Closed-loop Perception

Perception is often described as a sensory process, which starts at the receptors and ends somewhere in the brain. However, the anatomy of the brain and the dynamics of sensation indicate otherwise. I will present the empirical data establishing the motor-sensory basis of mammalian perception, and the emerging conclusion that perception reflects convergence of motor-sensory-motor closed loops. Closed-loop perception is thus a process that actively and gradually connects the brain to its environment. I will show how the perceptual process depends on objective and subjective features, subjective experience and inter-subject guidance.