2019 Volume 62 Issue 1 Pages 16-24
Asai (2019) discusses a transformation of the view of reality resulting from the Bayesian theory of inference. The current paper offers philosophical interpretations concerning the significance, scope, and possible development of Asai’s discussion, which are especially based on a phenomenological point of view. Asai’s Bayesian view of reality is closely related to phenomenology. It implies a denial of determinism and naive realism. However, these traits of Asai’s view can signify a more moderate and scientific attitude. What an individual experiences as reality is the effect of certain filters that his or her experience has. Asai calls this effect “attention”; however, it is better described as “consciousness.” His interpretation of reality as mutual interference of waves is convincing and closely matches the quantum theoretical view of reality. Finally, such a transformation of the view of reality can positively affect the view of “mental disorder.” The aim of psychiatric treatment should not be to conform patients to the “only one same reality” (which is illusory), but to gear (or accommodate) different realities to each other.
