Mind-Body Solution

What really goes on in our inner lives? Do we all think in words, narrating our experience with a constant "inner voice"? Or is that just a myth of the mind?In this conversation, Dr Tevin Naidu speaks with Professor Russell Hurlburt, pioneer of the Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES) method, a groundbreaking approach to studying inner experience using random beepers and in-depth interviews. Hurlburt challenges our assumptions about consciousness, showing that what people think their minds are like often doesn’t match reality.About Russell Hurlburt:Professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Originator of the Descriptive Experience Sampling method, and author of six books on inner experience. He has studied everyday and clinical populations alike, from adolescents to patients with schizophrenia, anxiety, and bulimia.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Intro & Inner Experience: Who is Russell Hurlburt and why inner experience matters03:02 Consciousness vs Mind: Why Russ avoids strict definitions and focuses on lived experience05:34 Inventing the Beeper (1973): Origins of Descriptive Experience Sampling (DES)07:41 From Questionnaires to DES: Why self-report methods failed and random sampling was needed10:03 Intellectual Roots of DES: Phenomenology, eyewitness memory, and psychology’s blind spots16:52 Skinner & Radical Behaviorism: Agreements, divergences, and the reality of private events18:20 How DES Works: Random beeps, sampling, and expositional interviews explained21:01 Inside the Method: What participants do during a DES study and how data is collected23:32 Iterative Interviewing: Correcting armchair reports and improving experiential fidelity30:18 Engineering Mind Meets Psychology: Why random sampling reveals hidden mental processes33:48 Biggest Surprises from DES: Counterintuitive discoveries about everyday inner experience36:16 Inner Speech is Rare: Why inner monologue is less common than most assume42:01 Phenomenology of Inner Speech: Full sentences, missing words, voices, and spatial location49:44 Clinical Relevance: How DES challenges psychiatric categories like DSM and ICD54:44 Schizophrenia & Splattered Perception: Figure/ground breakdowns in inner experience58:10 Inner Seeing vs. Mental Images: The difference between "seeing" and mere imagery1:02:26 The Problem of the Self: Why defining the self is philosophically problematic1:37:28 Future Directions in DES: AI, methodology, and a fidelity-based science of mind1:53:45 Malleability of Inner Experience: Case studies (Fran, Mel) and closing reflectionsEPISODE LINKS:- Russell's Website: https://hurlburt.faculty.unlv.edu//- Russell's DES interviews: https://hurlburt.faculty.unlv.edu/ieo/ieo.html- Russell's Books: https://hurlburt.faculty.unlv.edu//sampling.html#books - Exploring Inner Experience: https://hurlburt.faculty.unlv.edu//sampling.htmlCONNECT:- Website: https://tevinnaidu.com - Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/mindbodysolution- YouTube: https://youtube.com/mindbodysolution- Twitter: https://twitter.com/drtevinnaidu- Facebook: https://facebook.com/drtevinnaidu - Instagram: https://instagram.com/drtevinnaidu- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drtevinnaidu=============================Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel is for educational purposes only. The content is shared in the spirit of open discourse and does not constitute, nor does it substitute, professional or medical advice. We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of listening/watching any of our contents. You acknowledge that you use the information provided at your own risk. Listeners/viewers are advised to conduct their own research and consult with their own experts in the respective fields.

Robert Prentner, a philosopher and founder of the Interface Consciousness Lab, dives deep into the intersection of consciousness, phenomenology, and mathematics. He explores how phenomenology can be formalized without losing its essence and argues that consciousness is fundamental, transcending physicalism. Prentner discusses the risks of reductionism in mathematical approaches and introduces concepts like phenomenal spaces and artificial phenomenology. He highlights the importance of understanding interfaces not just in behavior but in how systems experience and present reality.

In this episode of Mind-Body Solution, Dr Tevin Naidu speaks with Dr Ruth Kastner, physicist and philosopher, about her groundbreaking Possibilist Transactional Formulation (PTF) of quantum theory. Kastner argues that quantum mechanics reveals a deeper realm of ontic possibilities, beyond spacetime, where transactions between emitters and absorbers give rise to the physical world we observe.This conversation bridges physics, philosophy, and metaphysics, offering a radical yet rigorous vision of reality as fundamentally processual, relational, and deeply mysterious. Dr Ruth Kastner earned her M.S. in Physics and Ph.D. in History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Maryland.TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) - Introduction & Ruth Kastner's journey into quantum foundations(00:24) - Why quantum paradoxes grabbed her: entanglement, EPR & the measurement problem(03:04) - History, philosophy & foundations: why historical context matters for physics(04:11 )- Discovering the Transactional Formulation: Kramer, Wheeler-Feynman & absorber theory roots(09:36) - The Transactional Formulation explained: emitters, absorbers, offers & confirmations(11:06) - Time-symmetric direct-action theory & the role of virtual photons(13:16) - Absorber response and the ‘handshake’: how transactions actualize energy transfer(17:47) - The Born Rule: why PTF gives a physical explanation for quantum probabilities(20:27) - Possibilist metaphysics: wavefunctions as ontic possibilities in Hilbert space(24:10) - Iceberg metaphor: spacetime as the measurable "tip" of quantum reality(26:24) - Objective reduction & von Neumann's "process 1" in the transactional picture(27:03) - Maudlin's critique & replies: causal loops, relativistic formulation & objections answered(31:19) - Retrocausality clarified: what retrocausation does and doesn’t mean in PTF(34:51) - Emergent spacetime from transactions: emission/absorption events & Einstein equations(43:54) - Consciousness & quantum theory: why mind is not a measurement "band-aid"(46:52) - The mind-body problem reframed: monism, receptivity & quantum possibilities(49:35) - Time symmetry, indeterminacy & free will: where physics leaves room for choice(52:15) - Yoga, receptivity & embodiment: contemplative practice informing Kastner’s thinking(58:14) - Cosmology & empirical prospects: dark matter, dark energy & testable predictions(1:03:51) - Further reading & resources: books, papers & the Possibilist Transactional Formulation EPISODE LINKS:- Ruth's Website: https://www.ruthekastner.org/- Ruth's Academic Blog: https://transactionalinterpretation.org/- Ruth's Publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=eCEoqOcAAAAJ&hl=en- Ruth's Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ruth-E.-Kastner/author/B008HTAV4G?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=trueCONNECT:- Website: https://tevinnaidu.com - Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/mindbodysolution- YouTube: https://youtube.com/mindbodysolution- Twitter: https://twitter.com/drtevinnaidu- Facebook: https://facebook.com/drtevinnaidu - Instagram: https://instagram.com/drtevinnaidu- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drtevinnaidu=============================Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel is for educational purposes only. The content is shared in the spirit of open discourse and does not constitute, nor does it substitute, professional or medical advice. We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of listening/watching any of our contents. You acknowledge that you use the information provided at your own risk. Listeners/viewers are advised to conduct their own research and consult with their own experts in the respective fields.

In a fascinating conversation, Daniela Schiller, a leading neuroscientist and director of the Laboratory of Affective Neuroscience at Mount Sinai, delves into the malleability of memory and emotion. She discusses how fear memories form in the brain and the flexibility of emotional responses, emphasizing that our experiences are not hardwired. Schiller highlights ethical concerns around modifying traumatic memories and introduces the concept of the Human Affectome. The discussion also spans consciousness, social navigation, and the integration of neuroscience with philosophy.

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.

Dr Azra Raza is a Professor of Medicine, Clinical Director of the Evans Foundation MDS Center, and Executive Director of The First Cell Coalition for Cancer Survivors at Columbia University in New York. She is the best-selling author of "The First Cell: And the human costs of pursuing cancer to the last". She started her research in Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS) in 1982 and moved to Rush University, Chicago, Illinois in 1992, where she was the Charles Arthur Weaver Professor in Oncology and Director, Division of Myeloid Diseases. The MDS Program, along with a Tissue Repository containing more than 50,000 samples from MDS and acute leukemia patients was successfully relocated to the University of Massachusetts in 2004 and to Columbia University in 2010. Before moving to New York, Dr Raza was the Chief of Hematology Oncology and the Gladys Smith Martin Professor of Oncology at the University of Massachusetts in Worcester. She has published the results of her laboratory research and clinical trials in prestigious, peer-reviewed journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine, Nature, Blood, Cancer, Cancer Research, the British Journal of Hematology, Leukemia, and Leukemia Research. Dr Raza serves on numerous national and international panels as a reviewer, consultant, and advisor and is the recipient of a number of awards.TIMESTAMPS:(0:00) - Introduction (0:50) - The First Cell: and the human costs of pursuing cancer to the last(4:10) - Defining Cancer(7:50) - A Cancer Paradigm Shift: Finding the First Cell(11:16) - "The Cure for Cancer"(19:05) - Azra's Journey, Development & Reception(24:40) - Hope, Honesty & Harm in a Clinical Setting(33:00) - Current Medical Politics vs Revolutionary Detections/Treatments(39:00) - Increasing Lifespan & Healthspan(43:01) - "Michael Levin Should Win The Nobel Prize!"(51:00) - A Good Life & a Good Death(56:00) - How Words distort our relationship with Disease(1:00:00) - How Disease & Death Shape Our Lives(1:05:40) - The First Cell Book(1:09:15) - A Better Healthcare System(1:12:27) - Conclusion EPISODE LINKS:- Azra's Website: https://azraraza.com- Azra's Books: https://azraraza.com/books- Azra's X: https://x.com/AzraRazaMD- Azra's YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@AzraRazaMDCONNECT:- Website: https://tevinnaidu.com - Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/mindbodysolution- YouTube: https://youtube.com/mindbodysolution- Twitter: https://twitter.com/drtevinnaidu- Facebook: https://facebook.com/drtevinnaidu - Instagram: https://instagram.com/drtevinnaidu- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/drtevinnaidu=============================Disclaimer: The information provided on this channel is for educational purposes only. The content is shared in the spirit of open discourse and does not constitute, nor does it substitute, professional or medical advice. We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred from you acting or not acting as a result of listening/watching any of our contents. You acknowledge that you use the information provided at your own risk. Listeners/viewers are advised to conduct their own research and consult with their own experts in the respective fields.

Join Aaron Sloman, Emeritus Professor of AI and Cognitive Science, as he redefines life through the lens of information rather than just biological processes. He shares insights on animal cognition, emphasizing intelligence that can exist without language. The conversation ventures into the complexities of the mind-body problem and the role of technology in cognitive augmentation. Sloman also questions the deeper purpose of human existence amid modern challenges, urging a multidisciplinary approach to unlock the mysteries of life.

Joined by Josh Bongard, a pioneering Professor of Computer Science at the University of Vermont, the discussion journey dives into the fascinating world of biological robots known as xenobots. Bongard explores how these living machines challenge our understanding of life and consciousness. The conversation also navigates the role of AI in biological development and the ethical dilemmas posed by self-replicating organisms. Listeners will re-evaluate the essence of intelligence and the profound implications of intertwining biology with technology.

Suzanne Gildert, CEO-founder of Nirvanic Consciousness Technologies and a quantum physicist, discusses the cutting-edge intersection of consciousness and AI. She explores defining consciousness and free will, challenging listeners to consider their implications in a deterministic world. Gildert delves into quantum consciousness, advocating for a shift in public perception of conscious AI. With insights on teleological panprotopsychism and the ethical dilemmas of creating conscious systems, she illuminates the complex relationship between technology, spirituality, and our understanding of existence.

Terrence Deacon, a leading figure in evolutionary biology from UC Berkeley, and Michael Levin, a pioneering developmental biologist from Tufts, team up for an enlightening conversation. They explore the origin of life through complex systems, discussing thermodynamics, memory, and the interplay of metabolism and cognition. Insights into the 'lazy gene hypothesis' and the concept of inverse Darwinism spark intriguing thoughts on evolution. The duo also delves into bioelectric patterns in xenobots and the philosophical nuances of purpose, making for a thought-provoking exchange.