"MAYA is the veil that covers our real nature and the real nature of world around us. Maya is fundamentally inscrutable: we don't know why it exists and we don't know when it began." - Vedanta Philosophy.

We dwell in our memories as they work as portals into our past, into events that took place. Creating an illusory time line that we call life. As I grapple with recurring memories in my waking life and dreams, I struggle to answer this question.

 

Why do we constantly recall our memories?

Maybe, I am hoping that by repeatedly playing these memories, I will somehow change the outcome of the events and find some kind of resolution that I can live with. All effort is futile. Memories create this bitter sweet cocktail of nostalgia and regret and they never stop and they can not be forgotten.

Only, they get stronger by constant recalls.

Human memory is inherently fallible and unreliable due to its re-constructive nature. Memories are not stored like files in a computer; instead, they are reconstructed every time they are recalled, making them susceptible to distortion and alteration. Factors like confirmation bias, suggestion, and time can further influence the accuracy of memories, leading to the creation of false or inaccurate recollections. Amidst all this confusion, irony and paradoxes, my search continues to find the true-self.

Is the true self merely a reconstruction of memories strung together by a thread of time. Is it possible to not rely on the fragmentary and frivolous nature of the mind and memory and truly exist in the absolute present and now?

​

The Elephant is a siren's call, luring the viewer into a labyrinth of perception. The original half of the image, a crystallised moment in time, holds the weight of memory, the artist's own lived experiences etched into its pixels. Yet, the Generative AI counterpart, with its surreal and often unexpected elements, casts a spell, challenging us to question the very nature of reality.
Is this a mere reflection of the past, or a premonition of a future yet to unfold?
The tension between these two realms is palpable, a tug-of-war between the familiar and the foreign, the known and the unknown. As we gaze upon these works, we are invited to embark on a journey of self discovery, confronting the fragility and the resilience of our own recollections.

The Elephant becomes a mirror, reflecting the depths of our own psyche, the ways in which our memories have been shaped, distorted, and transformed. At the most fundamental level, the simulation of memory through AI forces us to confront the nature of memory itself. Is memory a mere reflection of an objective reality, or is it, in fact, a subjective construction, shaped by the very neural networks that give rise to our consciousness?

And if AI can accurately model and reproduce these networks, does that not call into question the very authenticity of our own memories and, by extension, our sense of self? These are the questions that lie at the heart of the metaphysical implications of AI memory simulation. Moreover, as AI systems develop human-like cognition and become capable of not only modelling but also generating new memories, we are faced with an even more profound challenge. If AI can create a memory that is indistinguishable from a real one, does that memory not hold the same weight and significance as a genuine recollection?

And if we accept that it does, what are the implications for our understanding of identity, consciousness, and the very nature of reality?

These are the questions that push us to the very limits of our philosophical understanding and force us to confront the possibility that our perceived realities may be more fluid and malleable than we ever imagined. Ultimately, the simulation of memory through AI is not merely a technical challenge but a metaphysical one. It forces us to grapple with the most fundamental questions of our existence and to confront the possibility that our understanding of reality may be more complex and multifaceted than we ever imagined.

As we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with AI, it is essential that we also engage in the philosophical and ethical debates that arise from these advancements, for they hold the key to our understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe.