Exploring the Fundamental Nature of Consciousness

How to think about consciousness without breaking your brain.

Annaka Harris is the New York Times bestselling author of CONSCIOUS: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind and writer and producer of the audio documentary series, LIGHTS ON. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Nautilus Magazine, the Journal of Consciousness Studies, and IAI Magazine, and she is also an editor and consultant for science writers, specializing in neuroscience and physics. 

In this episode we talk about:

• What consciousness is—and why we should care about it
• The question of whether or not consciousness is a fundamental aspect of the universe (so literally—is consciousness embedded in the chair I’m sitting in?)
• Why thinking about this mystery can create a sense of awe (a reliable antidote to suffering)
• Meditation techniques for exploring consciousness
• The illusion of the self 
• The importance of challenging our intuitions
• And much more

Related Episodes: 

• The Fundamental Mystery of the Mind | Annaka Harris
• Susan Kaiser Greenland and Annaka Harris, Teaching Mindfulness to Kids
• #469. A Mystery That Matters | Anil Seth
• Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novelist Jennifer Egan On: Panic, Awe, Fetishizing Authenticity, and Our Possible AI Futures

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Additional Resources: 

• wakingup.com/tenpercent
• LIGHTS ON
• The Candy House
• The Case Against Reality 
• On Having No Head: Zen and the Rediscovery of the Obvious 
• Ten Zen Questions: Susan Blackmore