14 Apr 2026
In this conversation, Lisa Feldman Barrett explains that our experience of reality is not something we passively observe, but it’s something we actively construct. Every moment is shaped by a dynamic interplay between the sensory present (what’s happening around and within us) and the remembered past (our prior experiences, concepts, and expectations). The brain is constantly predicting and filling in reality, using past experience to make sense of incoming signals. This means our Perception Box is not a filter on an objective world, but an ingredient in creating the world we experience, influencing everything from what we see and feel to how we interpret meaning and emotion.
She introduces the idea of Relational Realism, showing that even basic features like color are not inherent in objects but arise from the relationship between external signals and our brain and body. Extending this further, our beliefs, culture, and learned concepts shape not only perception but reality itself therefore making it inherently perspective-dependent. The implication is profound: by expanding our Perception Box, we open the door to greater curiosity, humility, and agency, recognizing that we are not just observers of reality, but active participants in creating it.
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