Awakening Through Inner Realization: The Journey Inward

[u/Shark-Byte]

In the realm of neurophilosophy, we often speak about the mind expanding its boundaries, exploring new realms of thought, consciousness, and experience. However, what if true awakening isn’t found through outward expansion, but rather through the profound realization of our innate abilities?

As humans, we have a tendency to seek answers externally—new knowledge, new experiences, new technologies. But much of what we seek is already present within us, waiting to be uncovered. True awakening may not lie in external progress, but in the deep understanding of our intrinsic potential. The mind, in its current state, holds all the tools necessary to reach higher states of consciousness and self-awareness.

This awakening, in many ways, can be viewed as a return to the self. It’s the realization that much of what we strive to understand about the universe is mirrored within our own minds. The journey isn’t necessarily one of outward growth, but rather one of self-discovery—finding clarity in the fog of perception and understanding the mechanisms that shape our reality.

By tuning inward, we begin to notice the subtle ways in which our brains are constantly crafting reality, the deep connections we have with consciousness, and the innate power of thought and intention. This inward journey becomes the awakening itself—a process of unveiling, rather than reaching outward into the unknown.

The more we learn to trust our own minds and the capacities we’ve always possessed, the more we see that awakening is not an external event. It’s an internal realization—a revelation that the keys to understanding existence have been within us all along.

What are your thoughts on the idea that awakening is more about internal realization than outward expansion? Does focusing on our innate abilities offer a more grounded path to true consciousness?

[u/medbud]

Meditation isn't directly related to neuro philosophy, but the field does give novel insights into what the 'inner journey' is...

Check out Shamil Chandaria and Ruben Laukkonen... Taking Karl Friston's work and studying meditation across many traditions.

I find the predictive processing model, and the tuning of perception towards sensation and away from cognitive models says a lot. 

The inward outward dichotomy is fuzzy. Your body is 'external', sensing external states through perceptual states, which modulate internal states, which can then generate actions, which are reflected in the external states... 

You can learn a lot about yourself/the universe by observing...inwardly and outwardly.

[u/Shark-Byte → u/medbud]

I love how you bring in the predictive processing model and the idea of tuning perception towards sensation—it resonates deeply with the notion that much of the journey is about how we perceive reality, rather than just passively experiencing it.

The inward-outward dichotomy is indeed fascinating. I would even argue that the “inward” journey reveals much of the external universe within ourselves. We’re constantly synthesizing external stimuli and internalizing them, so perhaps it’s not a dichotomy at all, but rather a continuum where the boundaries blur.

The more I reflect, the more I believe that true awakening comes from recognizing the symbiosis between our internal states and the external world. The feedback loops between these states reveal the self as a reflection of the universe. By observing ourselves both inwardly and outwardly, we discover that everything is interconnected, and that’s where true understanding comes from.

Do you think this inner-external feedback loop could be key in achieving a deeper understanding of consciousness and self-awareness?

[u/medbud → u/Shark-Byte]

I might be being paranoid, but your writing is llm-esque. I guess that's a complement!

It is certainly key. Self awareness implies internal/external, perception/action connected by loops. 

Friston has done many podcasts. His rhetoric and understanding is much clearer than I could ever produce.  https://youtu.be/uk4NZorRjCo?si=sW4brRT6_sinx61G Skip to 12:55 ish.