Between hallucination and reality: Predictive processing and the problem of consciousness
Theoria, Beograd January 1, 2025 Dusan Simic
Predictive processing theory explains perception and behavior by describing the brain as a system that continuously generates and updates predictions about the world using Bayesian inference. This paper examines the theory's ability to account for consciousness, focusing on how to distinguish conscious from unconscious processing. It explores two hypotheses: consciousness as a perceptual hypothesis updated by new sensory information, and consciousness as the hypothesis with the highest posterior probability. Analyzing bistable perception, hallucinations, and blindsight, the paper shows that predictive processing may offer necessary conditions for consciousness but questions whether these conditions are sufficient. The conclusion is that the theory provides a robust functional framework but must further clarify the phenomenal aspect of conscious experience.