474: David Eagleman | The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain

Perception

David Eagleman explains how the brain makes assumptions based on sensory relevance. For instance, the sensation of a phantom phone vibration is due to the brain's tendency to interpret any leg sensation as a phone vibration because of its importance 1. He also discusses sensory substitution technologies, like a wristband that translates sound into vibrations for the deaf, demonstrating the brain's adaptability 2.

The brain is locked in silence and darkness. All it ever sees are these electrical spikes.

--- David Eagleman

These innovations highlight the brain's ability to reinterpret sensory information through different channels.

   

Defensive Mechanisms

Dreams and hallucinations serve as the brain's defensive mechanisms to maintain sensory function. David Eagleman notes that hallucinations can occur when sensory input is deprived, like in solitary confinement, as the brain fights to keep sensory areas active 3. He also explains that blind people dream using their other senses, such as hearing and touch, due to the brain's adaptability 4.

The dreams of a blind person are about hearing and touch.

--- David Eagleman

These phenomena illustrate the brain's remarkable plasticity and its efforts to preserve sensory functions.