The Bayesian Conspiracy 71 – Researching Qualia with Andrés Gómez Emilsson
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Nov 8, 2018 Andrés Gómez Emilsson, researcher at the Qualia Research Institute exploring formal theories of consciousness and valence realism. He discusses mapping the state-space of conscious experience. Topics include connectome-specific harmonics, psychedelic and MDMA-like states, biochemical signatures of qualia, mind-melding ideas, and low-cost sound experiments to probe valence.
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Target Experiences To Reduce Massive Suffering
- QRI prioritizes improving conscious experience because many forms of suffering are internal and partly genetically determined.
- Andrés cites genetic variants (e.g., SCN9A) that change pain thresholds and thus life quality, arguing experiential interventions can be more effective than only changing environment.
Aim For Functional Wellbeing Not Uniform Bliss
- Do prioritize states of consciousness that increase wellbeing without wrecking goal-directed functioning, not uniform bliss.
- Use MDMA as a proof-of-concept: it raises sociability and positive valuation while often preserving motivation.
Mapping The State Space Of Consciousness
- QRI's foundational research includes mapping the state space of consciousness—cataloguing experiences across sober and altered states.
- They expect many low-information experiences to be similar across humans, enabling comparative mapping.