Echoes of the Prior: A Computational Phenomenology of Forgetting 42
Gege Gao, Bernhard Schölkopf, Andreas Geiger
Proceedings of the ACM on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques June 29, 2026 DOI: 10.1145/3816072 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Phenomenology philosophy Forgetting Neuromorphic engineering Cognition Analogy Percept Cognitive science Artificial intelligence Cognitive psychology Human–computer interaction Fragility Artificial neural network Subconscious |
| Key points | Proposes that inducing synaptic decay in a neural network can serve as an artistic analogy for the erosion of the brain's predictive priors, visualizing the phenomenology of forgetting. |
Abstract
Memory is not merely the storage of data; it is the scaffolding of reality. When biological memory fades, the world does not simply turn black; it regresses into an unrecognizable chaos. Echoes of the Prior is an interactive installation that attempts to visualize this subjective phenomenology of forgetting . By inducing controlled synaptic decay within a Feed-Forward 3D Reconstruction model, we create an artistic analogy for the erosion of the brain’s predictive priors. We position the Neural Network not as a tool for engineering, but as a cognitive proxy - a silicon brain whose structural degeneration evokes the disorienting, poetic, and terrifying experience of losing one’s grip on the world. Ultimately, we offer this framework as a catalyst, inviting the wider community to explore the uncharted potential of neuromorphic aesthetics in visualizing the fragility of intelligence. Interactive demo: https://decart-4d.github.io/.
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