Qualia as query act, the phenomenology of predictive error coding

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Phenomenology
• Philosophy of Mind
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Foundational questions in consciousness studies persist, particularly regarding the nature of subjective experience (qualia).
• Existing frameworks struggle to bridge the gap between subjective, first-person accounts and objective, third-person scientific investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To integrate phenomenological inquiry with neuroscientific models of consciousness.
• To propose a novel framework for understanding qualia through predictive error coding (PEC) and "query acts".

Main Methods:

• Drawing on Thomas Nagel's work on subjective experience and Husserlian phenomenology.
• Applying the predictive error coding (PEC) model, which views the brain as an active inference system.
• Introducing the concept of "query acts" to describe the brain's interaction with sensory data.

Main Results:

• Qualia are reframed as dynamic processes stemming from "query acts" rather than static entities.
• Structural parallels are identified between phenomenological noetic processes and PEC in neuroscience.
• The proposed framework offers a novel perspective on the emergence of conscious experience.

Conclusions:

• The integration of phenomenology and neuroscience via "query acts" and PEC provides a unified approach to consciousness.
• This framework has potential implications for clinical interventions in psychiatric disorders and artificial intelligence development.
• The study fosters deeper integration of philosophical and scientific methods for understanding consciousness.