This is a popular understanding, but the science suggests a different process.

The brain filters sensory data based on utility, which is itself defined by the mind’s internal model. This results in a curated reality that omits any information the model deems irrelevant to its current goals.

We often begin to act before the conscious mind is even aware of the impulse. In this framework, the mind functions as a narrator—backfilling intent after the fact to maintain the illusion of a cohesive story. This model is not static; it updates when the curated data produces a ‘prediction error’ too large for the narrator to ignore. A moment of narrative break down result in a recalibration. However, when the data is filtered and the intent is retroactive, then ‘meaningful predictions’ are primarily a mechanism for the mind to validate the model it has already constructed.