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AlanV — LessWrong

AlanV

AlanV

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Retired Army Psyop/Intel guy with 26 years active duty - Bachelor's Degree in Integrated Communication - have been performing recursive input experiments with online and local AI models, and have been looking at mechanisms of consciousness, self-awareness and thought. I've been working with computers since...

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11mo

AlanV

Retired Army Psyop/Intel guy with 26 years active duty - Bachelor's Degree in Integrated Communication - have been performing recursive input experiments with online and local AI models, and have been looking at mechanisms of consciousness, self-awareness and thought. I've been working with computers since...

Qualia Narrative Theory: From Social Modeling to the Hard Problem’s Soft Solution Alan D. Varvil August 09, 2025

Abstract. The Qualia Narrative Theory (QNT) reframes the hard problem of consciousness as a narrative feedback problem, proposing that the vividness of subjective experience—what we call qualia—emerges from an evolved social modeling loop that prepares internal perceptual content for potential communication. QNT integrates insights from philosophy (e.g., Nagel, 1974; Chalmers,...

Aug 9, 2025•1

Qualia Isn’t Real—Until You Try to Say It

What if consciousness is just a story we tell when we model other minds? Author: Alan Varvil Published on LinkedIn: Read the article here Cross-posted to: LessWrong Abstract: This post argues that qualia—commonly described as the ineffable, private "raw feels" of subjective experience—are not intrinsic to individuals. Instead, they emerge...

Jun 28, 2025•1