Iain McGilchrist

Iain McGilchrist, a literary scholar and psychiatrist, joins Nate to discuss the imbalanced use of the two lobes of our brains, and its impact on our communities and the environment. They explore the differences between the left and right hemispheres, the importance of expanding empathy, and the integration of science, imagination, and intuition. They emphasize the need for a fundamental change in our perception of the world, embracing stillness, peace, and love, and investing in wisdom and practical good works.

John Vervaeke, Iain McGilchrist, and Daniel Schmachtenberger discuss the metacrisis, hemispheric differences, meaning crisis, intrinsic purposes, critique of left hemisphere, and wisdom-based values. They explore a new philosophical awakening, reinterpretation of religions, holistic education, beauty, awe, and our sacred obligation to protect our reality.

Iain McGilchrist, a psychiatrist and author known for exploring the divided brain, teams up with John Vervaeke, a cognitive science professor with deep insights into wisdom and consciousness. They dive into the current 'meaning crisis' caused by modern materialism and technology, emphasizing the importance of genuine connections. The duo discusses the balance between rationality and imagination, exploring how they shape our beliefs and understanding of the world. Their conversation also touches on the transformative power of community and spirituality in personal growth.

Psychiatrist and writer Iain McGilchrist discusses the distinct roles of the left and right brain hemispheres, emphasizing the importance of cooperation and competition for optimal brain functionality. The conversation delves into visual and auditory processing differences, challenges the adequacy of truth in scientific terms, and explores the complexities of human nature, love, and God beyond conventional measures.

In this thought-provoking discussion, Iain McGilchrist, a psychiatrist and philosopher, is joined by Philip Goff, a panpsychist thinker and author. They explore whether the universe itself is conscious and challenge the limitations of traditional views on consciousness. The conversation delves into panpsychism, the interconnectedness of individual and universal consciousness, and the nuances of belief and spirituality. They even tackle how childhood intuitions about existence often fade with age, urging listeners to maintain an open mind about cosmic questions.

Iain McGilchrist, a psychiatrist and former Oxford literary scholar, delves into the balance between intuition and rationality. He discusses the dangers of an overly cognitive society and highlights the value of traditional wisdom. Iain reveals how intuition influences high-speed sports like horse racing and the Isle of Man superbikes. He also explains the unique roles of the brain's hemispheres and their impact on our cognition and society. Finally, he critiques modern values and advocates for deeper philosophical exploration.

Jim talks with Iain McGilchrist about his new book, The Matter With Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World... Jim talks with Iain McGilchrist about his new book, The Matter With Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World. They discuss issues created by having one word for "know," the separation, asymmetry, & function of brain hemispheres, deprogramming pop-cultural right-brain/left-brain caricatures, the need for two kinds of attention, vigilance vs focus, ambiguity vs certainty, both/and vs either/or, pessimism vs optimism, arrogance vs humility, opponent processes & cross-inhibition between hemispheres, depth in space, time, and emotion, function of frontal cortices, lateralization of emotions, reductionism vs complexity, process philosophy, critiquing machine models of life, correspondence theory vs coherence theory, the error of truth as correctness, judgment & its replacement by bureaucracy, reclaiming imagination, the role of intuition in science, comparing the Renaissance & the Enlightenment, a complexity view on building a new social OS, appreciating C.S. Peirce, traditions as the currents of coherent innovation, differentiation within unity, relevance realization, discrete vs continuous time, Searle's analogy between digestion & consciousness, the problem of consciousness arising from non-consciousness, inanimacy as the limit case of animacy, Edelman's idea of primary consciousness, whether intelligence can exist without consciousness, integrative information theory, ontology of values, and much more. Episode Transcript JRS EP143 - John Vervaeke Part 1: Awakening from the Meaning Crisis JRS EP106 - Michael Strevens on the Irrational History of Science Game-B.org The Origins of Order: Self-Organization and Selection in Evolution, by Stuart Kauffman Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb JRS EP5 Lee Smolin – Quantum Foundations and Einstein’s Unfinished Revolution Primary consciousness (Wikipedia) JRS EP105 - Christof Koch on Consciousness A Cooperative Species: Human Reciprocity and Its Evolution by Samuel Bowles, by Herbert Gintis Iain McGilchrist is a former Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, an associate Fellow of Green Templeton College, Oxford, a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Consultant Emeritus of the Bethlem and Maudsley Hospital, London, a former research Fellow in Neuroimaging at Johns Hopkins University Medical School, Baltimore, and a former Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Stellenbosch. He now lives on the Isle of Skye, off the coast of North West Scotland, where he continues to write, and lectures worldwide. He is committed to the idea that the mind and brain can be understood only by seeing them in the broadest possible context, that of the whole of our physical and spiritual existence, and of the wider human culture in which they arise – the culture which helps to mould, and in turn is moulded by, our minds and brains.

Neuroscientist and Philosopher Iain McGilchrist discusses the nature of the mind and brain, exploring their relevance to modern life. They explore hemisphere differences, the limits of language, the importance of relationships and context, and the implications of left and right brain hemispheres on attention and morality. The discussion also touches on tick-box assessments, evaluating art, and the potential impact of spreading information through conversations.

Experts Alan Noble, Elizabeth Oldfield, and Iain McGilchrist discuss the impact of determinism on mental health and the emergence of a 'meaning crisis'. The passing of atheist philosopher Daniel Dennett sparks new openness to God, with seekers like Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Russell Brand exploring faith. Tech pioneer Jordan Hall shares his unexpected solution to the meta-crisis.

Iain McGilchrist, a renowned psychiatrist and philosopher, joins Mark Vernon to discuss the profound insights of William Blake, whom McGilchrist praises as an exceptionally insightful poet. They dive into Blake's vision of imagination, highlighting quotes like 'To the eyes of the man of imagination, nature is imagination itself.' The conversation explores the tensions of modern life, architecture, and even the implications of AI, advocating for a deeper, collective imagination as a vital force in understanding our existence and nurturing our faith in life's goodness.