Hoffman’s work in cognitive science has led him to conclude that our perception of reality is entirely shaped by evolutionary necessity rather than by an accurate depiction of an external world. His Interface Theory of Perception argues that our senses do not show us reality as it is but instead present a simplified model that aids in survival, much like a computer desktop interface provides icons that obscure the complex circuits and code underneath. He extends this insight into a broader ontological framework in which space, time, and matter are not fundamental but are merely convenient representations generated by conscious agents. In this view, reality consists of networks of interacting consciousnesses, and our everyday experience is akin to a virtual environment designed to help us function rather than to reveal any deep truth about the structure of existence.
Kastrup, on the other hand, comes from the philosophical tradition of analytic idealism, which holds that the physical world is the extrinsic appearance of an underlying mental reality. He likens individual minds to whirlpools in an ocean of universal consciousness, appearing distinct yet inseparable from the larger whole. But Kastrup goes even further, proposing that we, as individuals, may actually be dissociative personalities of the broader mind-at-large, much like the phenomenon of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), where multiple personalities emerge within a single human mind yet experience themselves as separate. From this perspective, what we call individual consciousness is a localized pocket of dissociation within the cosmic mind, giving us the illusion of separateness. Just as in DID, where distinct identities within one mind may be unaware of each other, we fail to recognize our deeper unity with the whole. Kastrup sees space and time not as absolute entities but as emergent properties of consciousness, similar to how the narrative of a dream unfolds within the dreamer’s mind.
Both thinkers also seek to resolve the Hard Problem of Consciousness, which has long puzzled scientists and philosophers. Instead of asking how unconscious matter gives rise to subjective experience, Hoffman and Kastrup flip the question: How does consciousness give rise to the illusion of matter? Hoffman proposes a mathematical model in which networks of conscious agents interact to create structured patterns that we interpret as physical laws. For him, consciousness is not something that arises from neurons firing in the brain but is rather the fundamental building block of reality itself. Similarly, Kastrup argues that matter is what consciousness looks like when viewed from an external perspective, much like how a person’s brain activity can be observed on an MRI scan even though their inner experience remains invisible to others.
While Hoffman tends to approach these questions with a scientific and mathematical framework, seeking formal models to describe conscious interactions, Kastrup employs a more philosophical and metaphysical approach, drawing on history, neuroscience, and logic to support his claims. Their different vocabularies sometimes obscure their shared vision, but at their core, both are articulating the same fundamental idea: what we think of as the physical world is not the ultimate reality but rather a perceptual construct shaped by consciousness itself.
One of the most intriguing aspects of their work is how they reframe space and time. Hoffman, influenced by quantum physics and evolutionary theory, argues that space-time is an illusion—a convenient but ultimately misleading mental construct that helps organisms navigate their environment but does not reflect the underlying reality. He likens this to the way a computer desktop presents neatly arranged icons rather than exposing the complex inner workings of the machine. Kastrup, though coming from a different angle, makes a similar argument. He sees space-time as the outward expression of mental processes, akin to the way a person’s emotions may manifest as facial expressions. In both cases, reality is not what it seems, and what we take as fundamental—matter, space, time—is merely a representation of something deeper.
This perspective aligns with modern physics, which increasingly suggests that information lies at the foundation of physical reality. In quantum mechanics and digital physics, many researchers propose that the universe behaves more like a vast computational process or an information-based structure rather than a purely material one. This shift resonates with Hoffman’s and Kastrup’s views, as both suggest that what we perceive as "matter" is an emergent phenomenon of deeper conscious interactions, much like how information processing in a computer leads to the appearance of digital environments. If reality is fundamentally informational, then it is not difficult to conceive of it as something shaped by consciousness itself rather than by unconscious matter.
Interestingly, this idea also has deep historical roots. The ancient Pythagoreans believed that mathematics was the fundamental reality of existence, seeing numbers and geometric relationships as the underlying principles of the cosmos. This view, though ancient, is remarkably close to Hoffman’s approach, where reality is best understood as mathematical interactions between conscious agents. Kastrup, while less explicitly mathematical, shares this notion in his emphasis on structured mental activity as the foundation of the world. In a way, both thinkers revive the Pythagorean perspective, reframing it through the lens of modern science and philosophy to argue that the fabric of reality is not physical substance but structured, intelligent order—whether seen as conscious networks (Hoffman) or a unified mental field (Kastrup).
Their perspectives offer an alternative to the prevailing materialist paradigm that has dominated science and philosophy for centuries. Instead of assuming that consciousness is an epiphenomenon of brain activity, both Hoffman and Kastrup argue that mind is primary and that what we call the physical universe is a derivative phenomenon. Their work challenges long-held assumptions about the nature of reality and suggests a radical shift in how we understand existence.
Despite their differing backgrounds and approaches, the fundamental alignment between their ideas is hard to ignore. Whether through Hoffman’s mathematical framework of conscious agents or Kastrup’s oceanic metaphor of mind-at-large, both are painting a picture of reality in which consciousness is not a late evolutionary accident but the very ground of being itself. While Hoffman describes a vast network of interacting conscious agents, and Kastrup describes the self-expressions of a singular universal mind, the distinctions between their models may ultimately be more a matter of vocabulary than substance. Their insights, though framed differently, are converging on the same revolutionary conclusion: reality as we experience it is a perceptual illusion, consciousness is the foundation from which everything emerges, and our sense of individuality may itself be a dissociative phenomenon within a greater cosmic intelligence.
