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Love and Philosophy

Source of Consciousness: Why are feelings and dreams so controversial? with neuropsychologist Mark Solms

Oct 30, 2024
Mark Solms, a renowned South African psychoanalyst and neuropsychologist, delves into the intricate connections between consciousness, emotions, and dreaming. He shares his personal journey sparked by childhood trauma, revealing how his brother’s brain injury shaped his fascination with the mind-body connection. Solms emphasizes the importance of feelings in understanding consciousness and challenges traditional views by highlighting the brainstem's vital role. Their discussion critiques conventional psychology's neglect of emotional depth, urging a more subjective approach to human experience.
01:02:09

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Quick takeaways

  • Emotions play a pivotal role in cognition, acting as the essential mechanisms through which individuals navigate their conscious experiences.
  • Mark Solms' personal journey, triggered by childhood trauma, illustrates how personal experiences can shape our understanding of consciousness and identity.

Deep dives

The Intersection of Feelings and Cognition

Feelings play a crucial role in understanding cognition, as they serve as an underlying mechanism through which individuals navigate their experiences. The podcast discusses how emotions, often overlooked in scientific discourse, can be central to our conscious and mental lives. This connection is explored in the context of Mark Solms' work, which emphasizes the need to integrate subjective experiences into the study of the brain and mind. By investigating how feelings inform cognition, we begin to appreciate the depth of our experiences and the complexity of consciousness.

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