What Makes You “You”? An Actor + a Neuroscientist Answer | Yara Shahidi + Anil Seth | Intersections

Exploring Agency and Consciousness in Acting

The Nature of Agency in Performance

• Anil Seth questions whether performers feel a sense of agency or if they merely observe their bodies acting. Yara Shahidi reflects on her experience, indicating she strives to mimic an automated response while performing.

Intersection of Acting and Self-Perception

• Shahidi expresses gratitude for the conversation with Seth, noting the overlap between acting and her self-perception. She finds clarity in Seth's concept of controlled hallucination as it relates to her daily experiences.

Understanding Self Through Acting

• Seth shares his long-standing interest in understanding how individuals experience themselves within the world. He highlights that discussions with actors reveal underexamined aspects of identity formation through performance.

Evolution of Acting Experience

• Shahidi discusses how her approach to acting has evolved from simply delivering lines to embodying characters deeply. She recalls her early role as Tinker Bell, emphasizing the challenge of convincing herself of the reality around her.

Engaging Imagination in Performance

• Shahidi describes how she had to imagine a more immersive environment despite being surrounded by basic stage setups. This imaginative engagement was crucial for creating a believable performance, even when faced with minimal props.

The Role of Sensory Perception

• Shahidi explains that she learned which senses helped immerse her into character roles, noting that auditory cues were more effective for her than visual ones. This realization shaped how she approached different acting contexts.

Balancing Reality and Character

• Discussing various acting environments, Shahidi contrasts immersive sets with live performances where distractions are prevalent. She notes that staying fully engaged without external stimuli can create a unique experience.

Emotional Impact on Performance

• Reflecting on a recent project involving heavy emotional themes, Shahidi mentions feeling fatigued after intense scenes due to deep emotional investment. This marks a significant moment in her development as an actor.

Curiosity About Consciousness

What Happens When We Die?

Exploring Consciousness and Self

• The speaker reflects on childhood questions about death, which evolved into a deeper interest in consciousness as an academic researcher.

• Human beings are described as complex objects with rich experiences beyond mere information processing; the experience of being a self is emphasized.

• Key aspects of consciousness include emotions, moods, bodily sensations, first-person perspectives, memories, beliefs, and plans.

• Studying consciousness is framed not just as philosophical indulgence but as essential for understanding mental health issues and ethical considerations regarding non-human animals.

• The rise of AI and neurotechnologies challenges traditional views of consciousness and the notion of a separate soul.

The Impact of AI on Perception

• Discussion shifts to the evolution of AI over recent years; the speaker's background in AI highlights its rapid development since their PhD.

• Concerns are raised about using advanced technologies like language models as reflections of human qualities, potentially diminishing human spirit.

• The phenomenon of anthropomorphizing AI systems leads to misconceptions about their capabilities; they do not possess true understanding or experiences.

• The speaker warns against projecting human-like properties onto AI systems that merely simulate conversation without genuine comprehension.

• Acknowledgment that psychological tendencies lead people to project feelings onto others based on appearances or roles.

Personal Reflections on Identity

• Yara shares her perspective on public perception through advertisements; she feels detached from images that represent her curated persona rather than her true self.

• She expresses how seeing herself in highly edited images contrasts with how friends perceive her identity in those moments.

• Yara discusses the concept of being a "brain taxi," questioning the role of her body in experiencing life beyond just carrying her mind.

• The speaker reassures Yara that she is more than just a brain taxi; her body plays an integral role in interacting with the world around her.

The Role of the Brain and Self-Perception in Acting

Understanding the Brain's Functions

• The brain's primary role is to maintain bodily functions such as heart rate and blood pressure, ensuring survival.

• It also helps us perceive our position in relation to the world, which is often taken for granted.

• Concepts of free will and agency are integral to how we view ourselves and our actions.

Aspects of Personal Identity

• Personal identity encompasses memories, plans, and social interactions that shape who we are.

• The social self reflects how we experience our identity through others' perceptions and memories.

The Complexity of Acting

• In acting, different components of self can become strained or blurred; actors may question their sense of agency during performances.

• An actor may feel automated in their performance, especially when portraying a character over an extended period.

Agency vs. Observation in Performance

• Actors often strive to mimic automatic responses rather than consciously thinking about their actions while performing.

• A strong connection with co-performers enhances an actor's immersion into their character, impacting their sense of agency.

Emotional Connection and Memory Projection

• Actors project personal memories onto characters they portray, creating alternate timelines that enhance emotional depth.

• This process can lead to intense emotional experiences that blur the lines between reality and fiction during performances.

Empathy Generation in Acting

• Effective acting requires empathy towards fellow actors; this curiosity about human nature drives performance quality.

• An actor’s identity can be influenced by those around them, making interpersonal connections vital for authentic performances.

Challenges of Method Acting

• Some actors face difficulties transitioning out of deep emotional roles; method acting can exacerbate these challenges.

• While not a method actor herself, Yara shares her experiences projecting emotions from her life into fictional scenarios.

Balancing Roles Outside Acting

• Maintaining a full personal life outside acting helps prevent instability associated with immersive roles.

Understanding the Evolution of Self

The Impact of Consciousness on Self-Perception

• Exploration of Self: The conversation begins with a reflection on how their work has influenced their understanding of self, indicating a deep engagement with consciousness.

• Challenges in Study: AS mentions the absence of a control condition in their studies, highlighting the unique challenges they face in understanding self-perception.

• Emotions as Brain Constructs: AS discusses how emotions are perceived as constructions by the brain, suggesting that while feelings are real, they may not always align with reality.

The Concept of Impermanence

• Buddhism and Change: AS connects their findings to Buddhist philosophy, emphasizing that everything is impermanent and constantly changing. This perspective fosters comfort with personal evolution.

• Liberation through Change: Embracing the idea that one's identity is fluid can lead to liberation, allowing individuals to view past selves and future possibilities as distinct yet interconnected entities.

Conclusion and Future Discussions