Neuropsychorealism

The belief that our subjective mental experiences—thoughts, emotions, "the self"—are direct, one-to-one products of specific, measurable brain states. It asserts that if we had a perfect brain scanner, we could read your mind like a book because every qualia (like the redness of red or the ache of sadness) has a precise neural barcode. It's the ultimate "you are your brain" stance, dismissing anything that can't be physically located as illusion.

Neuropsychorealism would argue that your feeling of love for your partner isn't some mystical connection, but simply the predictable firing pattern of neurons in your ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens, flooded with oxytocin and dopamine. If we could perfectly replicate that exact brain state in a vat, you'd feel identical love for no one at all. The movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is a neuropsychorealist nightmare—since memories are physical engrams, zapping them should delete the associated emotion.

by Abzugal January 24, 2026

Neuropsychorealism

A more scientifically-grounded hypothesis that roots the principles of Cognitive Realism directly in the wetware of the brain. It states that the specific structures, neurotransmitters, and neural pathways of our nervous system are the literal architects of our perceived reality. Damage a part, and you change reality. Alter your neurochemistry, and you shift reality. This theory also has a weak version (Neuropsychorelativism) that sees the brain as a strong influence, and a strong version (Neuropsychodeterminism) that sees it as the absolute author.

Example: "After his stroke damaged his right parietal lobe, my uncle lost all awareness of the left side of his world. To him, the left side of his plate, his room, even his own body, simply did not exist. This is Neuropsychorealism in tragic action: the reality of an entire spatial hemisphere was not just ignored; it was erased by a specific neurological event. His world literally shrank because his brain did."

by Abzunammu February 2, 2026