Lisa Feldman Barrett

is literally changing the firing of its own sensory neurons to anticipate incoming sensations.

So you start to feel these sensations before the signals actually arrive for you to perceive them.

You start to have the experience before the world gives you those signals.

Yes, so when you drink, so say you're super thirsty and you drink a big glass of water, when do you stop being thirsty?

Almost immediately.

But actually it takes 20 minutes for that water to be absorbed into your bloodstream and make its way to the brain to tell the brain that you are no longer in need of fluid.

Because across millions of opportunities, you have learned that certain movements now and certain sensory signals now will result in that mental state.

Or here's another example.

So right now, keep your eyes on me.

You're looking right at me.

And in your mind's eye, I want you to imagine a Macintosh apple, like not a computer, but like an actual piece of fruit.

Okay.

Can you do it?

Can you see it?

Yeah.

What color is it?

Green.

Okay.

Does it have any red?

No.