Is There "True" or "Absolute" Hallucination? Are Human Beings Living in a Hallucination?

Yucong Duan, Nianjun Zhou, Yingbo Li, Lei Yu, Haoyang Che

International Standardization Committee of Networked DIKWP for Artificial Intelligence Evaluation(DIKWP-SC)

World Artificial Consciousness CIC(WAC)

World Conference on Artificial Consciousness(WCAC)

(Email: duanyucong@hotmail.com)

Introduction

The nature of reality and perception has been a subject of philosophical inquiry for centuries. With advancements in cognitive science and artificial intelligence, new frameworks like Prof. Yucong Duan's Theory of Relativity of Consciousness and the Data-Information-Knowledge-Wisdom-Purpose (DIKWP) model offer fresh perspectives on these age-old questions.

This investigation seeks to explore:

1. Is there "True" or "Absolute" Hallucination?

2. Are human beings living in a hallucination?

By examining these questions through the lens of the DIKWP model and the Theory of Relativity of Consciousness, we aim to understand the nature of hallucination, reality, and consciousness.

Understanding Hallucination1. Definition of Hallucination

• General Definition: Hallucination is a perceptual experience that appears real but is created by the mind. It involves sensing things that seem real but are not present in the external environment.

• In Psychology: Hallucinations are often associated with mental health conditions and can involve any of the senses—visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, or tactile.

• In Artificial Intelligence: In AI systems, hallucination refers to outputs that are not grounded in the provided data or knowledge base—producing content that is factually incorrect or nonsensical.

2. Types of Hallucination

• Subjective Hallucination: Perceptions that are entirely internal and not based on external stimuli.

• Objective Hallucination: Rarely used term; may refer to perceptions shared by multiple individuals, though this blurs into the realm of illusions or shared delusions.

"True" or "Absolute" Hallucination1. Defining "True" or "Absolute" Hallucination

• "True" Hallucination: Could be interpreted as a hallucination that is experienced as entirely real by the perceiver, indistinguishable from reality.

• "Absolute" Hallucination: A hallucination that is universally consistent across all perceivers—effectively becoming a shared reality.

2. Philosophical Perspectives

• Subjectivity of Perception: Philosophers like Immanuel Kant have argued that we do not perceive the world directly but through the filters of our senses and cognition.

• Phenomenalism: The idea that physical objects do not exist as things in themselves but only as perceptual phenomena or sensory stimuli.

• Relativism: Reality is perceived differently by different individuals; there is no absolute truth independent of perception.

3. In the Context of DIKWP and the Theory of Relativity of Consciousness

• Relativity of Consciousness: Prof. Duan's theory suggests that consciousness and understanding are relative, confined within an individual's cognitive space.

• DIKWP Cognitive Space: Each individual's Data, Information, Knowledge, Wisdom, and Purpose shape their perception of reality.

• Implication for "True" Hallucination:

• No Absolute Perception: Since consciousness is relative, there is no absolute standard against which to measure a hallucination as "true" or "absolute."

• Shared Hallucinations: In rare cases, groups may share similar hallucinations due to shared contexts or influences, but these are still relative to the group's cognitive space.

4. Conclusion on "True" or "Absolute" Hallucination

• Unlikely Existence: Given the subjective nature of consciousness and perception, a "true" or "absolute" hallucination, in the sense of a universally consistent and externally verifiable hallucination, is unlikely.

• Relativity is Key: Hallucinations are relative experiences, varying between individuals based on their DIKWP structures.

Are Human Beings Living in a Hallucination?1. The Nature of Reality

• Perception vs. Reality: Our understanding of the world is mediated by our senses and cognitive processes, which can be fallible.

• Brain-in-a-Vat Thought Experiment: Philosophical scenario where a brain is kept alive and fed false sensory inputs, questioning the nature of reality.

• Simulation Hypothesis: The proposition that reality could be an artificial simulation, such as a computer simulation.

2. Application of DIKWP Model

• Data (D): Sensory inputs we receive from the environment.

• Information (I): Interpretation of sensory data by identifying differences and patterns.

• Knowledge (K): Integration of information into coherent concepts and beliefs.

• Wisdom (W): Applying knowledge with ethical and contextual judgment.

• Purpose (P): Our goals and intentions that drive cognitive processing.

3. Relativity of Consciousness and Perception

• Cognitive Enclosure: Each person's cognitive space is enclosed, limiting their understanding to their own DIKWP structures.

• Subjective Reality: Our perception of reality is shaped by our experiences, beliefs, and cognitive limitations.

• Collective Agreement: Society functions based on shared agreements about reality, but these are constructed through collective DIKWP interactions.

4. Are We Living in a Hallucination?

• Perception as a Construct: If our perception of reality is a construct of our cognitive processes, one could argue that we experience a version of reality shaped by our minds.

• Hallucination vs. Constructed Reality:

• Hallucination: Perceptions without external stimuli, generally not shared and often recognized as false upon reflection.

• Constructed Reality: A shared understanding of the world built through collective DIKWP interactions.

• Degrees of Reality:

• Consensus Reality: The reality agreed upon by a majority, based on shared perceptions and interpretations.

• Individual Reality: Personal perceptions that may deviate from the consensus due to unique DIKWP structures.

5. Implications of Living in a Hallucination

• Epistemological Skepticism: Questions about what we can truly know about reality.

• Practical Functioning: Despite philosophical doubts, we operate effectively within our perceived reality.

• Objective Reality: The existence of an objective reality may be independent of our perceptions, but our access to it is mediated by our cognitive processes.

Integrating Prof. Duan's Theory1. Consciousness and Hallucination as Relative

• Consciousness Enclosure: Our cognitive enclosure limits our perception, making all experiences, to some extent, subjective.

• Hallucination Relativity: What is a hallucination to one may be reality to another if their DIKWP structures differ significantly.

2. Communication and Shared Reality

• DIKWP*DIKWP Interactions: Through interactions, individuals align their DIKWP components, creating shared understanding.

• Reducing Uncertainty: Validation processes help reduce uncertainty and align perceptions closer to a consensus reality.

3. The Role of Purpose (P)

• Purpose Drives Perception: Our goals and intentions influence how we process data and form knowledge.

• Collective Purpose: Societal purposes shape collective perceptions and definitions of reality.

Conclusion

Is There "True" or "Absolute" Hallucination?

• No Absolute Hallucination: Given the relativity of consciousness and the subjective nature of perception, hallucinations are inherently relative and personal.

• Relativity of Hallucination: Hallucinations vary between individuals based on their DIKWP cognitive spaces.

Are Human Beings Living in a Hallucination?

• Perception as Constructed Reality: Humans experience reality through cognitive constructs shaped by individual and collective DIKWP interactions.

• Functional Reality: While our perception of reality may be subjective, it allows us to function and interact effectively.

• Philosophical Perspective: From an epistemological standpoint, we cannot ascertain the absolute nature of reality beyond our perceptions, but this does not equate to living in a hallucination in the clinical sense.

Integration with Prof. Duan's Theory:

• Consciousness and Reality are Relative: Our understanding of reality is limited by our cognitive enclosures, reinforcing the idea that consciousness and perceptions are relative.

• Hallucination as a Cognitive Phenomenon: Hallucination reflects the limitations and variations in individual DIKWP structures rather than an absolute deviation from reality.

Implications for AI and Human Cognition

• Understanding AI Hallucinations: AI systems, like GPT-4, may generate outputs that seem like hallucinations due to their limited cognitive enclosures (training data and algorithms).

• Improving Communication: Recognizing the relativity of consciousness can enhance communication between humans and AI by acknowledging differing cognitive frameworks.

• Expanding Cognitive Enclosures: Both humans and AI can benefit from expanding their DIKWP cognitive spaces through learning and interaction, reducing misunderstandings and misperceptions.

References

1. Duan, Yucong. Lecture at the First World Conference of Artificial Consciousness, August 2023.

2. Kant, Immanuel. Critique of Pure Reason. (1781).

3. Berkeley, George. A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge. (1710).

4. Chalmers, David. The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory. (1996).

5. Putnam, Hilary. "Brains in a Vat." In Reason, Truth, and History. (1981).

6. Bostrom, Nick. "Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?" Philosophical Quarterly, (2003).