Why Your Brain Blinds You For 2 Hours Every Day

Summary

This script explores how our brains constantly edit and predict our reality, from visual perception to time and even emotions. It reveals that what we experience as the present is actually a delayed, edited version of the past. The brain anticipates events, processes sensory inputs at different times, and even prepares us for emotional experiences before they occur. This reality is not fully under our conscious control, but our brain’s predictions shape our actions. While we may not be the central decision-makers, we are the storytellers of our own lives, guiding our brain with long-term plans and abstract thinking.

Takeaways

• 😀 Your brain constructs your reality and edits your memories as they happen, creating a version of the world that feels real.
• 👀 Vision is our main source of information, but we only see a small part of it in high resolution, while the rest is out of focus.
• ⏳ Your brain fills in the blanks during moments when you're blind to the world, like when your eyes make jerky movements (saccades).
• ⚡ Your brain edits time, so you experience the world 0.3 to 0.5 seconds after things actually happen.
• ⚽ In sports like table tennis, your brain predicts the ball’s future position, not where it actually is, to allow you to react faster.
• 💡 Walking is a complex process where your brain works in multiple time spheres, predicting future movements before the necessary sensory signals even reach your brain.
• 🍌 Your brain anticipates emergencies, such as slipping on a banana peel, and activates recovery actions before you consciously realize what's happening.
• 🧠 You don’t have a central control room in your brain; instead, different parts of your body process information at different speeds and make decisions independently.
• ⏳ Your emotions and physical sensations are often predictions made by your brain, preparing you for what's likely to happen next based on past experiences.
• 🎉 Your conscious self plays the role of a storyteller, able to think abstractly, plan long-term, and write new predictions into the system, giving you a sense of control over your life.

Q & A

What is the main idea behind the concept that the world we see is not real?

The script suggests that our perception of the world is not a direct representation of reality, but a construct created by our brain. It constantly edits and fills in gaps in the sensory information we receive, creating an illusion of reality that feels real but is actually a prediction and reconstruction of events.

How does vision work according to the script, and why don't we see everything in high resolution?

The script explains that our vision works by focusing on a small area of our visual field at high resolution, while the rest remains blurry. This happens because our eyes make rapid movements called saccades, which allow the brain to stitch together sharp images from different points. During these jerky movements, the brain temporarily 'blinds' us to avoid motion blur.

Why does the brain shut down vision during saccades?

The brain shuts down vision during saccades to prevent motion blur. Since the eyes are making quick, jerky movements, the brain temporarily disables visual processing to avoid confusing, blurry images and ensures that only clear, stable images are perceived.

What does the brain do with the information it receives during saccades?

During saccades, the brain fills in the gap by making its best guesses about what happened during the brief moments of visual blackout. This is part of the brain's ability to predict and construct a continuous experience of the world, even though we are blind during those moments.

How does our brain manipulate time and space when processing sensory information?

The brain doesn't experience events in real-time but instead processes them with a delay. It edits the sensory inputs it receives (like sight, touch, and sound) to create a 'present' moment that is actually a slightly edited version of the past, often 0.3 to 0.5 seconds delayed.

What is the relationship between perception and reality in the context of time?

Perception is not a direct experience of the present but is instead a reconstructed version of the past, with the brain editing both time and space. The brain predicts what is happening or will happen, rather than presenting an accurate, real-time reflection of the world around us.

How does the brain handle fast-moving objects, such as in table tennis?

In fast-paced scenarios like table tennis, the brain doesn't process the current position of the ball, but rather predicts where it will be in the future based on its current speed and direction. The brain prepares for multiple possible outcomes, then selects the most likely one, initiating physical responses before the ball even reaches the player.

What happens when you're walking, and how does your brain manage different time spheres?

While walking, the brain is constantly processing sensory feedback from the past, calculating the current state of the body, and predicting future movements. Even before sensory signals from the foot touching the ground reach the brain, it has already sent orders for the next steps, optimizing your movement.

How does the brain respond to a sudden physical event, like slipping on a banana peel?

When a catastrophic event occurs, such as slipping on a banana peel, the brain's emergency response system kicks in. The spinal cord and brainstem act quickly, triggering reflexive recovery movements (like stretching out arms or stiffening the other leg) to prevent the fall, while the conscious mind only becomes aware of the slip afterward.

Are we truly in control of our decisions, or is our brain making them for us?

The script reveals that much of our decision-making is handled by different parts of the body and brain before we consciously experience it. Our brain and body act as an internal prediction machine, making many decisions ahead of our conscious awareness, but we still retain control through long-term planning and abstract thinking.