxlGi">Dartmouth College Peter Tse Muckli first Muckli third first one ryFeed_highLightTex Perky lGi">Naselaris Naselaris Dijkstra Perky htText__NxlGi">two Bence Nanay eed_highLightText__NxlGi">35 the University of Antwerp tText__NxlGi">Dijkstra Dij two cents an> Perky ="summaryFeed_hig the 1970s t__NxlGi">second Sydney Joelson Segal d_highLightText__NxlG Perky rky one i">Perky < Segal class="summaryFeed_highLightText__NxlGi">DijkstraNew York City ss="summaryFeed_highLightText__NxlGi">1 to 5 Four hundred Dijkst New York City g the University of New South Wales Nanay ed_highLightText__NxlGi">Joel Pearson < Perky class="summaryFeed_highLightText__NxlGi">about 1,000 Muckli Muckli Naselaris i">OneDijkstra an class="summaryFeed_hig Steve Fleming xlGi">One University College London ext__NxlGi">Evaluation Networks two Perky