Mark Solms

Neuroscientist Mark Solms explores why consciousness may begin deep in the brain, not in the cortex. He discusses Jaak Panksepp’s research on emotion, dreams and brain injury, and how Karl Friston’s ideas connect feeling with cognition. The conversation also considers what these theories mean for animal consciousness and the future of neuroscience.

Mark Solms, a pioneering neuropsychologist and psychoanalyst, is joined by John Dall'Aglio, a PhD candidate specializing in Lacanian psychoanalysis. They dive into Freud's shift from neuroscience and how new methods revive his vision. John shares his journey merging neuroscience with Lacanian concepts, while Mark explains the nuances of jouissance and symptom ownership. They also discuss the effects of medication on emotions and present a neuropsychoanalytic perspective on psychosis, offering a fresh take on the relationship between neuroscience and psychology.

Embark on a profound exploration of consciousness with neuroscientists Mark Solms and Anil Seth, psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist, and cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman. They discuss consciousness emergence, the brain as a predictive engine, perception, time, emotions, the interplay between matter and consciousness, creativity, resistance, and the deep connections between life, intelligence, and consciousness.

Neuropsychologist Mark Solms, pioneer of neuropsychoanalysis, unveils an artificial agent built with needs, feelings, and a drive to survive. Philosopher Marcus Arvan, a specialist in mind and morality, argues digital machines can never truly feel, while living neurons learn to play Doom. The conversation explores consciousness tests, homeostasis, embodiment, panpsychism, analog experience, and whether quantum computers could cross the divide.

Anil Seth, a neuroscientist renowned for his work on perception, dives into how our brains rely on predictions to shape reality. Michael Levin shares his radical views on cognition in simple systems and the potential for synthetic life to possess awareness. Peter Godfrey-Smith explores the evolution of agency and why nervous systems are critical for subjective experience. Nick Lane connects metabolism and bioelectricity to feelings, even suggesting bacteria might experience basic emotions. Mark Solms emphasizes that raw feelings form the heart of consciousness, driven by brainstem systems.

Mark Solms, a pioneering neuropsychologist and neuropsychoanalyst, traces his lifelong fascination with consciousness back to a childhood brain injury. He explores dreaming, desire, and the ancient brain systems behind feeling. Can intelligence exist without awareness? Why doesn’t AI blackmail prove it wants anything? Solms also considers how to build artificial consciousness, and the ethical risks of creating a mind that can suffer.

Mark Solms, a pioneering neuropsychologist, and Karl Friston, a leading neuroscientist, dive deep into the nature of consciousness and artificial intelligence. They discuss the complexities of defining consciousness and its relationship to intelligence, arguing that machine awareness poses ethical dilemmas. The duo explores whether artificial systems can achieve genuine feelings and subjective experiences, emphasizing that true understanding cannot be merely mimicked. Their insights offer a profound perspective on the future of sentience and the potential for engineering artificial consciousness.

In this thought-provoking discussion, guests Karl Friston, a leading theoretical neuroscientist, Mark Solms, a neuropsychoanalyst, Thomas Pollak, a neuropsychiatrist, and Chris Fields, a cognition researcher, dive into the nuances of introspection. They explore the balance between fast subconscious metacognition and slower, deliberate reflection. Topics include the importance of emotional foundations in consciousness, the risks of AI therapy, and how modifying preferences can lead to therapeutic change. The conversation also touches on regenerative biology and the implications of psychedelics for enhancing cognitive flexibility.

Mark Solms, a renowned neuroscientist and psychoanalyst, challenges traditional consciousness theories by highlighting the brainstem's role in generating subjective experience. He discusses how decorticated animals provide evidence for consciousness beyond the cortex and critiques the limitations of behaviorism in understanding mental states. The conversation also delves into affect-based theories potentially impacting AI development, the SEEKING system's significance in exploration, and the philosophical implications of consciousness, emphasizing the importance of emotional experiences in defining our cognitive realities.

Mark Solms, neuropsychologist and psychoanalyst who bridges neuroscience and Freud, discusses translating Freud and updating his ideas with modern brain science. He talks about drives as embodied demands, links between prediction, memory and wish, Luria’s neuropsychology, and why psychotherapy can offer lasting change compared with symptomatic treatments.