Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman Ep104 "What is your internal world really like?" (with Russell Hurlburt)
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May 12, 2025 Russell Hurlburt, a psychology professor at the University of Nevada, offers insights into the hidden layers of our thoughts. He introduces his innovative technique, descriptive experience sampling, which uses random beeps to catch real-time thoughts, revealing how many don't rely on language. The conversation explores the diversity of internal experiences, highlighting unsymbolized thinking and the impact of attention on thought processes. Hurlburt also discusses how understanding these intricacies can enhance self-awareness and shed light on mental health, including conditions like depression and schizophrenia.
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Limits of Self-Knowledge
- Your insight into your own conscious experience is often shockingly inaccurate.
- Inner experience is complex, fleeting, and richer than the stories we tell ourselves.
Use Surprise Beep for Accuracy
- Use a random beep device to capture and report your exact experience at the beep moment.
- This method helps avoid memory biases and captures fleeting inner experiences accurately.
Inner Speech is Overestimated
- People are often mistaken about how much they innerly speak.
- Inner speaking is an action varying widely across individuals, sometimes absent entirely.
