Ep 85 | UTOKing with John Vervaeke | Meaning, UTOK, and the Consciousness Conference
Feb 8, 2025
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John Vervaeke, a professor recognized for his work on meaning and consciousness, joins Gregg to discuss their recent book, 'Awakening From the Meaning Crisis.' They dive into innovative perspectives on life's meaning, balancing personal beliefs with societal challenges. The conversation also explores the intricacies of consciousness through cognitive science, emphasizing the need for a coherent model. Additionally, they share insights on the upcoming UTOK Conference and their collaborative efforts in advancing the understanding of meaning and subjectivity.
The podcast emphasizes the need for a comprehensive understanding of meaning that incorporates both individual perspectives and shared experiences in contemporary psychology.
John Vervaeke and Gregg Henriques are collaboratively exploring the foundations of consciousness, aiming to connect subjective experiences with objective reality.
Deep dives
Publication and Evolution of 'Awakening Crisis'
A recent book titled 'Awakening Crisis' has been published, which serves as an improved and dialogical version of a previous video series. This updated book incorporates constructive criticism received during the series, allowing for enhanced discussions around key figures like Luther and Aquinas. By presenting the material dialogically rather than monologically, it aims to improve comprehension and engagement, providing more citations and clearer illustrations. Many readers have responded positively, suggesting that the book surpasses the original series in its ability to facilitate deeper understanding.
Insights on Meaning from Family Dynamics
During a family reunion cruise, a unique activity was organized where grandchildren shared meaningful aspects of their lives, intentionally excluding relationships to prompt diverse responses. This exercise highlighted individual interpretations of meaning while raising questions about the uniqueness of these perspectives within a broader familial context. Critiques have emerged around the conventional understanding of meaning in life, emphasizing the need for a more shared and connected framework. Such discussions have sparked deeper examinations of how individual and collective dimensions of meaning intersect in contemporary psychology.
Critique of the Standard Meaning in Life Constructs
A significant critique has been directed toward the conventional measures of meaning in life, noting that they tend to be overly individualistic and often fail to account for shared experiences and relational dynamics. This critique argues that current frameworks neglect the social and normative dimensions intrinsic to the human experience, which are vital for understanding meaning. Empirical data reveals a disconnection between personal meaning assessments and actual feelings of loneliness or belonging. Hence, the standard constructs appear inadequate for capturing the complexities of modern existential concerns.
The Future of Extended Naturalism and Consciousness
A collaborative project focusing on extended naturalism and consciousness is in progress, aiming to address the foundations of consciousness from both philosophical and cognitive science perspectives. This initiative seeks to separate the hard problem of consciousness into distinct, manageable components while tying them back to broader ontological concerns. As the authors develop their insights on how consciousness functions within the natural world, they intend to bridge the gap between subjective experience and objective reality. The upcoming conference will serve as a platform for sharing preliminary findings and receiving feedback to refine the book's focus.
In this episode, Gregg is joined again by Professor John Vervaeke, and the two share both individual updates and upcoming shared projects. John recently published his book, with Christopher Mastropietro, on Awakening From the Meaning Crisis, Part I, and he and Gregg discuss that and new ways to think about meaning in life based on the work they are doing. John and Gregg also briefly discuss Gregg’s new book, UTOK: The Unified Theory of Knowledge, and they share some of their joint work on consciousness and the upcoming UTOK Conference on Consciousness, which will be online April 25-26, 2025.