It’s real, but the thing that’s being experienced isn’t the real thing. The cat quale is a real process, but it’s not a real cat (probably). The part of processing the quale that is the awareness (not the object of awareness) is itself the real awareness and holds the distinction of actually being in the territory rather than in the map.
So what is a map and not the territory in your example? The cat identification process? The “I see a cat” quale? I am confused.
Yes, the cat quale is map.
I’d argue that it is as real as any other brain process.
It’s real, but the thing that’s being experienced isn’t the real thing. The cat quale is a real process, but it’s not a real cat (probably). The part of processing the quale that is the awareness (not the object of awareness) is itself the real awareness and holds the distinction of actually being in the territory rather than in the map.