- The Maximum quantity of information which humans can absorb from the present moment is so small (~20 bits per second), that it cannot possibly provide the rich experience which we have of the reality we feel immersed within.
- So the reality we experience must be a mental construct from our history, a narrative which attempts to make sense of all we have experienced to date (even though much does not make sense).
- This narrative is unique to us as individuals, (hence explaining why some folk seem to be living on another planet!).
- Other people in our life are “simulated” within our personal predictive model of the world out there, as puppet-like characters.
- And all this within a simulation running entirely between our ears!
- The characteristics our mind ascribes to other people will depend entirely on the depth of experience we have of them, incredibly rich for an intimate friend, and entirely superficial for a comparative stranger.
- After my death, your little puppet-like model of me will still be there, in your own mind, with all its memories and information, yet now flagged with my mortality (which may occasionally forgotten).
- So I will remain with you until either you, or your memory of me fades.
Bottleneck – Our human interface withe reality.
Of course in our daily life we cannot live as social creatures based on this nevertheless true way of viewing perception. We need to experience an emotionally engaged world of friends, and intimate relationships. But on the occasion of bereavement, it may be helpful to remember that the “puppet” who represents the absent one, is accessible, and can be engaged with.
But what if you have a religious belief, in a spiritual reality filling the universe? Well there is no reason why your simulation should not include such information, but suddenly there are infinite possibilities (e.g. Source creed, the form or gender of the Deity).