Before we dive into the deep end, let’s set a few things straight. This article won’t be highly technical; I’ll try to break down any jargon so that almost anyone can digest what I’m getting at. Much of what I’m describing is formed through extrapolation and personal belief—so I suggest you approach it with a critical but open mind.
Before we get into the topic, I’ll quickly share my background, since some of you might doubt the validity of the knowledge I’m about to share. I have no formal education in physics, statistics, quantum mechanics, or mathematics. However, I do have a keen eye for patterns and systems—it’s always been an interest of mine. Much of what I’m about to describe comes from my sports science background, my time with StrongFit, psychedelic experiences, and general research.
Unpacking the Jargon
Heuristics is a term often used in statistics, the science of data. In plain English, heuristics are rules of thumb—things you assume to be true based on experience or general beliefs. For example, I live in Australia, so I can expect to hear a “Hey, how you going?” when I start a conversation. Without heuristics, everything would be pure guesswork.
Next, the Bayesian inference model: a mathematical framework for predicting future events through probability. The model uses Bayes’ theorem, which consists of priors (what has happened before), the likelihood (the probability of something happening), and posterior distribution (what actually happened, with the error used as a correction for the discrepancy between expectation and reality). Your nervous system essentially runs this model as an algorithm to make sense of the world.
QBism is an interpretation of Erwin Schrödinger’s quantum equation. To be clear, his equation is arguably the most successful and proven piece of mathematics we have to date—thanks to it, we have lasers, phones, TVs, and so on. The fun lies in interpreting what the equation actually means for our daily lives. The most well-known interpretations are the Copenhagen interpretation and Many Worlds. I personally subscribe to QBism: the idea that reality is formed through prediction and observation.
Why Bother? What’s the Point?
Now, what’s the point of this article? Why should you care, and what’s the actual relationship here?
Let’s answer the first question: the point of this article is to show you the profound logic running through our universe—how reality has a kind of source code, with programs running in the background. By understanding both, you can start to see the patterns and take charge of yourself. Why should you care? Everyone could use a greater degree of agency—and at the very least, it might get you thinking.
And what’s the relationship? Many mystics and scholars hint at a principle called “as above, so below; as within, so without.” This means that the very small works exactly like the very large. If you master one domain, you can master all domains. If you understand how your nervous system predicts, you can start to see how reality does the same.
How the Bayesian Inference Model Works
Let’s break down the Bayesian inference model a bit further and clarify how our nervous system uses it as an algorithm. The model starts with your prior beliefs: how you interpret what has happened before. These beliefs are built from raw data (blood pressure, blood glucose, light levels, smells, location), emotional states (happy, sad, anxious), and your general beliefs about yourself, the world, and particular places. All of this is cross-referenced by heuristics.
Next comes the current input: what are you experiencing right now? Biological data is crucial here. Low blood glucose, tense muscles, or aggressive expressions from others will all impact your state—but that’s not the whole story. Location is also important, as certain environments are linked (by belief or experience) to certain outcomes. A martial arts studio is often linked to arousal or alertness, while a church may evoke the opposite. All this data is filtered and cross-referenced, ultimately boiling down to a simple message: how safe am I? How correct am I in my predictions?
The last step is the actual outcome, compared to what you expected. If there’s a large gap between expectation and reality, your nervous system rings the alarm bells. Uncertainty, to your nervous system, is closely tied to danger—and therefore, survival. How you interact with uncertainty has everything to do with perception: if you consider yourself weak and incapable, uncertainty is more likely to cause anxiety; confidence does the opposite. As mentioned, the discrepancy between what you think will happen and what actually happens is called a “somatic error” in neuroscience. Your physiology course-corrects, either relaxing you or priming you to respond. You’ll likely experience this as happiness if things go better than expected, or fear/frustration if things go worse.
Here’s the kicker: you can build better predictions, and thus strengthen your model of the world. The better your model, the more attuned you’ll be to reality. The more robust your heuristics, the easier it is to cross-reference and prepare for whatever comes your way. Fascinating, right?
From Quantum Physics to Personal Agency
That insight alone is worth an article, but let’s take it further—let’s talk QBism.
If you’ve taken a physics class, you probably learned Newtonian physics, Einstein’s relativity, and maybe a bit of quantum mechanics. To summarize:
- Newtonian physics posits that if you know the location and speed of everything in the universe, you could predict the future with 100% accuracy. (This has been disproven, but Newton’s laws are still fantastic for cosmology and most physical processes—just not for the very small.)
- Einstein added relativity: mass and energy are interchangeable, and there is such a thing as spacetime. His theories are still being validated (e.g., gravitational waves), but he never managed to reconcile gravity with quantum mechanics. In fact, he was uncomfortable with some of quantum’s implications (like entanglement, where information appears to travel faster than light).
Our society is still catching up with what experiments (like the double-slit experiment) unequivocally show: perception matters, fundamentally. For those unfamiliar, the double-slit experiment shows that light, when unobserved, behaves as a wave—but when observed, acts as a particle. There’s also an inverse relationship between knowing a particle’s speed and its location: the more precisely you know one, the less you know the other.
I have my own beliefs about integrating gravity and relativity, but that’s for another article. Let’s stick to QBism and how we form our reality through prediction.
Recent experiments, in my view, paint a clear picture: life operates much like a video game, only rendering detail where attention is focused. The greater your perception, the higher the definition of reality’s “render.” This might sound far-fetched until you consider quantum effects:
- Superposition (a particle existing in multiple states at once)
- Entanglement (particles remaining linked no matter the distance)
- Quantum tunneling (particles appearing in places they shouldn’t, according to classical physics)
To grasp what QBism suggests, you have to let go of our standard ways of viewing reality. This is easier if you don’t have formal education in the field—universities often haven’t caught up yet. My current belief is that the universe is like an entity with a nervous system, using an inference model to create reality. You could call this entity “God” if you like, but the label doesn’t matter for the argument. Another belief that helps connect the dots: we are the universe, and the universe is us—the only difference between individuals is the degree to which we realize this.
Yeah, that’s a stretch, I know. But if you read The Kybalion, or look between the lines of the Bible, or read the old mystics, you’ll see they all hint at the same thing.
So, now what? If you look into Miyamoto Musashi (the swordsman) or Ueshiba Morihei (founder of Aikido), you’ll often come across the concept of “the way.” My interpretation: aligning your body and mind with universal truth allows you to access your true power—the ability to create your own reality.
“The way,” in my opinion, pervades everything. It doesn’t matter what domain you focus on—look long enough, and you come to the same conclusions as a master martial artist.
I could specify, through heuristics, nodes, networks, systems, and predictive coding, how you can guide and speed up this process, but that’s for another article.
Discard what doesn’t serve you, pick apart and integrate what resonates with you—seek nothing but the truth, and the truth will find you.
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