The Giants Shoulder

James Glattfelder is a physicist and complexity theorist turned philosopher of mind and reality, and author of The Sapient Cosmos — a provocative attempt to rethink the universe as fundamentally conscious and informational.Forget what you think you know about space, time, matter, or even consciousness. Glattfelder believes that reality isn’t built from particles, but from information — and that consciousness might not emerge from brains, but be the very substrate of the cosmos itself.Expect to learn what information really is and why it might be more fundamental than matter, how quantum field theory dismantles our intuitions about physical reality, why space and time might be illusions, how Integrated Information Theory bridges consciousness and physics, whether psychedelics are revealing a deeper layer of reality or just distorting it, how idealism offers an alternative to materialism, what syncretic idealism actually means, and why the hard problem of consciousness might only be hard because we’re asking the wrong questions.This is an episode for anyone who’s ever wondered whether the universe might be thinking — and whether we’re just the thoughts.Timestamps: 03:11 Exploring Consciousness: The Fundamental Question06:10 The Shift in Scientific Perspectives on Consciousness09:07 Idealism vs. Physicalism: A Philosophical Debate12:10 Cultural Influences on Beliefs about Consciousness14:56 The Role of Psychedelics in Understanding Consciousness18:12 Agency and Free Will: The Biological Perspective21:02 The Intersection of Religion and Idealism24:04 Meaning and Purpose: Idealism vs. Nihilism27:17 The Nature of Reality: Bridging Science and Philosophy30:02 The Emergence of Consciousness: A Biological Framework33:06 Challenges in Understanding Consciousness36:13 Expanding Knowledge: Beyond Rational Understanding42:22 Exploring Consciousness Beyond Biology43:52 The Cosmic Play: Understanding Consciousness47:08 Information as the Foundation of Reality48:56 The Nature of Information in Physics55:53 Quantum Mechanics and the Observer Effect01:00:15 The Illusion of Objective Reality01:04:42 Understanding the Observer Effect in Quantum Mechanics01:09:49 The Resistance to New Ideas in Science01:14:52 The Dunning-Kruger Effect and Knowledge01:16:10 Are Quantum Fields Conscious?01:17:07 Exploring the Philosophy of Psychedelics01:20:02 The Impact of Psychedelics on Ego and Consciousness01:22:45 Metaphysical Beliefs and Their Influence on Perception01:28:01 Telepathy and Collective Intelligence01:33:15 The Nature of Life and Consciousness01:38:53 Transforming Consciousness and Societal Values...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGInformation—Consciousness—Reality: How a New Understanding of the Universe Can Help Answer Age-Old Questions of Existence: https://amzn.to/4exvmc3The Sapient Cosmos: What a modern-day synthesis of science and philosophy teaches us about the emergence of information, consciousness, and meaning: https://amzn.to/4ezGUvt…_Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249_Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )[Brain.FM](http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)[Consensus.AI](http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)

Dr. Mark Williams is a cognitive neuroscientist, author of The Connected Species, and one of the world’s leading experts on how we learn, connect, and perceive reality — and why modern life may be rewiring our brains in ways we don’t fully understand.Your brain is not showing you the world as it is — it’s hallucinating a version that helps you survive. And that illusion is breaking down. Especially for children.Expect to learn why reality itself is a convincing hallucination created by your brain, how technology is disrupting emotional development and attention in kids, why screen time is linked to lower empathy and memory, how facial expressions are learned (and what happens when they aren’t), why multitasking ruins learning, how AI could both help and harm education, why sleep is critical for memory, why writing is better than typing, and how to reimagine schools based on what the brain actually needs.Plus — the incredible story of how Dr. Williams went from high-school dropout to MIT neuroscientist, and what it taught him about human potential.Timestamps:00:02:55 The Illusion of Reality: How Our Brain Constructs Perception00:09:26 Mark Williams: A Journey from Struggles to Neuroscience00:16:46 Reimagining Education: Connection Over Curriculum00:20:58 The Role of AI in Education: Opportunities and Challenges00:29:45 Neuroscience Insights: Learning, Memory, and Effective Education00:36:16 The Role of Ancillary Learning in Neuroscience00:37:25 Effective Learning Strategies and Common Mistakes00:40:29 The Impact of AI on Learning00:42:47 Engagement vs. Entertainment in Education00:42:58 The Distraction of Mobile Devices in Classrooms00:45:52 The Importance of Handwriting and Note-Taking00:48:25 The Value of Effort in Learning00:51:05 Teaching Neuroscience to Educators00:54:51 The Importance of Social Interaction for Learning00:57:06 Attention Spans and Mental Health Concerns01:02:21 The Loneliness Epidemic Among Youth01:03:39 Applying Neuroscience to Daily Life...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGThe Connected Species: How the Evolution of the Human Brain Can Save the World: https://amzn.to/44gSTcv…_Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249_Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )[Brain.FM](http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)[Consensus.AI](http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)

Peter Godfrey-Smith is a philosopher of biology, diver, and author of Other Minds and Metazoa — two of the most important works on animal consciousness ever written. His research explores the octopus not just as an animal, but as an alien intelligence that evolved a complex mind entirely separate from our own.Octopuses have distributed brains in their arms, no cultural learning, no social lives — and yet they solve problems, play, and even throw objects in rage. They live just 1 to 2 years, mate once, and die — raising a profound question: why would evolution build a mind this sophisticated, only to delete it almost immediately?Expect to learn why octopus intelligence forces us to rethink consciousness, how their nervous system creates agency without central control, what their bizarre lifespan reveals about the trade-offs of intelligence, why cultural learning might not be necessary for sentience, whether octopuses might dream, and what this means for how subjective experience evolved on Earth. You'll also learn how consciousness may have emerged from sensory integration, how language reshaped the human mind, why inner speech might be the key to unified awareness, whether arms can think, if AI can ever feel — and why octopuses might be the only creatures smart enough to understand what they are, but not live long enough to tell us.Timestamps:03:25 The Puzzling Lifespan of Octopuses06:26 Evolutionary Strategies and Reproductive Behavior09:24 Intelligence and Learning in Octopuses12:15 Exploratory Behavior and Individual Learning15:38 Social Interactions and Octopus Communities18:36 Diving Adventures and Empathy for Octopuses21:12 The Nervous System of the Octopus24:23 Consciousness and Subjective Experience in Octopuses45:22 Exploring Subjectivity in Non-Human Animals48:16 The Role of Nervous Systems in Consciousness53:51 The Evolution of Subjectivity59:32 Language as a Transformative Tool01:03:56 The Complexity of Human Consciousness01:12:47 Challenges in Consciousness Research01:17:39 Ethics in Neuroscience Research...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGOther Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness: https://amzn.to/466QILhMetazoa: Animal Life and the Birth of the Mind: https://amzn.to/3SXBSiDLiving on Earth: Forests, Corals, Consciousness, and the Making of the World: https://amzn.to/3T2QMUJTheory and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science, Second Edition: https://amzn.to/3SZpiPK…_Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249_Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM(http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI(http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)

Professor David Nutt is the neuro­psychopharmacologist who built the world’s first science-based drug-harm scale, led the pioneering LSD brain-scan, and lost his post as the UK government’s chief drug adviser after declaring that alcohol is deadlier than LSD. He’s the author of Drugs Without the Hot Air, Drink, Cannabis, and Psychedelics, and he’s now engineering a hangover-free alternative to booze.Drug policy isn’t broken by accident—it’s broken by design. From kids denied life-saving cannabis to a global war on psychedelics that stalled mental-health breakthroughs for half a century, Professor Nutt reveals how politics trumped evidence, how psychedelic science is staging a comeback, and why the next revolution in public health might be an alcohol you can enjoy without poisoning your liver.Expect to learn why alcohol tops the real league table of harm, how the famous drug-harm chart was built (and banned), what happened inside the MRI during the first LSD scan, the truth about cannabis and schizophrenia, how MDMA treats PTSD and ketamine tackles addiction, why prohibition breeds deadlier drugs like fentanyl, how hangover-free “Alcarelle” targets GABA without the toxic fallout, the regulatory red tape still strangling psychedelic research, practical advice for safer drug policy, and much more.Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:35 The Truth About Drugs: A Controversial Revelation05:32 The Political Landscape of Drug Policy08:23 The Evidence vs. Beliefs: A Scientific Approach11:36 The Role of Alcohol in Drug Policy14:32 The Impact of Political Decisions on Drug Legislation17:27 The Historical Context of Drug Bans20:34 The Case of Medical Cannabis: A Heartbreaking Story30:59 The Politics of Cannabis Legislation33:06 Medical Cannabis: A Health Scandal36:25 The Role of Medical Professionals38:35 Neuroscience and Cannabis: Risks and Benefits42:36 The Consequences of Drug Prohibition50:47 Successful Drug Policies: Lessons from Portugal55:38 The Case for Recreational Cannabis Legalization…📚 RECOMMENDED READINGBuy Nutt's Books Drink?: The New Science of Alcohol and Your Health: https://amzn.to/4dZTP9ZPsychedelics: The Revolutionary Drugs That Could Change Your Life―A Guide from the Expert: https://amzn.to/3SJXAX6Drugs without the hot air: Making sense of legal and illegal drugs: https://amzn.to/4kyu7eSCannabis (Seeing Through the Smoke): The New Science of Cannabis and Your Health: https://amzn.to/3FOiLo2..._Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249..._Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM(http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI(http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)...

Dr. David Hone is a paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and author of How Fast Did T. rex Run?, a myth-busting investigation into the surprising behavior, intelligence, and complexity of dinosaurs.Forget the lumbering monsters of Jurassic Park — dinosaurs were social, strategic, and sometimes even spectacularly weird. From display structures and pack hunting to nesting behaviour and brain evolution, Dr. Hone’s work reveals the dynamic lives these creatures once lived.Expect to learn why T. rex might not have been the top predator we imagine, how dinosaurs used feathers and horns to flirt rather than fight, whether some species cared for their young, what fossils can really tell us about intelligence, what Netflix’s Life on Our Planet got wrong and why de-extinction efforts like those by Colossal Biosciences may be based on misleading science — plus much more.Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:23 The Journey into Paleontology 03:39 A Day in the Life of a Reader in Zoology 05:20 Motivations Behind Writing on Dinosaur Behavior 06:06 Understanding Dinosaur Behavior: Methods and Evidence 10:05 The Public Perception vs. Scientific Reality 11:27 Group Behaviour in Dinosaurs: Myths and Facts 12:38 Reliability of Current Knowledge on Dinosaur Behavior 20:13 Learning from Modern Animals 26:37 Lifespan and Mortality of Dinosaurs 36:08 Common Misconceptions About Dinosaurs 38:32 The Evolution of Dinosaur Representation in Media 41:16 Groundbreaking Discoveries in Paleontology 45:15 The Role of AI in Paleontological Research 58:43 The Quest for Dinosaur DNA and Soft Tissue 01:08:04 Taxonomy and the Ethics of De-Extinction 01:13:36 Defining Species and Genetic Manipulation 01:16:12 The Ethics of De-extinction 01:18:58 The Tasmanian Tiger: A Case for De-extinction? 01:21:06 The Role of Venture Capital in Genetic Projects 01:23:43 Media Representation of Scientific Advances 01:25:30 Dinosaur Recreation in Media: Accuracy vs. Entertainment 01:37:37 Understanding Animal Behaviour and Rituals 01:45:07 The Future of Paleontology and Technological Advances 01:53:07 The Value of Paleontology in Society and Science ...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGUncovering Dinosaur Behavior: What They Did and How We Know: https://amzn.to/4kU3a5GThe Tyrannosaur Chronicles: The Biology of the Tyrant Dinosaurs: https://amzn.to/4k0Ph4yHow Fast Did T. rex Run?: Unsolved Questions from the Frontiers of Dinosaur Science: https://amzn.to/3T0guJu…_Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder _Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249_Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL Brain.FM(http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work. 30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulderConsensus.AI(http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)

Erica Komisar is a psychoanalyst, clinical social worker, and author of Chicken Little, The Sky Isn’t Falling, a fiercely debated book about raising resilient adolescents in an anxious world.With over three decades of clinical experience, Erica argues that the roots of childhood mental illness—depression, anxiety, even ADHD—can be traced back to emotional stress in the earliest years of life, especially when children are deprived of consistent, attuned caregiving. And yes, that means daycare is in the firing line.Expect to learn why Erica believes ADHD is not a disorder but a stress response, how early separation affects a child’s ability to regulate emotions, the neuroscience of attachment and the mother-infant bond, how economic realities clash with developmental needs, what Erica thinks most studies on daycare get wrong, how fathers and same-sex couples fit into the attachment equation, why many modern parenting myths are dangerous, and much more. Correction: I state in the guest intro that Erica is a doctor, this is an error. Erica Komisar is not a PhD, MD or doctor of any kind. My mistake.Timestamps:00:0002:50 Myths of Parenting08:47 The Role of the Primary Attachment Figure14:59 Consequences of Distributed Attachment20:50 Economic Realities and Parenting Choices22:51 The Dangers of Daycare28:52 Understanding ADHD and Stress Responses30:15 The Genetic Debate on ADHD32:09 Sensitive Children and Environmental Impact34:38 Daycare: The Controversial Effects37:32 Alternatives to Daycare40:45 Community Solutions for Childcare51:30 The Role of Parents in Same-Sex Partnerships…📚 RECOMMENDED READINGChicken Little, The Sky Isn’t Falling: https://amzn.to/4dvh8YX_Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249_Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM(http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI(http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)

Dr. Anina Rich is a cognitive neuroscientist and one of the world’s foremost experts on synesthesia — the rare phenomenon where senses merge, allowing people to see music, taste shapes, or feel touch by sight alone.But synesthesia isn’t a neurological glitch — it’s a window into how all of our brains construct reality.In this conversation, we explore how synesthesia reveals the brain’s hidden architecture: how we fuse the senses, how attention shapes perception, and why reality itself might just be a controlled hallucination.Expect to learn what it’s like to taste triangles, why some people feel physical pain when watching someone else get hurt, whether psychedelics can trigger temporary synesthesia, the strange science of sound-color associations, how the brain decides what to notice (and what to ignore), what synesthesia tells us about consciousness, why your brain doesn’t just perceive the world but predicts it, and how understanding this might make us more compassionate, focused, and self-aware.This is one of the most mind-bending explorations of perception and consciousness ever recorded.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:56 Exploring Reality and Perception 03:57 Understanding Synesthesia 12:54 The Subjectivity of Experience 14:44 The Complexity of Conscious Experience 18:00 Developmental Theories of Synesthesia 22:17 Personal Experiences and Synesthetic Associations 30:30 Common Patterns in Synesthetic Experiences 30:36 Exploring Synesthesia and Its Mechanisms 31:56 Brain Connectivity and Synesthetic Experiences 33:44 Innovative Research Methods in Synesthesia 38:58 Understanding Perception Through Synesthesia 42:56 Implications of Synesthesia on Consciousness 47:42 Attention and Its Role in Perception 52:53 Synesthesia and Psychedelics 56:00 Creativity and Synesthesia 57:52 The Subjectivity of Conscious Experience 01:00:05 Future Directions in Synesthesia Research..._Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249_Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)

Dr. Nicholas Fabiano is a psychiatrist, researcher, and rising star in the world of mental health who’s challenging the foundations of how we diagnose and treat mental illness.He believes depression isn’t just in your head — it’s in your whole body. From prescribing exercise as medicine to exploring the role of creatine in mood and cognition, Dr. Fabiano is pioneering a new, evidence-based psychiatry that breaks free from outdated diagnostic boxes and recognizes the deep connection between mental and physical health.Expect to learn why the DSM fails to capture the complexity of depression, how exercise can match or exceed the effects of antidepressants, what creatine actually does in the brain, whether it could work as a standalone treatment, how psychiatry can benefit from AI and wearable data, why gait speed might predict IQ, whether cats really increase your risk of schizophrenia, and what it means to treat a person — not a label.Plus, we dissect Dr. Fabiano’s most viral science threads, viewed by millions, and end with one big question:Could creatine save your personality?Timestamps:00:02:08 The Interconnection of Mental and Physical Health00:04:59 Redefining Diagnostic Criteria in Mental Health00:08:12 Challenges in Integrating Mental and Physical Health00:11:15 The Role of AI in Diagnostics and Treatment00:14:10 The Future of Prophylactic Care and Wearable Technology00:17:08 The Importance of Exercise in Mental Health Treatment00:31:09 The Importance of Proper Exercise Prescription00:34:17 Reframing Exercise for Mental Health00:40:23 Understanding the FIT Principle for Exercise00:48:09 Creatine: A New Frontier in Mental Health00:57:46 The Case for Universal Creatine Supplementation01:00:06 Creatine and Sleep Deprivation01:02:08 Creatine's Mechanism in Cognitive Function01:04:06 Creatine and Depression: Exploring the Connection01:05:57 Dietary Creatine and Mental Health01:08:10 Forms of Creatine: What You Need to Know01:10:04 Dosage and Timing of Creatine Supplementation01:12:05 Creatine and Bipolar Disorder: A Cautionary Tale01:14:03 Creatine's Role in Schizophrenia01:18:15 Caffeine and Creatine: The Interaction01:20:05 Exercise, Creatine, and Depression01:22:04 Future Research Directions for Creatine01:23:56 Creatine for Vegetarians and Vegans01:29:47 Exploring the Efficacy of Creatine01:30:14 Neuroscientific Insights on Emotional Bonds01:32:28 Dietary Impacts on Brain Cancer Survival Rates01:36:07 The Ketogenic Diet and Mental Health Applications01:39:18 The Connection Between Pet Ownership and Mental Health01:42:22 Coffee's Role in Aging and Cognitive Function01:45:29 Daytime Napping and Brain Volume01:47:55 Dog Ownership, Physical Activity, and Dementia Risk01:49:57 Walking Speed as a Proxy for Cognitive Function..._Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249_Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet. Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL Brain.FM](http://brain.fm/): Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI (http://consensus.ai/): AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)Follow Dr Fabiano on X (He Posts Awesome Content) : https://x.com/NTFabianoCreatine as a treatment for depression: A brain bioenergetics perspective - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40215588/

Dr. Chris Summerfield, a leading neuroscientist and cognitive scientist from Oxford University, discusses groundbreaking ideas about intelligence in humans and machines. He explains how our brains might simply autocomplete reality and how AI is starting to mimic human thought through prediction. Topics include the intriguing notion that large language models can produce meaning without understanding and the potential of AI systems developing agency. Summerfield also highlights how insights from AI technology could deepen our understanding of our own minds.

Tom Ebeyer is the founder of the Aphantasia Network, the world’s largest organisation dedicated to understanding the invisible differences in how people experience mental imagery — or in some cases, don’t experience it at all.Aphantasia is the inability to visualise images in the mind’s eye — a condition that affects how we remember, dream, feel emotion, and even plan for the future. Most people who have it don’t even realise it.Expect to learn how Tom discovered he couldn’t picture anything in his head, how aphantasia can protect people from PTSD, why some artists and scientists thrive without mental imagery, how memories and dreams are fundamentally different in people with aphantasia, why it might make you a better thinker, how it shapes creativity, attention, and emotion, what’s actually happening in the brain — and why most people have no idea what their own inner experience is really like.Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:55 Understanding Aphantasia: The Basics04:59 The Spectrum of Consciousness07:52 Mental Health and Aphantasia10:48 Coping with Aphantasia13:57 Memory and Aphantasia16:55 The Creative Process19:51 The Impact of Labels22:53 Dreams and Inner Experience25:43 Diversity of Conscious Experience42:42 Exploring Inner Experiences and Prosopagnosia45:40 Attention and Sensory Awareness50:23 Understanding Aphantasia and Brain Activity54:03 Current Research and Future Directions in Aphantasia58:26 The Mission of the Aphantasia Network01:02:15 Training and Adapting to Aphantasia01:07:03 Navigating Life with Aphantasia01:12:15 The Future of Aphantasia Research01:19:30 Advice for Those Discovering Aphantasia..._Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)_Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder Consensus.AI: AI Powered Research (Use Code THEGIANTSSHOULDER for 1 Year Free Premium Sub)_Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder_Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249