The Human Brain is a Device That Predicts the Future

Introduction

The human brain constantly tries to predict the future. It does this by analyzing past data, trying to find patterns and trends, and making calculations based on those experiences.

When it finds a pattern, it uses that information to predict what will happen next.

By understanding how the brain makes these predictions, we can learn to control our own thoughts and actions.

The more data the brain has to work with, the more accurate its predictions will be. The average adult human brain has the ability to store the equivalent of 2.5 million gigabytes data.

The central human organ can also make predictions based on its own internal state. For example, if it is hungry, the brain will predict that food will be available soon.

Without the ability to predict the future, we would be constantly surprised by the things that happen around us. We would not be able to plan for the future or make decisions that would help us avoid danger.

A number of studies that have looked at the relationship between memory and prediction have supported the idea that our ability to predict future events has connections to our memory of past events. One such study found that people with better memories were better at predicting future events than those with poorer memories.

Another study found that people with higher levels of anxiety were more likely to make inaccurate predictions about future events. This finding is consistent with the idea that people with higher levels of anxiety are more likely to remember negative events from the past, and thus be more pessimistic in their predictions about the future.

All in all, there are three types of predictions made by our brain:

Conscious Prediction

Our ability to reason affects the ability to predict the future. The reasoning is the process of using logical thinking to come to a conclusion. When we reason, we use the information in our memory to come to a conclusion about what will happen in a new situation.

These predictions are based on the data that your brain has stored in the past. Every experience you have ever had is stored in your brain and used to make predictions about the future.

The accuracy of the brain’s predictions also depends on the quality of the data it has to work with. If the data is noisy or incomplete, the brain’s predictions will be less accurate.

Studies have found that individual guesses by humans achieve 58.3% accuracy, better than random, but worse than machines which display 71.6% accuracy.

When we are driving, we are constantly making predictions about what other drivers will do. We need to be able to anticipate their actions in order to stay safe. This is a conscious prediction made by our brain.

Sub-conscious predictions

Some of these predictions are made unconsciously, based on our previous experiences and the patterns we’ve learned but are not aware of.

For example, when we see a friend walking towards us, we automatically expect that they will stop and talk to us. We don’t need to think about it, we just know that’s what will happen.

This is a subconscious prediction.

Subconsciously analyze it to make predictions about the future. This is how we are able to make decisions without even realizing it.

Our brain is able to pick up on subtle cues in a person’s appearance that we are not even aware of. We can size up a person’s trustworthiness, intelligence, and even sexual desirability without their, or our own knowledge.

Unconscious prediction

However, there is another type of prediction made by our brain that is not based on past experiences. This prediction is based on what our brain believes will happen in the future simply because it does.

We don’t need to have experienced this before, our brain just makes an educated guess based on the laws of physics.

These predictions help us to interact with the world around us and make split-second decisions. They allow us to catch a ball, avoid a collision and make everyday activities possible.

We are not consciously aware of these predictions, they happen automatically and outside of our conscious control.

Scientists believe that these predictions are made by our unconscious mind using a combination of past experiences, sensory information, and natural knowledge of the laws of physics.

Bottom Line

The ability to predict the future by analyzing the past is an incredible power that we all have. It is something that we should be grateful for. It is one of the things that makes us human.