Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett

And then you will think, oh, right, I can use this as a, oh, look, there's a great vase, right? So in your brain, it's action. First, your brain is controlling, it's preparing things the actions of the viscera, what we call visceromotor. So does your heart rate need to change? Do your blood vessels need to dilate? Do you need to breathe differently?

And then you will think, oh, right, I can use this as a, oh, look, there's a great vase, right? So in your brain, it's action. First, your brain is controlling, it's preparing things the actions of the viscera, what we call visceromotor. So does your heart rate need to change? Do your blood vessels need to dilate? Do you need to breathe differently?

It's basically anticipating the needs of the body and attempting to meet those needs before they arise. That supports your physical movements, right? So if you're going to, If you're walking over somewhere to pick up some flowers and cut the stems and whatever, those are all physical movements that require glucose and oxygen and shit like.

It's basically anticipating the needs of the body and attempting to meet those needs before they arise. That supports your physical movements, right? So if you're going to, If you're walking over somewhere to pick up some flowers and cut the stems and whatever, those are all physical movements that require glucose and oxygen and shit like.

So all of that has to get prepared in advance, milliseconds before the actions start to be prepared. So it's not what you think determines what you feel. It's what you prepare to do. determines your thoughts and your feelings and the sights and sounds and smells and sensations. That's how it really works under the hood. So meaning is in terms of what you do.

So all of that has to get prepared in advance, milliseconds before the actions start to be prepared. So it's not what you think determines what you feel. It's what you prepare to do. determines your thoughts and your feelings and the sights and sounds and smells and sensations. That's how it really works under the hood. So meaning is in terms of what you do.

And then as a consequence of that, meaning becomes what you feel and what you think and so on.

And then as a consequence of that, meaning becomes what you feel and what you think and so on.

So one of the ways that you change, to change predictions, you can't just will yourself to change a prediction. I am really afraid of bees. I had a traumatic experience when I was five, I'm afraid of bees. I know a lot about bees. I'm actually a gardener. And I know a lot about the evolutionary biology of bees.

So one of the ways that you change, to change predictions, you can't just will yourself to change a prediction. I am really afraid of bees. I had a traumatic experience when I was five, I'm afraid of bees. I know a lot about bees. I'm actually a gardener. And I know a lot about the evolutionary biology of bees.

But when I am outside, if a bee comes around, my first reaction is to either run or to freeze, right? I'm afraid of bees. I could talk to myself until the cows come home. It won't matter, right? So what I have to do is dose myself with prediction error, meaning I have to interact with bees in a way that changes my actions, which will change my lived experience. And I can't just do it all at once.

But when I am outside, if a bee comes around, my first reaction is to either run or to freeze, right? I'm afraid of bees. I could talk to myself until the cows come home. It won't matter, right? So what I have to do is dose myself with prediction error, meaning I have to interact with bees in a way that changes my actions, which will change my lived experience. And I can't just do it all at once.

It's not like a good idea would not be for me to say, would not have been for me to go to like somebody who has beehives and, you know, put on a suit and go work. I mean, that would be like overwhelming, right? So instead, maybe I don't run. Maybe I stand and watch. Maybe I get closer to a bee.

It's not like a good idea would not be for me to say, would not have been for me to go to like somebody who has beehives and, you know, put on a suit and go work. I mean, that would be like overwhelming, right? So instead, maybe I don't run. Maybe I stand and watch. Maybe I get closer to a bee.

Maybe I plant bushes and flowers that bees like a lot to bring bees to me so that I can sit and just be around them while they're buzzing and doing their thing. Maybe I deliberately let myself get stung at some point, which I did. But you're dosing yourself with... Your brain is making a set of predictions. Those predictions... there are a set of predictions.

Maybe I plant bushes and flowers that bees like a lot to bring bees to me so that I can sit and just be around them while they're buzzing and doing their thing. Maybe I deliberately let myself get stung at some point, which I did. But you're dosing yourself with... Your brain is making a set of predictions. Those predictions... there are a set of predictions.

That means your brain isn't preparing one action, it's preparing multiple actions.

That means your brain isn't preparing one action, it's preparing multiple actions.

Yes, so exactly. You are setting up circumstances so you can prove to yourself that your predictions are wrong. If you're predicting well, you have a few action plans. If you're predicting poorly... let's say overgeneralizing, maybe you have a hundred plans. Like if there's tremendous uncertainty, your brain doesn't know which action plan to, so there might be many of them, right?

Yes, so exactly. You are setting up circumstances so you can prove to yourself that your predictions are wrong. If you're predicting well, you have a few action plans. If you're predicting poorly... let's say overgeneralizing, maybe you have a hundred plans. Like if there's tremendous uncertainty, your brain doesn't know which action plan to, so there might be many of them, right?