Anil Seth, a cognitive and computational neuroscientist at the University of Sussex, tackles the mysteries of consciousness. He delves into questions about self-identity, exploring how we perceive reality and whether our memories can be trusted. Seth discusses how the brain creates our experiences, including the illusion of color. He challenges conventional notions of identity, suggesting that we are dynamic beings shaped by interactions. The conversation also touches on the evolution of consciousness and fascinating insights into neurodiversity.
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insights INSIGHT
The Real Problem of Consciousness
The real problem of consciousness is explaining its properties, like the difference between vision and emotion, in terms of the brain and body.
This differs from the "hard problem," which tries to explain how matter creates experience.
insights INSIGHT
Self and Consciousness
The self is not a separate entity but an aspect of conscious experience requiring explanation.
Experiences of the world and self are intertwined and central to the study of consciousness.
insights INSIGHT
The Nature of Self
The self is a process, not a thing, encompassing various perceptual experiences.
These experiences include basic existence, emotions, body image, first-person perspective, agency, and personal identity.
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In 'Being You: A New Science of Consciousness,' Anil Seth presents a radical new theory of consciousness, arguing that we are 'prediction machines' constantly inventing and correcting our perception of the world. The book delves into the biological mechanisms of the brain, exploring how billions of neurons create our conscious experience. Seth discusses the 'controlled hallucination' viewpoint, active inference, and the 'beast machine' theory, which views consciousness as a process of regulating the body's essential variables through interoceptive signals. The book is a synthesis of philosophy, science, literature, and personal experience, making complex science accessible and engaging[1][3][5].
Doors of Perception
Aldous Huxley
In this book, Huxley recounts his first psychedelic experience with mescaline in May 1953. He describes how the drug altered his perception of the world, making ordinary objects and experiences take on profound aesthetic and philosophical significance. Huxley draws on various philosophical and spiritual traditions, including those of William Blake, Meister Eckhart, Plato, and Buddhism, to contextualize his insights. The book challenges conventional views on perception and reality, suggesting that certain substances can reveal deeper aspects of existence that are normally filtered out by the human brain's 'reducing valve'[1][2][4]
How to Change Your Mind
What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence
Michael Pollan
In this book, Michael Pollan delves into the history of psychedelic drugs, from their rise in the 1960s to their current resurgence in medical research. He combines historical and scientific analysis with personal narratives of his own experiences with psychedelics, such as LSD and psilocybin. The book explores how these substances are being used to treat conditions like depression, addiction, and anxiety, and discusses their potential to revolutionize our understanding of the human mind and consciousness. Pollan's work is a blend of science, memoir, and travel writing, offering a nuanced and engaging look at the therapeutic and spiritual benefits of psychedelics[1][2][4].
An Immense World
Ed Young
Anil Seth is a professor of cognitive and computational neuroscientist at the University of Sussex, co-director of the Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, and an author.
What is the Self? What does it mean that we are the same person we were 10 years ago? Why do we have a subjective experience of reality at all? Is consciousness created or perceived? These are fundamental questions that philosophers and neuroscientists have been trying to answer for centuries. So can a new science of consciousness give us the answers?
Expect to learn why answering the problem of consciousness is such a difficult challenge, why you wake up as the same person everyday, whether we know for a fact that animals are conscious, why perception often is divorced from objective reality, just how reliable our memories are, how to trust your brain even when it's incredibly fallible and much more...
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