The way we perceive the world is strongly influenced by our expectations about what we are likely to see at any given moment. However, the neural mechanisms by which the brain achieves this remarkable feat have yet to be established. To understand the interplay between sensory inputs and predictions, we need to investigate the way these signals flow at the level of cortical circuits. I will discuss recent work in which we used ultra-high field (7T) fMRI to obtain BOLD signals at a spatial resolution sufficient to disambiguate signals from the different cortical layers, allowing us to infer the direction of signal flow. I will also discuss the role of the hippocampus as a potential generator of top-down prediction effects in visual cortex. Additionally, I will present work in which we used MEG to investigate the temporal dynamics of neural prediction signals. These complimentary approaches have shed new light on the neural circuitry underlying the effects of prediction on perception. Ultimately, this work aims to reveal how the brain determines the contents of our perception.
