Exploring the Mysteries of Consciousness: Asking Life’s Big Questions

Ep. 181 (Part 1 of 2) | Robert Lawrence Kuhn, producer of the popular PBS series Closer to Truth, which explores consciousness, the mystery of existence, and related topics with an open-minded approach, recently authored a remarkable article: “A Landscape of Consciousness,” in which he surveyed over 200 theories about what consciousness is. Robert tells how he inhabited each theory for a few days while writing it up, and discovered that unlike with other fields of knowledge, a study of consciousness produces more theories the more we know, rather than narrowing the field down. He emphasizes we need to be expansive with our universe of understanding of what consciousness is, and realize that how we engage with the Big Questions of life depends upon our particular theory of consciousness.

Robert tells how the Big Questions, notably what is consciousness and why is there something rather than nothing, have called him all his life, leading him to create the Closer to Truth series, to explore these questions with the leading minds of our time. What Robert didn’t know to begin with, but marvels about now, is how the passion for delving into the most fundamental, existential questions we face as humans unifies people around the world, from every demographic, providing a unique and wonderful point of integration. This is a fascinating, warm, engaging conversation that draws us ever farther into an exploration of the mysteries of life, where we glimpse what lies at the core of humanity. Recorded April 17th, 2025.

“Consciousness is perhaps the single most unifying question that humanity can explore.”

Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1

• Introducing Robert Lawrence Kuhn, author, public intellectual, producer of the PBS series Closer to Truth, which explores fundamental questions of existence (01:02)
• How did it feel to be writing “A Landscape of Consciousness,” a 175k-word article that surveys over 200 theories about what consciousness is (02:50)
• Now Robert is building a website with notated theories of consciousness that allows for theories to grow and change (11:33)
• Consciousness theories, unlike other fields of knowledge, grow the more we know (14:59)
• All the “big questions” are dependent on your theory of consciousness (18:57)
• Why is there something rather than nothing? What is consciousness? Two fundamental questions that have been with Robert all along (23:17)
• Nine levels of nothing and the deep nature of phenomenal consciousness (25:36)
• Why Robert didn’t include his own theory in his survey, and then did—in 71 words (26:58)
• What does the explosion of consciousness theories say about consciousness? (30:27)
• The self-referential paradox of understanding consciousness (35:04)
• How to structure and organize the amalgam of theories (37:08)
• Roughly half the theories went into materialism categories (39:02)
• Challenge theorists conclude we can never understand consciousness (41:03)
• Robert’s theory categories: materialism, non reductive physicalism, quantum, integrated information, panpsychism, monism, dualism, idealism, illusory, anomalies and altered states (42:18)
• What kind of knowledge do psychedelics and altered states offer? (49:20)

Resources & References – Part 1

• Robert Lawrence Kuhn, creator, producer, and host of the PBS series, Closer To Truth
• Robert Lawrence Kuhn, “A Landscape of Consciousness,”article in Progress in Biophysics & Molecular Biology, August 2024
• Anil Seth & Tim Bayne, Theories of Consciousness (Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2022)
• Computational + functionalism
• Robert Lawrence Kuhn, “Levels of Nothing”
• Progress in Biophysics & Molecular Biology (Journal)
• Denis Noble, visionary, one of the pioneers of systems biology
• Raymond Tallis, philosopher, poet, cultural critic, neuroscientist, coined the term neuromania
• Sir Roger Penrose & Dr. Stuart Hameroff, Consciousness and the Physics of the Brain (YouTube video)
• John Torday, PhD, physiologist at UCLA, investigator at the Lundquist Institute
• Non-reductive physicalism
• Integrated information theory, led by Giulio Tononi and Christof Koch
• Panpsychism
• Colin McGinn, British philosopher best known for his work in philosophy of mind
• Paul Davies, quantum physicist, director of BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science

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Robert Lawrence Kuhn is a public intellectual; he is the creator, writer, host, and executive producer of Closer To Truth, the long-running PBS/public television series and leading global resource on Cosmos (cosmology/physics, philosophy of science), Life (philosophy of biology), Mind (consciousness, brain/mind, philosophy of mind), and Meaning (theism/atheism/agnosticism, global philosophy of religion, critical thinking). Kuhn’s comprehensive review article on theories of consciousness—“A Landscape of Consciousness: Toward a Taxonomy of Explanations and Implications”—is published in Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology (August 2024, pp. 28-169). In its review, IAI News says, “Kuhn has written perhaps the most comprehensive article on the landscape of theories of consciousness in recent memory.” 

Dr. Kuhn has written or edited over 30 books, including The Mystery of Existence: Why is there Anything At All? (with John Leslie); Closer To Truth: Challenging Current Belief; Closer To Truth: Science, Meaning and the Future; The Library of Investment Banking; How China’s Leaders Think (featuring President Xi Jinping); The Man Who Changed China: The Life and Legacy of Jiang Zemin (China’s best-selling book in 2005 and in December 2022); and The Origin and Significance of Zero: An Interdisciplinary Perspective” (with Peter Gobets). He is chairman of The Kuhn Foundation, and has a BA in Human Biology (Johns Hopkins), a PhD in Anatomy/Brain Research (UCLA), and an SM (MBA) in Management (MIT).

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Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell