Exploring the Nature of Consciousness and Self through Psychedelic Experiences and Meditation

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This chapter compares the nature of psychedelic experiences and meditation, emphasizing the continuous quality of consciousness and the intertwining of the self with experience. It discusses the absence of a central point of experience and contrasts the transient effects of drug-induced experiences with the enduring features of consciousness.

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Today’s guest needs no introduction…

Meet Sam Harris. Neuroscientist, philosopher, New York Times best-selling author, host of Making Sense, creator of Waking Up, and one of the most thought-provoking intellectuals of our time. Known as one of the "Four Horsemen" of New Atheism, along with Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Daniel Dennett, he fearlessly navigates even the most difficult of topics.

He’s a true advocate of reason and an explorer of the human condition. His ideas transcend boundaries, challenge our perceptions, and invite us to think deeply about the world around us. In our thought-provoking conversation, we wrestle with topics ranging from the existence of free will to psychedelic drugs, meditation, and religion.

Join us for an exploration of reason, morality, and consciousness like no other!

Key Takeaways:

00:00:00 Intro
00:10:18 Judging a book by its cover
00:13:37 Woke identitarian politics and recent developments in AI
00:25:43 Making your mind into a friend
00:30:52 Meditation and the nature of self
00:52:51 Slipping into psychopathy
01:00:59 The psychedelic experience
01:18:52 Who Sam relies on for external advice
01:25:42 On Trump’s narcissism
01:42:21 Musk’s ambition to colonize Mars
01:59:14 Does Sam miss academia?
02:08:51 Free will, consciousness, and scientific experimentation
02:52:32 Can AI have free will?
02:54:38 Should we teach kids religion?
03:03:50 Barbaric beliefs in different religions
03:18:46 Outro

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Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.

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