# etymology app https://deconstructor.ayush.digital/ # LLM version of section 2 of the [[psychedelic aesthetics]] paper The term _psychedelic_ is often traced to its Greek roots: _psyche_ (mind or soul) and _delos_ (revealed or manifest). Contemporary philosophers such as Lyon and Letheby have adopted this etymology to characterise psychedelic experiences as _mind-revealing_ or _mind-manifesting_. This framing provides a way to demarcate psychedelic experiences from other altered states, including straightforward inebriation. Whereas inebriation—particularly episodes of drunkenness—might be described as impeding cognition or rendering it diffuse, mind-revealing experiences supposedly manifest portions of a subject’s mental life in intensified or unusually salient ways. From this perspective, the mind-revealing property becomes one way to sort through the range of intoxications or altered states. For instance, one might ask whether drunkenness qualifies as a mind-revealing occurrence. On this etymological view, it does not, because ordinary drunkenness does not notably disclose novel or otherwise inaccessible content of one’s cognition or emotions. Instead, it tends to blur or impair normal functioning. Thus, by restricting psychedelics to “mind-manifesting” states, we exclude standard forms of inebriation or sedation from the domain of potential aesthetic (or other) value. In the sections to follow, we do return to the possibility that some sceptics will treat psychedelic states _like_ drunkenness, suggesting that both are purely hedonistic. The present point, however, is that the literal meaning of _psychedelic_ tentatively sets them apart. Having introduced “psychedelic” as “mind-revealing,” it is useful to clarify _how_ that revealing might unfold. One developing account emphasises _predictive processing_ (PP) and _relaxed priors_ as key to understanding what “mind revelation” might entail. Letheby’s work lays out much of this terrain in a detailed manner, linking “mind-revealing” to the distinctive effects that psychedelics have on the brain’s top-down models. ## 2. [[Predictive Processing]] as Mind Revelation [[Predictive processing]] explains cognition in terms of the brain’s effort to anticipate its own inputs. Rather than passively collecting data from the senses, the brain constructs hierarchical models and compares them continuously with sensory information. Each layer of this hierarchical scheme predicts [[the state]] of the layer below, which processes more specific and immediate data. When a mismatch occurs—when reality diverges from expectation—an error signal propagates upward, compelling the system to refine its model. [[Over time]], strong or frequently confirmed predictions become entrenched, shaping how a person perceives and interprets experience. In non-technical terms, it can be said that the brain is always “guessing” its way to a coherent picture of the world, gradually updating its guesses in response to incoming evidence. Some of these entrenched top-down expectations, often referred to as high-level priors, form basic assumptions about [[the nature]] of reality, causality, space, time, and even one’s own identity. These assumptions are not typically accessible to conscious reflection; rather, they silently constrain what counts as acceptable perception or plausible belief. In unremarkable circumstances, this structure is beneficial: it filters out improbable or redundant signals, thereby preventing the individual from becoming overwhelmed. Yet it also means that certain aspects of one’s own cognition or emotional life can remain hidden or underexplored if they clash too strongly with entrenched assumptions. Psychedelic substances appear to weaken or “relax” these entrenched high-level priors. Pharmacologically, they bind to serotonin receptors, especially those in higher cortical regions, leading to a disruption of the usual synchronisation patterns among brain networks linked to self-awareness and the evaluation of salience. The Default [[Mode Network]] (DMN) and [[Salience Network]] (SN), for instance, have been proposed to coordinate the brain’s overarching perspective on the self and to gate the processing of unexpected or extraneous information. When these networks become less coherent, the individual may experience altered cognition in which previous constraints dissolve, and anomalous or newly salient stimuli gain entry into consciousness. This phenomenon can manifest in vivid imagery, unusual perceptual shifts, or dramatic reappraisals of personal memories and emotional attachments. In such a relaxed state, the brain exhibits a readiness to admit content that would ordinarily be deemed irrelevant or contradictory. On a phenomenological level, this translates into the feeling that hidden mental material is suddenly revealed. Emotional patterns that were either suppressed or inaccessible under ordinary conditions might now be focal. Autobiographical insights—such as seeing previously overlooked causal links between past trauma and present anxiety—can come to light because no deep-seated assumption automatically dismisses them. In certain cases, the sense of a unified, enduring self can also become destabilised. [[Predictive processing]] typically maintains a stable model of selfhood through feedback loops integrating interoceptive signals, autobiographical memory, and social cognition. When the high-level prior of self-continuity is loosened, the individual may feel as though the boundary between self and world becomes permeable, sometimes described as “ego dissolution.” While surprising or disconcerting, this experience can encourage reflection on ordinarily rigid self-concepts. Within therapeutic contexts, the capacity of psychedelics to unsettle entrenched priors is often cited as a reason why these substances may facilitate psychological breakthroughs. By relaxing habitual modes of scanning and discounting incoming information, the mind temporarily operates in a less top-down fashion, allowing a person to examine significant memories, emotional conflicts, or existential questions without the usual reflexive rejections. Letheby’s work emphasises that what appears mystical or deeply profound need not be attributed to a cosmic reality beyond ordinary experience; rather, it can be explained by a well-known principle of neurocognitive modelling, in which certain background rules of interpretation are suspended or revised. In effect, the “mind-revealing” character of psychedelic states arises when once-invisible cognitive filters lose their grip, exposing aspects of cognition and personal meaning that had been discarded by the system’s predictive constraints. Although the subjective results can be extraordinary, [[this view]] remains continuous with standard neuroscience. It holds that the same predictive mechanisms underlying everyday perception also govern extraordinary states; these mechanisms are simply modified by changes in how strictly priors shape the brain’s ongoing modelling. Reductions in the functional integrity of the DMN, for example, align with spontaneously altered self-awareness, while changes in connectivity patterns across cortical networks predict alterations in how external perceptions acquire significance. In both cases, the phenomenon is [[the result]] of decreasing the weight given to prior beliefs and categories. This yields a surge of unfiltered or reclassified contents that, for a limited time, are integrated into experience. The [[predictive processing]] framework, by offering a straightforward explanation of how the brain constructs its reality and [[what happens]] when key elements of that process are relaxed, provides a credible foundation for understanding mind-revealing psychedelic experiences. No exotic metaphysical assumptions are needed: it is sufficient to note that when default filtering is downregulated, the mind gains access to realms of significance or feeling that were previously precluded. In this sense, [[predictive processing]] shows how a system can reveal its own hidden machinery to itself when its routine habits of interpretation are disrupted. Psychedelic experiences thereby illustrate how a subtle shift in hierarchical modelling can render the boundaries of selfhood and [[the contents]] of one’s own mind unexpectedly transparent. Predictive processing holds that the brain generates hierarchical models of the world—encompassing not just external objects but also one’s own body and mental states. These models operate by continuously trying to predict incoming sensory signals. When a prediction is wrong—when the expected input does not match what actually arrives—an _error_ signal prompts the brain to adjust its predictions or, sometimes, adjust its behaviour in the world. Over time, many of these “high-level” predictions settle into stable, entrenched beliefs about one’s body, emotions, identity, and environment. According to Letheby’s exposition, psychedelics affect cortical areas rich in 5-HT2A receptors, notably in high-level networks often associated with the Default Mode Network (DMN) and Salience Network (SN). These networks are thought to implement “hyperpriors” or high-level, deeply held assumptions about reality (e.g., about being a distinct self, the consistency of space and time, and so forth). In everyday consciousness, such assumptions or “priors” strongly constrain how we interpret and model both the external world and our internal states. Psychedelics, however, _relax_ these priors, decreasing their usual “weight” or “precision.” In so doing, the brain becomes less likely to dismiss anomalous or surprising inputs. As a result, qualitatively new or unusual contents can rise to consciousness: altered perceptions, experiences of unity or boundlessness, emotional breakthroughs, or unexpected autobiographical insights. This process of relaxing or disrupting the neural underpinnings of long-established beliefs is often described as “mind-revealing” because it may uncover mental material that is ordinarily filtered out by strong (and adaptive) predictive mechanisms. When these safeguards weaken, aspects of a person’s psychological life—memories, emotional states, latent anxieties, or more general assumptions about identity—can become more salient. This arguably aligns with the classical sense of “psychedelic” by _manifesting_ or _revealing_ portions of one’s cognitive or emotional life that are usually obscured. Letheby’s account, drawn from the text above, notes multiple factors associated with self-representation: - **Psychological Insight**: Participants in psychedelic sessions often report a greater understanding of how their past has shaped their current feelings and behaviours. - **Emotional Breakthrough**: Relaxed priors may permit the release or reprocessing of difficult emotions that were previously avoided. - **Reduced Experiential Avoidance**: By lowering the threshold for confronting negative or challenging material, individuals may find themselves more open to acknowledging it. - **Revision of Self-Narratives**: Because the brain’s predictive models of _self_ can loosen, long-standing self-narratives become more pliable, sometimes allowing for significant psychological shifts. In effect, the relaxed-priors framework offers a neurocognitive mechanism for why psychedelics might induce what appears to be a deeper, more immediate disclosure of personal concerns, internal conflicts, and new perspectives. Crucially, this type of “revelation” does not hinge on appealing to metaphysical claims about cosmic consciousness (though some experiences may be interpreted that way). Instead, it relies on a naturalistic account of how the brain normally manages information and how this process can be disturbed—or temporarily reconfigured—under psychedelics. # Brainstorm on the aesthetics part of the psychedelics paper - - Ok, so we are doing a deep brainstorm of the second half of the psychedelics paper. - So, where are we at? - We have put the following ideas on the table: mind revelation, predictive processing. - There is probably a bit more to be done at the end of this half of the paper, explaining to the reader why we can think of the mind as being the object. We have, after all, spelled out how psychedelic experiences might lead to the mind revealing itself to itself in a predictive framework. - Ok, so part 2 proper. We want to say that psychedelics can lead to both transparency and opacity of mental states. - It is clear how opacity can be put in the predictive processing account, but what about transparency? - So, insert transparency here. - If we assume that both views are on the table, then what next? It would be good to start with transparency as that seems to be the most basic low-level one. - If we can get this crystal clear transparency, hyperreality, etc., we can say that psychedelics are aesthetically interesting because they can enhance our experiences of typical objects or appreciation: use the quotes about landscapes and music. - What else can we say here about hyperreality? It depends on whether we can make it work with mind revelation and predictive processing. - Another possibility is that we might appreciate our structural properties more, even if they are modified. This is a bit speculative. - Then we go on to the other part. - Is transparency really mind revealing? This section should definitely ask this question, but it doesn’t seem to me that it... # Idea for a paper –Aesthetics of Music Production #idea - No has talked about this as far as I know. But it is a fairly exact science, fits in with psychology of auditory perception. - Interesting phenomena such compression sounds louder but isn't etc. - soundstages as canvases? # Monospace advice Let me search for similar fonts to "ia Writer Duospace" on Google Fonts. Here are some good alternatives to **iA Writer Duospace** that are available on **Google Fonts**: - **Space Mono** A modern, monospace font with a futuristic aesthetic and excellent readability. [Source](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Space+Mono) - **Courier New** A classic monospace font with a clean, professional look. While not natively on Google Fonts, it can be imported via CSS. [Source](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Courier+New) - **Consolas** A modern, monospace font designed for clarity and readability, ideal for coding and writing. [Source](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Consolas) - **DejaVu Sans Mono** A clean, monospace font with a wide range of characters and excellent legibility. [Source](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/DejaVu+Sans+Mono) - **Source Code Pro** A popular monospace font designed specifically for coding and writing. [Source](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Source+Code+Pro) - **Inconsolata** A monospace font with a warm, humanistic feel, designed for comfort during long writing sessions. [Source](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Inconsolata) - **Monaco** A sleek, monospace font with a tech-inspired look. While not directly on Google Fonts, it can be imported via CSS. [Source](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Monaco) - **Monospace** A generic monospace font available on most systems, including Google Fonts. [Source](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Monospace) These fonts share similarities with **iA Writer Duospace** in terms of their monospace or duospace characteristics and are great for writing, coding, or design projects. [^1]: https://www.reddit.com/r/scrivener/comments/136j9x4/what_fonts_do_you_use_for_writing/ [^2]: https://github.com/iaolo/iA-Fonts [^3]: https://www.reddit.com/r/typography/comments/7uogy1/is_there_a_best_font_face_for_proofreading/ [^4]: https://thenextweb.com/news/ia-writers-new-duospaced-font-is-great-for-drafts-and-its-free [^5]: https://www.fontshmonts.com/text-fonts/ia-writer-duospace/ [^6]: https://brutalistthemes.com/free-fonts-for-brutalist-websites/ [^7]: https://jamesonzimmer.com/ulysses-ia-writer-duospace-aesthetics/ [^8]: https://esperanto.stackexchange.com/questions/1535/which-fonts-support-esperanto-diacritics