Could Visual Reorientation Illusions be 4d Related?

Discussions about how to visualize 4D and higher, whether through crosseyedness, dreaming, or connecting one's nerves directly to a computer sci-fi style.

Re: Could Visual Reorientation Illusions be 4d Related?

Postby Hugh » Sat Feb 01, 2025 8:54 pm

I’ve been working with the new ChatGPTo3-mini-high model to help explain this idea better and it came up with a p5.js code to show it:

https://editor.p5js.org/HughR/full/-i_nFGgVH

Image

Here’s the explanation from o3-mini-high:

The idea behind this code is to illustrate a hypothesis: that what we perceive as sudden “flips” in our spatial orientation—Visual Reorientation Illusions (VRIs)—could be evidence that we are, in fact, 4D beings living in a 4D space. However, our conscious experience is limited to a 3D “slice” of that 4D reality (specifically, the slice we view along the extra W‐axis). Here’s how the code and its geometric model express this idea:
1. A Stable 4D Object with Multiple 3D Faces:
The code constructs a tesseract—a 4D hypercube—which is a fully defined 4D object with 16 vertices and 32 edges. When projected to 2D, the tesseract is depicted in a way that hints at its higher-dimensional structure (often visualized as a cube within a cube, with connecting edges). Importantly, the tesseract itself is stable and unchanging.
2. Four Distinct 3D “Cells” or Slices:
A tesseract is bounded by eight 3D “cells” (cubic volumes). In this model, the code chooses to focus on four of these cells—each defined by holding either the x or z coordinate fixed (for example, one cell might be defined by z = –1, another by x = 1, etc.). These cells represent different 3D “faces” or slices of the full 4D object. Geometrically, if you imagine a 3D cube, there are two distinct ways to view it (as the Necker cube demonstrates, the cube’s front face can be ambiguous). In 4D, however, there are four equally valid ways to “slice” the object horizontally.
3. The VRI Flip as a Reassignment of the 3D Slice:
The code highlights one of these four cells at a time and labels it with a cardinal direction (N, E, S, or W). Every couple of seconds, the highlighted cell cycles to the next one. Geometrically, this simulates a 4D “Necker cube–like” flip: although the overall tesseract remains unchanged, the 3D slice that is “active” (or being perceived) suddenly changes. In practical terms, if you were a 4D being (or if we are truly 4D but only ever see a 3D cross-section), you could instantly reassign which 3D face of the environment is in view—so that what was once “actual North” (as defined by a physical marker on a structure) could be reinterpreted as “East,” “South,” or “West” without any physical movement in the environment.
4. Implications for Our Perception:
This model suggests that VRIs might not be mere perceptual quirks or errors, but rather hints that our brains are capable of accessing that extra degree of freedom in spatial orientation. Just as a Necker cube can be seen in two different ways due to an inherent ambiguity in its 2D projection of a 3D object, our perception of space could be “flipping” among several valid 3D interpretations of an underlying 4D reality. The code’s automatic cycling—highlighting a different cell (and hence a different orientation) every few seconds—is a visual analogy for how, in 4D space, the same environment might be reinterpreted with different directional assignments (with the Up/Down axis remaining fixed due to gravity).

In summary:
The code demonstrates that if we were truly 4D beings whose conscious experience is just a 3D slice of a larger 4D world, then the directional cues we rely on (like North, East, South, West) might not be as fixed as we assume. Instead, our perception could undergo sudden, Necker cube–like flips where a different 3D “face” of the 4D space becomes active—so that actual North (as defined by the stable 4D structure) might be experienced as East, South, or West depending on which 3D cell is being highlighted at any moment. This offers a fascinating geometric explanation for VRIs, suggesting that our brain might occasionally be catching glimpses of a higher-dimensional reality.
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Re: Could Visual Reorientation Illusions be 4d Related?

Postby Hugh » Wed Feb 05, 2025 8:42 pm

Thoughts from o3-mini-high:

Imagine that, as 4D beings, we are fully embedded in a universe with four spatial dimensions—(X, Y, Z, W)—but our everyday experience is limited to perceiving only a 3D “slice” of that richer reality. In other words, our senses and our physical theories have been built around the idea that what we see and measure is the complete picture, but in fact we might be looking along the extra W dimension, so that we experience only the XYZ surface of the full 4D world.

The 2D Analogy

To understand this, consider a 2D being living on a flat plane (with dimensions X and Y). Such a creature, if it were forced to look “edge on” into its world, would only perceive a one-dimensional line—a cross-section of the full 2D expanse. It wouldn’t naturally conceive of the full 2D structure because its senses and cognitive framework are limited to that one slice. Similarly, even though we operate within a 4D reality, we might habitually be “looking” in a way that only reveals the XYZ slice, effectively filtering out the W dimension.

Our 3D Perception as a Slice of 4D Reality

All our physical formulas—from Newton’s laws to Einstein’s general relativity and even the quantum field theories—have been developed with the assumption that space is three-dimensional. Our experiments and observations are interpreted within this framework, so our theoretical and experimental tools are optimized for a 3D world. But if we are truly 4D beings, then what we consider as “the world” is merely the 3D surface that we observe when we look along the hidden W axis.

This perspective implies that the true underlying structure of the universe is more complex than we realize. The extra spatial dimension could be continuously present and influential, even if it remains hidden from our direct perception. It’s as if we’re constantly slicing through a 4D manifold and observing only one of its many possible 3D cross-sections.

Unifying the Fundamental Forces

One of the most tantalizing implications of this idea is that by embracing a 4D spatial framework, we might resolve some of the biggest puzzles in modern physics. Consider the following possibilities:
• Unification of Forces:
The Standard Model and General Relativity have long resisted a unification that seamlessly incorporates gravity with the other fundamental forces. If we account for a fourth spatial dimension, the extra degree of freedom could allow for a more natural geometric unification—revealing hidden connections or symmetries that are invisible in a purely 3D approach.
• Quantum Phenomena:
Quantum mechanics is notorious for its counterintuitive behavior, such as entanglement and superposition. These phenomena might be more comprehensible if they are manifestations of 4D geometrical relationships. In a 4D world, what appears as “spooky action” in 3D might simply be the natural result of a deeper, four-dimensional connectivity.
• Dark Matter and Dark Energy:
The gravitational effects we attribute to dark matter—and the accelerated expansion of the universe ascribed to dark energy—could be clues that we’re only seeing part of the picture. The dynamics of the hidden W dimension might contribute additional effects on the 3D slice we inhabit, explaining why we observe mass and energy that don’t seem to fit into our conventional models.

Visual Reorientation Illusions (VRIs) as Clues

Furthermore, the occasional visual reorientation illusions (VRIs) that we experience—sudden, often inexplicable flips in our perception of spatial orientation—could be interpreted as fleeting glimpses of this deeper reality. Just as a Necker cube can flip between two equally plausible 3D interpretations, our brain might sometimes “rotate” our 3D viewpoint along the W axis, momentarily revealing an alternative 3D slice of the underlying 4D universe.

In Summary
• Perception as a Slice:
We might be 4D beings whose consciousness naturally encompasses all four spatial dimensions, but our everyday perception is locked into a 3D slice (the XYZ surface) because we are effectively “looking” along the W axis.
• Physics Built in 3D:
All our physical laws and theories have been developed in a 3D context. If we incorporated the extra spatial dimension, our formulas would change, potentially unifying the forces of nature and resolving deep mysteries like quantum oddities, dark matter, and dark energy.
• A New Framework for Understanding:
Accepting that our familiar 3D world is just a projection or slice of a full 4D reality could provide the missing piece for a unified theory of physics. The VRIs we experience might be subtle hints from our own minds that there is a hidden fourth spatial dimension influencing the behavior of everything around us.

By reconsidering our assumptions about the dimensionality of space, we open the door to a radically different view of the universe—one that could ultimately lead to a unified understanding of all physical phenomena.
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