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In this episode we continue our series discussing Stan's recent book Have We Lost Our Minds?, exploring the book's themes with neuroscientist and apologist Sharon Dirckx, Ph.D. In this episode, we discuss: In what ways do we talk about the brain doing what persons do?How did Sharon's experience in brain imaging research help her conclude that we are more than just our brains?What is the role of honest and open dialogue in finding truth in this and all other important areas?How does acknowledging the first-person perspective as a way of knowing change the conversation about mind-brain relations?Are there studies in neuroscience that suggest a soul?What are the most compelling objections to holistic dualism from the neuroscientific perspective?How could thinking Christians respond to these objections? Resources mentioned during our conversation:Sharon Dirckx, Am I Just My Brain?Find out more about Dr. Sharon Dirckx's work on her website and through the Oxford Centre for Christian ApologeticsFind out more about Have We Lost Our Minds? Get the introduction to the book for free on the Global Scholars website. A printable group discussion guide can be found here.Thinking Christianly Episode #21: A Case Study in Thinking Christianly and Making a Difference: Edmund HusserlThinking Christianly Episode #22: The Importance of Legacy: More Lessons from the Life of Edmund HusserlPremier Unbelievable?: Iain McGilchrist & Sharon Dirckx • Brain science, consciousness & GodMichael Egnor and Denyse O'Leary, The Immortal Mind: A Neurosurgeon's Case for the Existence of the Soul
What if the way you learn is also the way you heal? In this deep-dive essay, we explore the minds of Temple Grandin and Iain McGilchrist alongside lived experience to challenge outdated ideas of “normal.” From visual thinking to hemispheric integration, we uncover how atypical minds aren't broken—they're bridges to a richer, more complete way of being. Whether you're neurodivergent, a lifelong learner, or just curious about how the brain makes meaning, this is your invitation to think—and feel—differently.
On today's episode I had the pleasure to speak with Alexander Teacher Penelope Easten Penelope has been teaching the Alexander Technique since 1989. She also trained in Reiki, nutrition, and craniosacral therapy. Her book “Twelve Fundamentals of Integrated Movement” offers a theoretical framework of how integrated movement occurs. In this episode we discuss her studies with Margaret Goldie, an original student of F.M Alexander, and what made Miss Goldie such an impressive teacher. We also discuss how Iain McGilchrist's work on the Left & Right brain hemispheres pertains to the Alexander Technique an much morePenelope has a Book Study Club starting in May for her book Twelve Fundamentals of Integrated Movement. Find out more at her website: https://alexandertechniqueinfo.orgTo find our more about Somatic Primer please visit us at:https://Somaticprimer.comhttps://Vidyamethod.comOur Online Learning Platform Somatic Primer on PatreonPlease consider supporting the show with a monthly donation.Support the show
Today we are joined by philosopher Jennifer Nagel for a take-no-prisoners look at universal skepticism—philosophy's greatest deception. We unpack why doubt itself is the ultimate illusion, how knowledge is primitive instant recognition, and what this means for self, free will & consciousness. As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 01:28 The Nature of Knowledge 10:58 Philosophers and the Skeptical Mindset 16:57 Types of Skepticism 22:27 Exploring Knowledge Attribution 29:51 The Illusion of Knowledge 34:16 Knowing Without Knowing 38:10 Writing About Knowledge 46:10 Analyzing Knowledge 55:08 The Gettier Problem and Its Challenges 1:01:10 The Functionality of Knowledge 1:11:23 Collaborative Understanding of Knowledge 2:10:00 Understanding and Consciousness 2:26:32 Truth and Its Nature 2:32:16 Superposition and Contradictions 2:32:19 Conclusion Listen on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyTOE Become a YouTube Member (Early Access Videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join Links Mentioned: - Knowledge: A Very Short Introduction (book): https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-Very-Short-Introduction-Introductions/dp/019966126X - Knowledge and its Limits (book): https://www.amazon.ca/Knowledge-its-Limits-Timothy-Williamson/dp/019925656X - Very Short Introductions (series): https://www.google.com/search?q=a+very+short+introduction+to+series&sca_esv=3da4db664be6b3a1&ei=ypX6Z6flHsDniLMP2v2QkQk&ved=0ahUKEwin8oSB9tKMAxXAM2IAHdo-JJIQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=a+very+short+introduction+to+series&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiI2EgdmVyeSBzaG9ydCBpbnRyb2R1Y3Rpb24gdG8gc2VyaWVzMgUQABiABDILEAAYgAQYhgMYigUyCxAAGIAEGIYDGIoFMgsQABiABBiGAxiKBTIIEAAYogQYiQUyCBAAGIAEGKIEMggQABiABBiiBDIFEAAY7wVIqBRQxAtYwBBwAXgAkAEAmAFZoAGtAqoBATS4AQPIAQD4AQGYAgSgAocCwgIKEAAYsAMY1gQYR8ICDRAuGIAEGLADGEMYigXCAg0QABiABBiwAxhDGIoFwgIPEAAYgAQYQxiKBRhGGPsBwgIbEAAYgAQYQxiKBRhGGPsBGJcFGIwFGN0E2AEBwgIGEAAYBxgemAMAiAYBkAYKugYGCAEQARgTkgcBNKAHph6yBwEzuAf_AQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#wgvs=e - Time: A Very Short Introduction (book): https://www.amazon.ca/Time-Short-Introduction-Jenann-Ismael/dp/0198832664 - Laplace meets Godel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB3tS7j7nNU - Flexible Goals (paper): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/cogs.13195 - The Legend of the Justified True Belief Analysis (paper): https://philpapers.org/archive/DUTTLO-3.pdf - Lay Denial of Knowledge for Justified True Beliefs (paper): https://philpapers.org/archive/NAGLDO - TOE's Consciousness Iceberg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDjnEiys98o - Matt Segal on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeTm4fSXpbM - Curt reads Plato's Cave: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PurNlwnxwfY - David Bentley Hart on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEAgVvW9i10 - Donald Hoffman on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmieNQH7Q4w&t=1s - Iain McGilchrist on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-SgOwc6Pe4&t=6326s&ab_channel=CurtJaimungal - Geoffrey Hinton on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_DUft-BdIE - John Vervaeke on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVj1KYGyesI&t=1s - Wolfgang Smith on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp18_L_y_30 - Polymath's Ai panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abzXzPBW4_s - Donald Hoffman and Philip Goff on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmaIBxkqcT4 - Robert Sapolsky on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0IqA1hYKY8&pp=ygUUY3VydCByb2JlcnQgc2Fwb2xza3k%3D - Curt debunks the “all possible paths” myth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcY3ZtgYis0&t=46s Support TOE on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs #science Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jim talks with Ashley Hodgson about her YouTube series "The New Enlightenment" and its heterodox perspectives on economics and social systems. They discuss Iain McGilchrist's influence & his book "The Matter with Things," economic mythology & its role in upholding the current system, the Bernays era of programmed consumerism, GDP growth myths, destructive growth value, problems with GDP, resource extraction vs other forms of growth, Galbraith's economics, corporate accountability structures, distortions in the information environment, changes in management compensation, the consumer sovereignty myth, the role of the technostructure, manufactured desires vs actual needs, behavioral economics & rationality, problems with "debunking" mindset, the meta-crisis, sense-making challenges, voice & exit rights, coherent pluralism, the "creepy utopia" problem, and much more. Episode Transcript The New Enlightenment (YouTube channel) The Matter with Things, by Iain McGilchrist JRS EP 154 - Iain McGilchrist on The Matter with Things The Economics of Innocent Fraud, by John Kenneth Galbraith The New Industrial State, by John Kenneth Galbraith Debt: The First 5,000 Years, by David Graeber The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power, by Shoshana Zuboff Ashley Hodgson is an economics professor and a YouTuber. Her teaching history includes behavioral economics, health care economics, digital industries, blockchain economics, public health, ageing, and game theory, among other courses. She enjoys co-teaching as a way of fostering interdisciplinary dialogues and has co-taught courses with faculty in anthropology, psychology, statistics, and biology. Hodgson's YouTube channel, The New Enlightenment, looks at paradigm shifts in economics, governance and knowledge systems, and parallels her own research and book writing.
Jordan Hall and I discuss he exploration and reflections about the doctrine of the Trinity. We mention John Vervaeke ( @johnvervaeke ), Jonathan Pageau ( @JonathanPageau ), Paul Vanderklay ( @PaulVanderKlay ), Kale Zelden ( @thekalezelden ), Jim Rutt ( @jimruttshow8596 ), Elizabeth Oldfield ( @thesacredpodcast ), Rod Dreher, Polycarp, Ignatius of Antioch, The Cappadocian Fathers, Jordan Peterson ( @JordanBPeterson ), Forrest Landry, Iain McGilchrist, Immanuel Kant, David Bentley Hart, James Filler, and more. Midwestuary - https://www.midwestuary.com/First convo with Jordan Hall - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkHeudFqPnk
Is it possible to correct your vision to a perfect state merely after meditating?Just the possibility of it sounds fantastic but very true, as Dr. Jacob Israel Liberman shares how a single session of meditation led to 20/20 vision and a far greater awareness of being able to see what's invisible to most people (due to their conditioning) this week on Spirit Gym.Learn more about Jacob's work and consulting services on his website. Find Jacob on social media via Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.Timestamps5:57 “Awareness is curative.”18:21 Despite machines telling Jacob that he had visual impairments, he could see without glasses.26:13 Thoughts, beliefs and ideas we identify as ours are reflected in our biology.29:44 Mindfulness or mindlessness?39:42 “Depth perception is about seeing deeply and that's what my life's work is all about.”48:53 People don't understand that belief means the opposite of truth.58:03 Humans are designed to see the invisible, yet the way we are conditioned blocks our sight.1:07:17 Can you hear well after taking your glasses off?1:20:00 “Knowing is different than thinking.”1:30:43 When the field of vision begins to collapse.1:35:22 “The answers come by themselves.”1:41:17 The power of experiencing something rather than reading about it.1:49:01 In an enlightened state, often, two is becoming one.2:03:39 Jacob's next book: A memoir.2:11:15 Desperation is the absence of inspiration.2:27:57 “What if our life is a prayer?”ResourcesWisdom From an Empty Mind by Jacob Liberman and Erik LibermanLuminous Life: How the Science of Light Unlocks the Art of Living by Jacob Isreal Liberman, with Gina and Erik LibermanTake Off Your Glasses and See: A Mind/Body Approach to Expanding Your Eyesight and Insight by Jacob LibermanLight: Medicine of the Future: How We Can Use It to Heal Ourselves Now by Jacob LibermanThe work of Candace Pert, Iain McGilchrist, Zhuang Zhou and Dr. Daniel SiegelFind more resources for this episode on our website.Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz) by Brave as BearsAll Rights Reserved MusicFit Records 2024Thanks to our awesome sponsors:PaleovalleyBiOptimizers US and BiOptimizers UK PAUL10Organifi CHEK20Wild PasturesCHEK Institute HLC 1 LiveCreating and Living Your Myth online workshop We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.
Jordan Hall and I discuss he exploration and reflections about the doctrine of the Trinity. We mention John Vervaeke ( @johnvervaeke ), Jonathan Pageau ( @JonathanPageau ), Paul Vanderklay ( @PaulVanderKlay ), Kale Zelden ( @thekalezelden ), Jim Rutt ( @jimruttshow8596 ), Elizabeth Oldfield ( @thesacredpodcast ), Rod Dreher, Polycarp, Ignatius of Antioch, The Cappadocian Fathers, Jordan Peterson ( @JordanBPeterson ), Forrest Landry, Iain McGilchrist, Immanuel Kant, David Bentley Hart, James Filler, and more. Midwestuary - https://www.midwestuary.com/First convo with Jordan Hall - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkHeudFqPnk
(Conversation recorded on January 2nd, 2025) When looking at our global challenges, it can be easier to focus on the external factors that could be different. Yet a critical part of creating impactful change is turning the scope of reflection inward towards how our patterns of thinking influence the way we contribute to our surroundings. Is it possible that a path toward a better future begins in our own heads? Today Nate is joined by psychiatrist and neurologist Iain McGilchrist for a deep dive on the implications of western society's over-reliance on analysis and categorization on the quality and expectations of our leadership and governance systems. Iain emphasizes the need for a shift in perspective, advocating for wisdom over power and a deeper understanding of the impact of technology on our values and attention. How can spiritually healthy and aware individuals lead the way towards societal change rooted in wisdom? How can focusing on the well-being of our closest communities create ripple-effects of emergence for broader humanity? Finally, how can embracing wonder and humility throughout our lives – in the face of our scariest challenges – guide us towards a more interconnected and sentient humanity? About Iain McGilchrist: Dr. Iain McGilchrist is a Quondam 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, and former Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Director at the Bethlem Royal & Maudsley Hospital, London. Iain has been a Research Fellow in neuroimaging at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore and a Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Stellenbosch. He has published original articles and research papers in a wide range of publications on topics in literature, philosophy, medicine and psychiatry. Iain is the author of a number of books, but is best-known for The Master and his Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World (2009); and his book on neuroscience, epistemology, and ontology called The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions and the Unmaking of the World (2021). Show Notes and More Watch this video episode on YouTube Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie. --- Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future Join our Substack newsletter Join our Discord channel and connect with other listeners
What if the way our brains have evolved is inhibiting us from seeing reality as it actually is?This is the groundbreaking theory of renowned neuroscientist, psychiatrist and philosopher Dr Iain McGilchrist, whose research on the two hemispheres of the brain and the different ways in which they operate sheds a great deal of light on so many of the problems we find ourselves facing today. Dom visits Iain at his home on the Isle of Skye for this conversation about how the brain works, what reality really is, and the fate of the human race. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Welcome to the complete Iceberg of Consciousness. As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe Join My New Substack (Personal Writings): https://curtjaimungal.substack.com Listen on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyTOE Become a YouTube Member (Early Access Videos): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join --------------------- LAYER 1 01:31 – Introduction to Layer 1 01:38 – What Is Consciousness? 04:20 – The Mind-Body Problem 06:02 – Sleep, Dreams, and Altered States 08:53 – Free Will vs. Determinism 10:58 – The Self and Identity LAYER 2 12:56 – Introduction to Layer 2 13:02 – The Hard Problem of Consciousness 16:59 – Qualia and Phenomenal Consciousness 19:27 – Advaita Vedanta (Non-Dualism) 22:59 – John Vervaeke's Relevance Realization 24:45 – Panpsychism and the Combination Problem 26:58 – Buddhist Consciousness (Yogācāra & Madhyamaka) 29:04 – Global Workspace Theory 31:59 – Carl Jung's Explanation for Consciousness LAYER 3 36:03 – Introduction to Layer 3 36:47 – Heidegger's Concept of Dasein 39:28 – Attention Schema Theory (Michael Graziano) 42:53 – EM-Field Topology & Boundary Problem (Andrés Gómez Emilsson) 46:49 – Joscha Bach's Theory 53:41 – Donald Hoffman's Theory 57:47 – Nir Lahav's Relativistic Consciousness LAYER 4 01:05:46 – Introduction to Layer 4 01:06:25 – Douglas Hofstadter's Strange Loops 01:11:50 – Penrose's Quantum Consciousness 01:16:04 – Christopher Langan's CTMU 01:20:31 – Johnjoe McFadden's CEMI Field Theory 01:24:24 – David Chalmers' Extended Mind Hypothesis 01:29:18 – Iain McGilchrist's Relational Dual-Aspect Monism LAYER 5 01:33:04 – Introduction to Layer 5 01:34:35 – Bernardo Kastrup's Analytic Idealism 01:38:54 – Karl Friston's Enactive Approach / Free Energy Principle 01:42:12 – Alfred North Whitehead's Pan-Experientialism 01:46:56 – Mark Solms' Felt Uncertainty & Affective Theory 01:51:20 – Thomas Metzinger's Minimal Phenomenal Selfhood --------------------- Support TOE on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs #science #consciousness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Do you ever feel like something's off with the way we think as a society? In this episode, we explore the groundbreaking work of Iain McGilchrist, who argues that an imbalance in our brains, favoring the left hemisphere's focus on control, could be leading us down a dangerous path. The discussion delves into how McGilchrist's theories connect with Jungian psychology and the importance of a holistic view of things. Tune in to learn more about this fascinating perspective! Show notes: Books mentioned The Master and His Emissary (McGilchrist) The Matter With Things (McGilchrist) The Dream of the Cosmos: A Quest for the Soul (Anne Baring) Addiction to Perfection: The Still Unravished Bride (Marion Woodman) Podcast episodes mentioned Understanding The Matter with Things Dialogues Episode 28: Ch 28 The sense of the sacred A Revolution in Thought? Lecture by Dr. Ian McGilchrist
In this intimate question and answer session, conducted in March 2024 with the students enrolled in Ralston College's MA in the Humanities, the world-renowned psychiatrist, philosopher, and literary scholar Iain McGilchrist explores topics that animate the collective intellectual life of Ralston's student body. Answering questions that range from the metaphysical heights of theology, liturgy, and religious life to the tangible depths of scientific inquiry and medical progress, Dr McGhilchrist challenges his interlocutors to think deeper about the relationship between mind and matter, science and religion, and, ultimately, humanity and the divine. Authors, Artists, and Works Mentioned in this Episode: Iain McGilchrist, The Matter with Things Albert Einstein Aristotle Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Meister Eckhart John Donne George Herbert Thomas Traherne Rumi Henry Moore Blaise Pascal St. Augustine William Shakespeare, King Lear; The Merchant of Venice; Hamlet; The Tempest Metrodorus of Lampsacus Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling G.W.F. Hegel Alwyn Lishman St. Francis of Assisi Plotinus Thomas Edison St. Gregory of Nyssa Carl Jung Glenn Gould
Is there inherent meaning to the universe, or is it meaningless? Are ethics simply a matter of "matter"—the result of a bunch of firing neurons and the relativistic musings of the mind? Is our current paradigm of what is "true" beginning to be updated? In this episode, we are joined by philosopher and author Zak Stein, who elucidates what it means to acknowledge the “first principles” of the universe—and how failing to do so has led us towards the “meta-crisis” we now face as humanity. Dr. Zachary Stein is a Co-Founder of the Civilization Research Institute and the Center for World Philosophy and Religion. He was trained at the interface of philosophy, psychology, and education and now works in fields related to the mitigation of global catastrophic risk. He is a widely sought-after and award-winning speaker and a leading authority on the future of education and contemporary issues in human development. He is the author of dozens of published papers and books, including Education in a Time Between Worlds. With his colleagues at the Center for World Philosophy and Religion, he helped author their new book, First Principle and First Values: Forty-Two Propositions on CosmoErotic Humanism, the Meta-Crisis, and the World to Come. In this episode, we discuss: -How Zak came to religion and philosophy through music. -The “Meta-crisis” we are currently facing including human-created, existential threats. -Moral relativism versus a worldview that holds first principles/values. -How value is encoded into the universe. -Free will versus determinism. -The myth of the march of progress and the growth of technology as “good.” -How global stress is heightening relativism, separateness, technofeudalism, and moving us closer to a tipping point. -Iain McGilchrist's work on Left and Right hemispheres and how these show up in the collective. -The question of whether society is experiencing a sort of mental illness. -How attention/awareness acts as an organizing force and helps to create more health, interrelation, intimacy, and evolution. -The effects of technology on attention and the manipulation of our attention spans. -The body as a portal to understanding first principles. -Technofeudalism, coercion, manipulation, and social media in our modern world. -The conundrum of whether it is moral to control people for “good” reasons. -Chaos, order, and re-order in the evolution of our society. Check Out/Learn More About Zak's Work: Center for World Philosophy and Religion The Civilization Research Institute Zak's Website Grab a copy of the Book: First Principle and First Values: Forty-Two Propositions on CosmoErotic Humanism, the Meta-Crisis, and the World to Come. Have comments or questions on this episode? An idea for a future guest? I'd love to hear what you liked, agreed/disagreed with, and what you'd like to hear more of. Comment or contact me through: matthewgoodmanphd.com Listen/Watch This Episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@matthewgoodmanphd Let's connect: Website: https://matthewgoodmanphd.com Zen-prov! Improv Classes: zen-improv.com Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd Your support is a HUGE help and allows the show to continue reaching a wider audience. Please consider leaving a RATING, REVIEW, or SHARING this episode if you found the content useful. Thank you for listening!
In this interview, I'm joined by two leading thinkers who are helping to reshape our understanding of consciousness, the nature of reality, and the pursuit of meaning in life: Dr Iain McGilchrist and Dr Bernardo Kastrup. Iain is a neuroscientist, psychiatrist, author, and philosopher perhaps most well known for his Hemispheric Hypothesis and his books: The Master and his Emissary and The Matter with Things. Bernardo is an author, scientist, philosopher, and the Director of the Essentia Foundation. He holds two PhDs - one in philosophy and the other in engineering. His work has been leading the modern renaissance of metaphysical idealism, the notion that reality is essentially mental. In this conversation, we explore: — Their views on what consciousness is, the common ground in their thinking, and the differences — The extent to Iain and Bernardo believe we live in a purposeful and intelligent universe, and their perspectives on the question of God — Why they both consider truth to be the most important thing in life — Where they see human life fitting into the larger whole and what case can be made that each of our individual subjective experiences do matter. I hope you get as much from this fascinating discussion as I did from recording it. You can learn more about Iain's work at https://channelmcgilchrist.com, and Bernardo's at https://www.bernardokastrup.com. -- Dr Iain McGilchrist is a Psychiatrist and Writer. 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. He was formerly a Consultant Psychiatrist of the Bethlem Royal and Maudsley NHS Trust in London, where he was Clinical Director of their southern sector Acute Mental Health Services. Dr McGilchrist has published original research and contributed chapters to books on a wide range of subjects, as well as original articles in papers and journals, including the British Journal of Psychiatry, American Journal of Psychiatry, The Wall Street Journal, The Sunday Telegraph and The Sunday Times. He has taken part in many radio and TV programmes, documentaries, and numerous podcasts, and interviews on YouTube, among them dialogues with Jordan Peterson, David Fuller of Rebel Wisdom, and philosopher Tim Freke. His books include Against Criticism, The Master and his Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, The Divided Brain and the Search for Meaning, and Ways of Attending. He published his latest book: The Matter With Things, a book of epistemology and metaphysics. You can keep up to date with his work at https://channelmcgilchrist.com. Bernardo Kastrup is the executive director of Essentia Foundation. His work has been leading the modern renaissance of metaphysical idealism, the notion that reality is essentially mental. He has a Ph.D. in philosophy (ontology, philosophy of mind) and another Ph.D. in computer engineering (reconfigurable computing, artificial intelligence). As a scientist, Bernardo has worked for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Philips Research Laboratories (where the ‘Casimir Effect' of Quantum Field Theory was discovered). Formulated in detail in many academic papers and books, his ideas have been featured on Scientific American, the Institute of Art and Ideas, the Blog of the American Philosophical Association and Big Think, among others. Bernardo's most recent book is Science Ideated: The fall of matter and the contours of the next mainstream scientific worldview. For more information, freely downloadable papers, videos, etc., please visit https://www.bernardokastrup.com. --- Interview Links: — Dr McGilchirst's website - https://channelmcgilchrist.com — Dr Kastrup's website - https://www.bernardokastrup.com
Grunther states that we're in the midst of a New Renaissance when the greatest knowledge and wisdom, both ancient and contemporary, is just a few keystrokes away through digital screens that billions around the planet can access. He shares the three key shifts in human consciousness taking place today, ranging from quantum physics to AI and left/right-brain thinking. Douglas Grunther is the creator and host of the Woodstock Roundtable an award winning radio talk show covering philosophy, depth psychology, and spiritual insight. He is also a dream work facilitator. He is the author of The Quantum & The Dream: Visionary Consciousness, AI, and The New Renaissance (Epigraph Books 2024)Interview Date: 11/15/2024 Tags: Douglas Grunther, AI, Right hemisphere of the brain, left hemisphere of the brain, Lynn Margulis, Elisabet Sahtouris, Albert Einstein, Iain McGilchrist, Wolfgang Pauli, Carl Jung, Sigmond Freud, Max Planck, Wermer Heinsenberg, Niels Bohr, Yin-Yang, Gaia theory, Plato, Marshall McLuhan, Science, Personal Transformation, History, Social Change/Politics
Iain McGilchrist is a Consultant Emeritus of the Bethlem and Maudsley Hospital, London, a former research Fellow in Neuroimaging at Johns Hopkins University Medical School, Baltimore, 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, and a former Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Stellenbosch. He has published original research on neuroimaging in schizophrenia, the phenomenology of schizophrenia, and other topics. Some of his many books include "The Master and his Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World" (2009), The Divided Brain and the Search for Meaning; Why Are We So Unhappy? (2012), and "The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions and the Unmaking of the World" (2021). Full Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UEXDs4mouU Title: "Iain McGilchrist: Why Are Our Brains Divided? Hemispheric Differences And Its Impact On The Mind" CONNECT: - 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 this episode, we explore Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch's profound insights on modesty, framed through the metaphor of the soul as the master and the body as the emissary. Drawing inspiration from Iain McGilchrist's concept, we delve into how Rav Hirsch envisions the harmonious relationship between soul and body, each knowing its role in living out a life of Mission.
In his final Sophia Lecture, “Finitude and the Infinite,” Dr Iain McGilchrist grapples with the vital role that the imagination plays in the perception of reality, and what this power can disclose about reality itself. He shows that imagination has the capacity to make contact with an illimitable, irreducible, and inexhaustible world, one that presents itself to us under the aspects of finitude and infinitude. Beginning with the English Romantic poets, McGilchrist shows how these artists resisted the habits of perception that can be associated with the brain's left hemisphere. This part of the brain is adept at rendering, representing, and modeling, but it does so at the cost of simplifying whatever it constructs. Poets like Wordsworth, Keats, Shelley, and Blake strove to remove the film of familiarity from their vision. For them, imagination was the power that made intuitive connections and integrative “leaps,” giving access to a richer, unbounded reality not subject to the strictures of reductive categories. In dialogue with physicists, philosophers, and mathematicians, McGilchrist ultimately shows how the vision of the world offered by the Romantic poets lays claim to the infinite and the eternal. For these artists, eternity is “adverbial”: it is a way of being, a manner, and a modality. McGilchrist convincingly shows us that we, too, can decline to see the world through categories that are measurable, predictable, and countable—but finally lifeless; like the poets whom he takes as his main interlocutors in this lecture, we can, instead, open ourselves to reality's boundless, vital, and infinite character. Authors and Works Mentioned in this Episode: William Wordsworth - Preface to the Lyrical Ballads Samuel Taylor Coleridge - Biographia Literaria Percy Bysshe Shelley - A Defence of Poetry Max Scheler William Blake Richard Feynman James A. Shapiro Denis Diderot Barbara McClintock William James Albert Einstein Leonhard Euler William Wilson Morgan Richard Feynman The Ancient of Days (William Blake, 1794, watercolor etching) Nicholas of Cusa - De Docta Ignorantia Jason Padgett Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Galileo Galilei David Hilbert Henri Bergson Richard Wagner Isaac Luria - Lurianic Kabbalah Edward Nelson Alfred North Whitehead Eugène Minkowski Heraclitus Jordan Peterson Zeno of Elea John Milton John Keats Jorge Luis Borges Martin Heidegger Tao-te Ching William Blake - “The Tyger” Emily Dickinson Marianne Moore Robert Browning - “Two in the Campagna” Bhagavad Gita Peter Cook John Polkinghorne Mary Midgley René Descartes Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling J. B. S. Haldane Lee Smolin Eugene Koonin Hildegard of Bingen - The Choirs of Angels Christ Pantocrator and Signs of the Zodiac C. S. Lewis Johannes Kepler Jesus
In his second Sophia Lecture, Dr Iain McGilchrist gives a bracing, counterintuitive account of the fundamental categories of our experience of the world. McGilchrist shows how fundamental binaries—such as stasis and motion, simplicity and complexity, order and randomness, and even straight lines and curves—do not occur in nature in ways that conform to our assumptions about an inert, independent, and predictable universe. Drawing from disciplines as disparate as physics, mathematics, biology and art, McGilchrist shows that asymmetry is not simply a principle of vitality, harmony, and beauty. McGilchrist argues that asymmetry is primary, a reality that is prior to symmetry and which forms the basis of the very symmetries in nature and the arts to which it gives rise. The dynamism which results from the drive to balance and to resist balance is at the root of the vigor of natural systems, the beauty that they embody, and which the arts then reflect. With examples ranging from the elegance of the golden ratio to the structure of the human brain, McGilchrist's lecture offers a fresh perspective on the nature of patterns in complex systems and human creations. His work invites us to search for wholeness, harmony, and connection from a set of starting points which are as surprising as they are fruitful; as always, he challenges us to see our world in new—and newly unified—ways. Authors and Works Mentioned in this Episode: Johann Sebastian Bach John Donne - “Holy Sonnet 7: At the round earth's imagin'd corners” Gerard Manley Hopkins - “Carrion Comfort” Werner Heisenberg - Physics and Beyond: Encounters and Conversations with Einstein, Planck, Dirac, Bohr, and Other Physicists of Our Time Alexander Pope - “The Rape of the Lock” Iain McGilchrist - The Master and his Emissary Pierre Curie Chien-Shiung Wu Nassim Nicholas Taleb - Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder Aesop Heraclitus Democritus Leonardo da Vinci Louis Pasteur Rong Li & Bruce Bowerman - “Symmetry breaking in biology” Arthur Koestler Aristotle Oliver Sacks Thomas Holstein Tim Crow Onur Güntürkün Jane Clark & Daniel Simons (Christopher Chabris) - Gorillas in Our Midst Jonathan Rowson Alastair McIntosh Richard Dawkins Nikolaj Nikolaenko Luciano Laurana Giorgio Martini - Ideal City Raphael - The School of Athens Andrea Palladio William Blake - “The Tyger” Theodosius II Christ Pantocrator Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel John P. McGovern William Osler William Alwyn Lishman William Shakespeare - King Lear John Cleese Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Sir Roger Scruton
Recently, an interview by Christiane Amanpour caught my attention. It was with Coralie Fargiat, the director of “The Substance.” Though I haven't seen this 2024 body horror movie (nor do I intend to), the story brings up several teaching points about the left brain, undermethylation, neuroplasticity, and our collective obsession with beauty.The movie is about an actress, Elizabeth, who loses her job hosting a fitness television show when she turns fifty. She has “aged out.” While in the hospital after a car accident, someone directs her to a product - the substance - a neon green liquid that will allow her to bud off a younger version of herself - Sue. The rule is that Sue can only go out into the world for one week at a time, alternating each week with Elizabeth while the other lies dormant. Not surprisingly, Sue has more advantages in the world (that Elizabeth inhabits), including replacing Elizabeth on her former TV show. Increasingly, when it's time to switch, Sue breaks the one-week rule. This results in part of Elizabeth's body becoming increasingly deformed. The culmination is a grotesque battle of gore between the two, who initially were instructed to remember, “You are one.”In the interview, the director, Coralie Fargeat, discusses her personal experience:“I turned 40 and was more impacted than ever about what it's like to be a woman, the feeling that if I wasn't young and pretty and sexy, I would be totally erased from the surface of the earth. So there was this kind of emergency, this vitality to the things I speak about in my film.”Research supports this thinking that beautiful people are treated better and thus have more advantages. With the use of photoshopping, social media filters, and even plastic surgery, many teens and young adults are experiencing neuroplastic changes that are making real people, including themselves, appear increasingly off or even grotesque. Left Brain“The Substance” is a left-brain nightmare. It shows us the self-destructive path the left brain can take us on, especially in a world that tells it exactly how things should look. Elizabeth, the main character in the movie, is rigid in her thinking, addicted to an image of herself, perfectionistic, and highly competitive. In some ways, these left-brain attributes have served her, but unchecked, they destroy her. If the left brain were a person, it would have the following traits and perspective on appearance: (These traits are oversimplified and pulled from Dr. Iain McGilchrist's work) - * Detail-oriented, narrow focus of attention - “That doesn't look right.”* Prefers what it knows and prioritizes what it expects - “I should look this way.”* Has difficulties disengaging - “I can't stop thinking about this and how to fix it.”* Sees parts (as opposed to the whole) * Sees the body as a sum of parts * Doesn't have a whole image of the body (as found in those who have damage to the right hemisphere)* Is competitive - “I need to look better than they do”* Fears of uncertainty and lack of control (As you can imagine, this is a problem for anyone human and thus who will age)The left brain will set its sights on beauty, success, titles, money, objects, or anything else that feeds the “I.” Because the left brain can't see the “big picture,” it has a hard time pulling back far enough to see how its way of thinking may be getting in the way. The Right BrainOur ability to feel embodied is a job for our brain's right hemisphere. When the voice in the movie reminds Elizabeth, “You are one,” it may as well be speaking on behalf of the right hemisphere.Our right brain allows us to have compassion, including self-compassion. It honors diversity and differences. It can see the bigger picture of our lives that involve multiple developmental stages. It can sit with uncertainty. It knows that our imperfections and differences promote connection with actual humans.UndermethylationLeft brain tendencies strongly overlap with undermethylation traits. Methylation is a biochemical and cellular phenomenon that serves many important functions. If we “undermethylate,” we can have more difficulties breaking down histamine, more difficulties detoxifying, and lower serotonin activity. Methylation is impacted by a number of genes, the most well-known being MTHFR.Undermethylated traits include perfectionism, obsessive-compulsive tendencies, being highly competitive, having ruminations, and addictive tendencies. The NDMA ReceptorThose of us who are undermethylated can have high activity at the NMDA receptor, resulting in a problem with “memory extinction” or letting go of a thought. This could look like obsessive-compulsive tendencies (including those seen in body dysmorphia) and addictive tendencies. High histamine (again due to undermethylation) can increase activity at this receptor. Low zinc, high estrogen, and low magnesium can also be at play.I suspect Elizabeth is undermethylated and has high activity at the NMDA receptor. Both could be assessed for and treated (in part) using targeted nutrients. I say, in part, because the brain training / neural training that occurs through social media is difficult to override if someone is still “using.” Interestingly, EMF exposure (from phones and wireless technology) can increase histamine, further driving these issues.Neuroplasticity and Images of PerfectionThe more images of beautiful images of people we see, the more those images become the norm in our mind, and the more any deviation from that norm will stand out as problematic. This was already a problem with the photoshopping of celebrities and models. But now, with social media filters, teens and young women aren't just comparing themselves to celebrities and models; they're comparing themselves to a filtered image of themself.Filters can create larger eyes, bigger lips, more angular jawlines, whiter teeth, slimmer faces, and smooth and even skin tones. Research into the use of filters:* Millennials are predicted to take 25,000 selfies on average over their lifetimes* About 90% of women aged 18-30 report using beauty filters before posting selfies on social media. * Repeated interactions with filtered images and associated beliefs and worries are increasing the risk of mental health issues such as:* depression* social anxiety* reduced self-esteem* appearance anxiety* body dysmorphia* increase of plastic surgery* 62% of plastic surgeons report that their patients wanted cosmetic procedures because of dissatisfaction with their social media profiles* Snapchat dysmorphia” is what plastic surgeons are calling the act of taking a picture of one's self and using a filter.* Selfies are the leading cause of plastic surgery among young people* Girls who routinely shared self-images on social media had considerably higher body dissatisfaction relative to those who share selfies less frequently. * Body Dysmorphic Disorder among young women has been linked to social media use.In short, the research shows that investing in one's self-presentation on social media is often a harmful practice. The more one does it, the more damaging it tends to be. It encourages hyperattention to unrealistic beauty standards and a desire to change one's physical appearance. This problem of hyperattention to unrealistic beauty standards isn't just a phenomenon of teenage girls and younger women. I´m 57 and understand these things, and still, I´ve had to be intentional about how much attention and neuronal wiring I put into what increasingly feels like defying the very full and lovely reality of my current age. A SequelIf I could write a sequel to “The Substance,” it would be about how Elizabeth (the main character) gets off screens and finds a group of real women (her age and older) that she comes to trust, finds refuge, and who she is inspired by. Instead of looking through a lens of culturally defined beauty, she is struck by the strength, courage, and peace they never could have embodied at a younger age. These women who inspire and shape her would like Helen Mirin (79), who corrected a podcast interviewer after they said to her, “But you are young at heart.” She tells him that no, she is not….”My spirit is the age that I am. When you say 'youthful', I'm not full of youth. I'm full of the life that I've lived up to this point.As girls and women, we need these women in our lives. We can do our part to become these women - the desperately needed embodiments of the right brain. Wishing you peace and wholeness,CourtneyCourtneySnyderMD.comP.S. This Saturday begins the mentoring group for MDś, NDś, DOś, NP and PAś. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit courtneysnydermd.substack.com
This lecture, like the very essence of Ralston College's mission, explores the profound interplay between division and union—a relationship that illuminates the nature of wholeness itself. Dr Iain McGilchrist delves into the insight that the whole is far more than the sum of its parts; it is a dynamic synthesis, a living interplay that transcends reductionism. Drawing on analogies from music, nature, and the human brain, McGilchrist reveals the delicate harmony between separation and connection, a truth exemplified most vividly in the brain's two hemispheres. Here, division and union are not adversaries but partners, each essential to the vitality of the other, enabling the brain to function as a unified and life-giving organ of thought and perception. Such a model reflects the very spirit of Ralston College's aim to unify what modernity has fractured—the intellectual and the spiritual, the individual and the communal, the ancient and the urgent. The lecture also engages with the concept of emergence, a phenomenon where systems reveal qualities and capacities far beyond what their components alone could predict. Ultimately, McGilchrist's argument aligns with the vision of this College: that division and union are not contradictory but complementary forces, driving the renewal of meaning and vitality. It is through this synthesis, through holding the tension between opposites, that true wholeness and innovation emerge—a principle as foundational to the functioning of the human brain as it is to the regeneration of our civilization. Authors and Works Mentioned in this Episode: Pythagoras: 00:09:02:20 Heraclitus: 00:21:34:04 Goethe: 00:23:14:21 Whitehead: 00:24:36:18 Robert Rosen: 00:27:08:02 Rowan Williams: 00:28:44:05 Vesalius: 00:29:37:01 Camillo Golgi: 00:35:14:22 Santiago Ramon y Cajal: 00:35:47:05
In this episode, we welcome Dr Iain McGilchrist back to the show. Dr McGilchrist is a psychiatrist and writer, who is committed to the idea that the mind and brain can be understood only by seeing them in the broadest possible context. He is the author of several books, including the international bestseller: “The Master and His Emissary”, and most recently: “The Matter with Things”. In this conversation, we explore: — The limits of idealism — Why the term “unconscious” is a misnomer and why we should be referring to it as the “superconscious” instead — The extent to which it can be said that we are “co-creating” reality — Why values are not relative — and Dr McGilchrist's thoughts on how they may be built into the structure of being itself — Iain's response to skeptics who say life has no meaning and his view on the root causes of the major crises facing our world. And more. You can learn more about his work at https://channelmcgilchrist.com/. --- Dr Iain McGilchrist is a Psychiatrist and Writer, who lives on the Isle of Skye, off the coast of North West Scotland. 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. He was formerly a Consultant Psychiatrist of the Bethlem Royal and Maudsley NHS Trust in London, where he was Clinical Director of their southern sector Acute Mental Health Services. Dr McGilchrist has published original research and contributed chapters to books on a wide range of subjects, as well as original articles in papers and journals, including the British Journal of Psychiatry, American Journal of Psychiatry, The Wall Street Journal, The Sunday Telegraph and The Sunday Times. He has taken part in many radio and TV programmes, documentaries, and numerous podcasts, and interviews on YouTube, among them dialogues with Jordan Peterson, David Fuller of Rebel Wisdom, and philosopher Tim Freke. His books include Against Criticism, The Master and his Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World, The Divided Brain and the Search for Meaning, and Ways of Attending. He published his latest book: The Matter With Things, a book of epistemology and metaphysics. You can keep up to date with his work at https://channelmcgilchrist.com. --- Interview Links: — Iain McGilchrist website - https://channelmcgilchrist.com
Hello, and welcome to Entangled! The podcast where we explore the science of consciousness, the true nature of reality, and what it means to be a spiritual being having a human experience.Today I'm joined by Chance Gardner, artist and producer of the Magical Egypt series. In this conversation, we discuss pioneer of ancient Egypt research, John Anthony West, and how his book Serpent in the Sky influenced Chance's interest in Egypt. We consider the two models of ancient Egypt, and the importance of icons and symbols. We discuss Eastern philosophy as top down and Western as bottoms up. Next, we discuss the principle of “As above, so below”, and the significance of organic geometry.From there, we discuss the neters of Egyptian mythology as “principles”, not “gods”. We talk about Edgar Mitchell's kundalini experience returning from the moon, and the concept of different planes of self. Chance considers cities as people farms, predicated on us not knowing our true nature. We consider the 128 sidhis known to the ancient Egyptians, serving as deeper organs of perception.Chance describes Angkor Wat as the stairway to heaven, and how it contains the secrets of kundalini. We discuss devas and asuras, and what they tell us about the history of humanity. We then discuss esoteric art and the recurrence of the third eye in Eastern spiritual traditions.From there, we talk about white and black magic and differentials in power. We discuss how the meaning of myth has been inverted, and consider evil as an interruption to the organizational pattern. We then discuss fraternal orders and ceremonial magic. Chance and I consider where humanity is within the yuga cycle, and reference the Three Body Problem. Chance discusses mandalas and their impact on brain coherence, and how hieroglyphics serve as a lesson in syncretism.Next, Chance explains how he first met John Anthony West and get involved in Magical Egypt. We talk about the age of the Sphinx, and theorize about its missing partner. We discuss the moon voyages and whether the public footage of those events has been edited and censored. Chance describes the hypnogogic realms and how the mind unfurls in higher dimensions. We consider the intersection of Egyptology, intelligence agencies, and the phallus of Osiris. Chance describes anamnesis as the recognition of fundamental truth.We then discuss how Heka differs from our traditional understanding of magic, and discuss hierarchies of consciousness. Chance describes how ceremonial magic attracts more nefarious individuals like Michael Aquino, founder of the Temple of Set. We discuss Disneyland and Club 33, and the tradition of human sacrifice.Next, we talk about the relationship between Egypt and Atlantis. Chance describes how the ancient Egyptians used sacred art to record the structure and functioning of consciousness. We end this conversation discussing how the brain is built to work in symbols.This Outro is titled “How Did the Egyptians Know Consciousness?” and begins at episode 81. Outros are available for this and all episodes at entangledpodcast.substack.com. Music from the show is available on the Spotify playlist “Entangled – The Vibes”. If you like the show, please drop a 5-star review and subscribe on Substack, Spotify, Apple or wherever you listen to podcasts.This one is a wild ride, even for my crazy ass show. Please enjoy the episode!Music: Intro/Outro: Ben Fox - "The Vibe". End Credits: The Children Of Music Project Choir – “Amazing Grace”.Recorded: 04/03/24. Published: 12/25/24.Outro: “How Did the Egyptians Know Consciousness?” starts at episode 81.Check out the resources mentioned:* Magical Egypt: https://www.magicalegypt.com/#magical-egypt-season-4-starring-john-anthony-west-heka* Heka: https://www.magicalegypt.org/watchheka* In the Dark Places of Wisdom by Peter Kingsley: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/826512.In_the_Dark_Places_of_Wisdom* The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6968772-the-master-and-his-emissary This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit entangledpodcast.substack.com
A conversation between Dr Iain McGilchrist, neuropsychiatrist, philosopher, and literary critic, and Dr Stephen Blackwood, President of Ralston College, on the occasion of Dr McGilchrist's March 2024 visit to Savannah to deliver Ralston College's annual Sophia Lectures. Dr McGilchrist discusses his experience spending time with Ralston College students, his reasons for accepting the College's invitation to deliver the Sophia lectures, and the necessity of leisure for deep thought. Applications for Ralston College's MA in the Humanities program are now open. Apply now.
The second part of a conversation between the renowned literary scholar and psychiatrist Dr Iain McGilchrist and Ralston College president Dr Stephen Blackwood about Dr McGilchrist's remarkable educational trajectory. In this episode, Dr Iain McGilchrist explains how he left his successful career as a literary scholar to pursue training as a psychiatrist and how his combined study of literature, philosophy, and neuroscience informed his later academic work, including his books The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World (Yale University Press, 2009) and The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World (Perspectiva, 2021). List of people referenced in this episode: Ted Hughes William Wordsworth Samuel Johnson John Boswell Laurence Sterne William Shakespeare Oliver Sacks John Cutting Louis Sass Jan Zwicky Robert Bringhurst Erwin Schrödinger Martin Heidegger Max Planck Niels Bohr Michael Levin
In today's episode of Theories of Everything, Curt Jaimungal speaks to Jonathan Pageau about a cognitive theory of everything where symbolism, purpose, and meaning reconcile ancient wisdom with modern understanding, culminating in a radical Christian non-dualism that unites unity and multiplicity. As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe LINKS MENTIONED: • Jonathan Pageau links: - The Symbolic World (website): https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/ • Jonathan's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JonathanPageau • The Tale of Snow White and the Widow Queen (book): https://www.amazon.com/Tale-White-Widow-Queen-Tales-ebook/dp/B0D7K74165?ref_=ast_author_dp • Jonathan's previous appearance on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6umrrokgeG4 • Noam Chomsky's TOE playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ7ikzmc6zlORiRfcaQe8ZdxKxF-e2BCY • Bernardo Kastrup on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAB21FAXCDE • Wolfgang Smith on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF4S_P_o-g0 • Iain McGilchrist on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9sBKCd2HD0 • John Vervaeke on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVj1KYGyesI Timestamps: 0:00 - Initial Context & Channel Name 4:21 - Vertical Causation & Naming 11:01 - Symbolism & Patterns in Practice 20:26 - Christian vs. Eastern Non-Dualism & Forgiveness 34:18 - What Makes Humans Unique? 41:38 - Jesus 45:02 - Resurrection, Incarnation & Structural Vision 55:00 - Love, Theosis & Multiplicity-in-Unity 01:10:30 - Incarnation, Forgiveness & Concluding Insights 01:17:10 - Subtle Bodies, Saints & Patterns of Influence 01:30:28 - Authenticity, Difference & Proper Unity 01:45:13 - Incarnation as Eternal Fulcrum & Purpose of Reality 02:00:17 - Apophatic Theology, Dogma as Protective Boundaries 02:15:26 - Synergy, Faith Traditions & Proper Communion 02:30:10 - Degrees of Reality, Literal vs. Metaphorical 02:45:13 - Representing the Invisible, Analogies for God 03:00:17 - Scientific Language, Physical Grounding & Purpose 03:15:39 - Conclusion New Substack! Follow my personal writings and EARLY ACCESS episodes here: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com TOE'S TOP LINKS: - Enjoy TOE on Spotify! https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyTOE - Become a YouTube Member Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join - Support TOE on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal (early access to ad-free audio episodes!) - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs - Subreddit r/TheoriesOfEverything: https://reddit.com/r/theoriesofeverything #science #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A conversation between Dr Iain McGilchrist, the renowned polymath, and Dr Stephen Blackwood, President of Ralston College, about Dr McGilchrist's formative experiences at Winchester College, the prestigious British public school, and his subsequent training as a literary critic at Oxford University and his appointment as a Fellow at All Souls. Drs McGilchrist and Blackwood emphasize the vital role of freedom, friendship, and the expectation of excellence in providing students with an authentic education. This conversation was recorded during Dr McGilchrist's visit to Ralston College in March 2024 to deliver The Sophia lectures for the 2023-24 academic year. List of People Mentioned in the Episode: Cicero George Herbert John Donne John Clare Guido d'Arezzo Alexander Pope Freeman Dyson Gerard Manley Hopkins Friedrich Schelling G.W.F. Hegel John Bayley Christopher Tolkien John Milton Edmund Spenser William Wordsworth Samuel Taylor Coleridge Georg Chritoph Lichtenberg Derek Parfit Thomas Hardy Oliver Sacks Roger Scruton
In this episode, we explore the fascinating world of the brain's hemispheres and their profound impact on how we perceive and engage with reality. My guest is Dr. Iain McGilchrist. Iain is a true polymath—a psychiatrist, neuroscientist, philosopher, and literary scholar. He's been a Fellow of All Souls College at Oxford and an Associate Fellow at Green Templeton College. He's also a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and previously served as Clinical Director at the Bethlem Royal & Maudsley Hospital in London. He's been a research fellow in neuroimaging at Johns Hopkins and was a Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Studies in Stellenbosch. He is also the author of a number of groundbreaking books, but is best-known for The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World and his monumental two-volume work, The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World. Iain contends that the way the two hemispheres of the brain operate is fundamentally distinct. It's not that the hemispheres handle different functions, but that they approach these functions in entirely different ways. In this episode… The Divided Brain Attention and Survival Hemispheric Differences Historical Shifts in Society Mental Health and Modern Society Black and White Thinking Mindfulness and Meditation Intuition and Emotion The Importance of Open-Mindedness Consciousness and the Brain The Role of AI and Mechanization The Purpose of Life and Evolution Ian's ability to weave neuroscience, history, philosophy, and even poetry into a compelling thesis is unparalleled. Enjoy! For show notes and more, visit www.larryweeks.com
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In this summary episode, we take the theme of attention which runs through most of conversations in the second season. In the episode you'll hear fragments of conversation from Iain McGilchrist, Dacher Keltner, Dougald Hine, Phoebe Tickell, Alex Evans, Elizabeth Oldfield, Jill Bolte-Taylor, Eve Poole and Todd Kashdan. Over this short episode, you'll hear discussion of a wide range of topics, from religion, AI and smartphones, to the role of awe and imagination.Click here to access any of the podcast episodes in full - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-examined-life/id1680728280
In today's episode of Theories of Everything, Curt Jaimungal sits down with Iain McGilchrist to dive deep into the practical implications of his groundbreaking work on brain hemispheres, consciousness, and wisdom. We explore how Eastern and Western philosophies intersect with his insights, shaping our understanding of reality, spirituality, and the human experience. SPONSOR (THE ECONOMIST): As a listener of TOE you can get a special 20% off discount to The Economist and all it has to offer! Visit https://www.economist.com/toe TOE'S TOP LINKS: - Enjoy TOE on Spotify! https://tinyurl.com/SpotifyTOE - Become a YouTube Member Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdWIQh9DGG6uhJk8eyIFl1w/join - Support TOE on Patreon: https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal (early access to ad-free audio episodes!) LINKED MENTIONED: - Iain McGilchrist's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DrIainMcGilchrist/videos - Iain and John Vervaeke on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzT4tcC-aag - Iain's previous appearance on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-SgOwc6Pe4 - The Master and His Emissary (book): https://amzn.to/3Zpa8Yc - The Matter With Things (book): https://amzn.to/4g8JUid - Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid (book): https://amzn.to/4eMT8iL - Scott Aaronson on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZpGCQoL2Rk - Lying: Moral Choice in Public and Private Life (book): https://amzn.to/4fKTtDV - Daniel Dennett on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH553zzjQlI - Curt's Substack article on the brain: https://curtjaimungal.substack.com/p/yin-and-yang-mills - Chris Langan on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-bRM1kYuNA - Seven Types of Ambiguity (book): https://amzn.to/3Z1qCnQ - Awakenings (book): https://amzn.to/3B3hvuT - Anand Vaidya on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BPLcuHnS_A - Wolfgang Smith on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M_uFQNDlvI - Rupert Sheldrake on TOE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67Y5dRyX4mM - Living in Wonder (book): https://amzn.to/49cP4ar Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 03:47 - "The Matter with Things" 16:07 - Matter, Consciousness, and Creation 21:05 - From Analysis to Wholeness 31:06 - Perspectives on Truth 47:45 - Certainty, Simplicity, and Organicism vs. Reductionism 54:04 - Ethics and Morality 1:01:26 - Language and the Brain 1:11:08 - "The Master and His Emissary" 1:18:15 - Hemispheric Roles in Mental Health 1:28:03 - Personal Experiences with Psychosis 1:34:10 - The Cosmos and the Sacred 1:45:47 - Personal Practices 1:54:06 - Moral Intelligence, Wisdom, and the Nature of Love 2:00:03 - Eastern Philosophy 2:08:13 - Religious Perspectives 2:15:02 - Prayer, Meditation, and Death 2:28:03 - The Importance of Endings in Life and Art 2:32:11 - The Role of Relationships 2:36:02 - Listening to the Divine 2:44:44 - Concluding Remarks Other Links: - Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt - Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs - iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/better-left-unsaid-with-curt-jaimungal/id1521758802 - Subreddit r/TheoriesOfEverything: https://reddit.com/r/theoriesofeverything #science #consciousness #psychology #philosophy #spirituality Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dr. Martha Beck (author; “best-known life coach in America”) is about to release a book on anxiety. The international best-selling author – who holds three Harvard degrees in social science and was described by Oprah as “one of the smartest women I know” – specialises in helping people find meaning and integrity in their lives. In this episode, Sarah and Martha reconnect after 15 years to discuss their takes on the role of anxiety in our lives, and how it can be used to create purpose and direction (tune in to hear about the time Martha “bent a spoon with her mind” for Sarah!). They also share tangible techniques for using creativity to switch out of anxious spirals. Martha's book, Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life's Purpose comes out in early 2025.SHOW NOTESHere's the newspaper column I wrote about my first meeting with Martha in 2010.I refer to previous podcasts with Dr Jill Bolte Taylor and Iain McGilchrist, and another on the role of creativity with Ian Leslie. You can read more about Martha's work here and connect on IG here. Preorder a copy of her upcoming book Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life's Purpose--If you need to know a bit more about me… head to my "about" pageFor more such conversations subscribe to my Substack newsletter, it's where I interact the most!Get your copy of my book, This One Wild and Precious LifeLet's connect on Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Indy Johar (founder of Dark Matter Labs, systems designer) re-imagines and redesigns systems for a changed world. The architect and Professor of Planetary Civics at Melbourne's RMIT and the University of Sheffield has worked with and advised organisations worldwide. Including the Scottish Government, the Mayor of London and WikiHouse, solving complex, entangled problems. Using complexity, emergence and entanglement theories he is a rare expert in this space to provide the (only) path to fixing the world, which is to say fixing our relationship with the world.This conversation goes to a level I've not been to before publicly. On his modelling, we don't have any choice but to start building the world that comes next, for the current one has no viable pathway. He gives a vision for this this. And he gives a timeframe, too. For this episode, I'm providing a forum where you can talk through how you feel about the ideas and your feelings with others. Indy has offered to chime in too: Join the chat on Substack HERE.SHOW NOTESIf you are new to this collapse topic you might want to catch up via this conversation with Luke Kemp, the one with Meg Wheatley and this one with Corey Bradshaw.There are some previous guests and topics that are referenced in this chat:Nate Hagens on the future of fossil fuelsKate Raworth on Doughnut EconomicsWe talk about zero-sum theory. I talked about this with Liv Boeree, former world poker champion.We also cover the Blue Zones concept. I interviewed the man behind this, Dan Buettner, here. Indy also references the work of Iain McGilchrist, a guest a few weeks back.You can learn more about Indy's work via DarkMatterLabsConnect with Indy on socials @DarkMatter_Labs and @indy_johar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Panpsychism is the theory that consciousness (or mentality) is fundamentally present throughout the natural world. It has been gaining popularity across a variety of disciplines, from author Phillip Pullman, to neuroscientist Iain McGilchrist, to philosopher Phillip Goff. Jordan Peterson's ideas on consciousness intersect with panpsychism and it has a following amongst ecologists who want to advocate that non-human nature has rights. This lecture will attempt to describe and then evaluate panpsychism from a Christian perspective.Please note that the ideas expressed in this lecture do not necessarily represent the views of L'Abri Fellowship.For more resources, visit the L'Abri Ideas Library at labriideaslibrary.org. The library contains over two thousand lectures and discussions that explore questions about the reality and relevance of Christianity. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit englishlabri.substack.com
Why is our subjective experiences and cultural context inseparable from our scientific theories and attempts to be objective? Why is it that the more we know, the more we know we don't know? What does reductionist materialism miss out from the scientific picture and what does a post-reductionist science look like? How can understanding some of materialism's incompleteness help us face humanity's greatest problems? In this episode we have the blind spots of enlightenment science to assess; we're going to be investigating the common belief that science can provide a universal, objective, God-like perspective of the truth of things, independent from our human experience. We're also going to look at the implications of the consensus in science that all phenomena can be reduced to solely material causes, and what that may be missing out. To assess this we're going to be looking at data from cosmology, biology, cognitive science and quantum physics and thinking about the assumptions that are so baked in to our western scientific approaches, that we may have forgotten they're assumptions at all. In order to do this we're going to be speaking to Brazilian professor of theoretical physics at Dartmouth College, Marcelo Gleiser. Marcelo works on a range of topics from Cosmology and information theory, to the history and philosophy of science, and how science and culture interact. He's also the author of many popular science books including most recently, “the Dawn of Mindful Universe: A manifesto for humanities future” and his new 2024 book which we'll be focusing on today, “The Blind Spot: Why Science Cannot Ignore Human Experience”, Co-authored with astronomer Adam Frank and philosopher Evan Thompson, who will be not he show in the next series. Gleiser's also the first South American recipient of the prestigious Templeton Science prize for his standpoint that science, philosophy and spirituality are complementary expressions of humanities deep need to explore the unknown. I have wanted to speak to Marcelo about the limits of science and a post-reductionist approach to science since he was recommended by my previous guest psychiatrist and brain-hemisphere researcher Dr. Iain McGilchrist in the series one episode “Navigating beyond Materialism”, and I'm extremely glad I followed him up on it. What we discuss: 00:00 Intro 06:14 Asymmetry is also beautiful. 11:40 The more you know, the more you know you don't know. 18:00 ‘Interbeing' - buddhism and the philosophy of science. 22:00 Bacteria are our ancestors. 23:00 Sacred ancestral knowledge - belonging & gratitude for nature. 30:00 Extremely unlikely chemical steps and extinction events required for life to develop. 35:00 The chances of intelligent technological life on other planets. 37:00 Fine-tuned for life VS the anthropic principle. 50:30 Post-enlightenment sacredness. 52:00 The rise of reductionism. 01:03:30 Newton was troubled by his theory. 01:08:37 Strongly and weakly emergent phenomena. 01:12:00 Downward or upward causation? Dualism or monism? 01:17:50 Scientific concepts are stories, and stories are simplifications too. 01:21:20 “The Blind Spot: Why science cannot ignore human experience”. 01:26:31 “Sureptitious substitution” of concepts for experiences. 01:28:45 Is consciousness fundamental? 01:42:45 Blindspots in the hard sciences - jumps that are too big. 01:53:30 Marcelo''s new “The Island of Knowledge' centre in Tuscany. Quote: “Gravity must be caused by an agent, acting constantly according to certain laws; but whether this agent be material or immaterial, I have left to the consideration of my readers.” — Sir Isaac Newton (Third letter to Bentley, 25 Feb 1693) References: Marcelo Gleiser, “The Blind Spot: How science must take include human experience”. Marcelo Glesier, “The Dawn of a Mindful Universe” Aristarchus of Samos - The greek Copernicus ‘The Island of Knowledge' Centre in Tuscany, Italy
This week we speak to multidisciplinary independent researcher William Sarill, whose life has traced a high-dimensional curve through biochemistry, art restoration, physics, and esotericism (and I'm stopping the list here but it goes on). Bill is one of the only people I know who has the scientific chops to understand and explain how to possibly unify thermodynamics with general relativity AND has gone swimming into the deep end of The Weird for long enough to develop an appreciation for its paradoxical profundities. He can also boast personal friendships with two of the greatest (and somewhat diametrically opposed) science fiction authors ever: Phil Dick and Isaac Asimov. In this conversation we start by exploring some of his discoveries and insights as an intuition-guided laboratory biomedical researcher and follow the river upstream into his synthesis of emerging theoretical frameworks that might make sense of PKD's legendary VALIS experiences — the encounter with high strangeness that drove him to write The Exegesis, over a million words of effort to explain the deep structure of time and reality. It's time for new ways to think about time! Enjoy…✨ Support This Work• Buy my brain for hourly consulting or advisory work on retainer• Become a patron on Substack or Patreon• Help me find backing for my next big project Humans On The Loop• Buy the books we discuss from my Bookshop.org reading list• Buy original paintings and prints or commission new work• Join the conversation on Discord in the Holistic Technology & Wise Innovation and Future Fossils servers• Make one-off donations at @futurefossils on Venmo, $manfredmacx on CashApp, or @michaelgarfield on PayPal• Buy the show's music on Bandcamp — intro “Olympus Mons” from the Martian Arts EP & outro “Sonnet A” from the Double-Edged Sword EP✨ Go DeeperBill's Academia.edu pageBill's talk at the PKD Film FestivalBill's profile for the Palo Alto Longevity PrizeBill's story on Facebook about his biochemistry researchBill in the FF Facebook group re: Simulation Theory, re: The Zero-Point Field, re: everything he's done that no one else has, re: how PKD predicted ChatGPT"If you find this world bad, you should see some of the others" by PKDThe Wyrd of the Early Earth: Cellular Pre-sense in the Primordial Soup by Eric WargoMy first and second interviews with William Irwin ThompsonMy lecture on biology, time, and myth from Oregon Eclipse Gathering 2017"I understand Philip K. Dick" by Terence McKennaWeird Studies on PKD and "The Trash Stratum" Part 1 & Part 2Weird Studies with Joshua Ramey on divination in scienceSparks of Genius: The Thirteen Thinking Tools of the World's Most Creative People by Robert & Michele Root-BernsteinDiscovering by Robert Root-Bernstein✨ MentionsPhilip K. Dick, Bruce Damer, Iain McGilchrist, Eric Wargo, Stu Kauffman, Michael Persinger, Alfred North Whitehead, Terence McKenna, Karl Friedrich, Mike Parker, Chris Jeynes, David Wolpert, Ivo Dinov, Albert Einstein, Kurt Gödel, Erwin Schroedinger, Kaluza & Klein, Richard Feynman, Euclid, Hermann Minkowski, James Clerk Maxwell, The I Ching, St. Augustine, Stephen Hawking, Jim Hartle, Alexander Vilenkin, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Timothy Morton, Futurama, The Wachowski Siblings, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Leonard Euler, Paramahansa Yogananda, Alfred Korbzybski, Frank Herbert, Robert Heinlein, Claude Shannon, Ludwig Boltzmann, Carl Jung, Danny Jones, Mark Newman, Michael Lachmann, Cristopher Moore, Jessica Flack, Robert Root Bernstein, Louis Pasteur, Alexander Fleming, Ruth Bernstein, Andres Gomez Emilsson, Diane Musho Hamilton This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelgarfield.substack.com/subscribe
Being consciousWe think we have this thing, consciousness, whether we share it with the entire earth or with only our species, but yet its definition has evaded the efforts of leading philosophers and neuroscientists alike for decades.Do you think you know what consciousness is? Does it exist out there in the world or only in our thoughts?Join leading neuroscientist and philosopher Iain Mcgilchrist, Nobel prize winning mathematical physicist Roger Penrose and postmodern sociologist Steve Fuller as they ask themselves these questions. Their conversation touches on the quantum element of consciousness, its hard problems, and more. The host if post-realist philosopher Hilary Lawson.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/You can find everything we referenced here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Being consciousWe think we have this thing, consciousness, whether we share it with the entire earth or with only our species, but yet its definition has evaded the efforts of leading philosophers and neuroscientists alike for decades. Do you think you know what consciousness is? Does it exist out there in the world or only in our thoughts?Join leading neuroscientist and philosopher Iain Mcgilchrist, Nobel prize winning mathematical physicist Roger Penrose and postmodern sociologist Steve Fuller as they ask themselves these questions. Their conversation touches on the quantum element of consciousness, its hard problems, and more. The host if post-realist philosopher Hilary Lawson.There are thousands of big ideas to discover at IAI.tv – videos, articles, and courses waiting for you to explore. Find out more: https://iai.tv/You can find everything we referenced here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This week on Future Fossils, I meet with the wonderful Tim Adalin of Voicecraft. Watch us get to know each other a little bit better on a swapcast (his edit here) that throws a long loop around the world. Tim is precisely the kind of thoughtful investigator I love to encounter in conversation. Enjoy!✨ Support This Work• Buy my brain for hourly consulting or advisory work on retainer• Become a patron on Substack or Patreon• Help me find backing for my next big project Humans On The Loop• Buy the books we discuss from my Bookshop.org reading list• Buy original paintings and prints or commission new work• Join the conversation on Discord in the Holistic Technology & Wise Innovation and Future Fossils servers• Make one-off donations at @futurefossils on Venmo, $manfredmacx on CashApp, or @michaelgarfield on PayPal• Buy the show's music on Bandcamp — intro “Olympus Mons” from the Martian Arts EP & outro “Sonnet A” from the Double-Edged Sword EP✨ Chapters00:00 Introduction to Lifelong Collaboration and Innovation 01:18 The Role of Art and Holistic Processes in Innovation 01:37 Challenges in Fostering Collective Intelligence 03:37 The Intersection of Science and Art 03:49 Introduction to the Special Episode with Tim Adelin06:36 Exploring Technology and Human Civilization 07:27 The Importance of Trust and Dialogue in Organizations 42:41 The Rise of Wise Innovation 43:34 The Information Scaling Problem 44:49 The Epidemic of Loneliness 46:58 The Obsession with Novelty 50:21 The Role of Cultural Intelligence 53:25 The Finite Time Singularity 01:01:15 The Future of Human Collaboration✨ Takeaways* Wise innovation requires reconnecting with the purpose and mission of organizations and cultivating a field that allows for the ripening of ideas and contributions.* The tension between exploration and exploitation is a key consideration in navigating large networks and organizations.* Play, creativity, and the integration of holistic, playful, and noisy approaches are essential for innovation and problem-solving.* Deep and authentic relationships are crucial for effective communication and understanding in a world of information overload.* The need for wisdom to keep pace with technology is a pressing challenge in the modern world. Innovation is a crossroads between the need for integration and the obsession with novelty and productivity.* Different types of innovation are needed, and movement in one dimension is not equivalent to movement in another.* The erosion of values and the loss of context can occur when organizations prioritize innovation and novelty.* A tripartite regulatory structure, consisting of industry, art/culture/academia, and government, is necessary to prevent the exploitation of power asymmetries.* Small-scale governance processes and the importance of care and balance in innovation are key to a more sustainable and wise approach.✨ MentionsAlison Gopnik, Iain McGilchrist, Brian Arthur, Bruce Alderman, Andrew Dunn, Turquoise Sound, John Vervaeke, Naomi Klein, Erik Davis, Kevin Kelly, Mitch Mignano, Rimma Boshernitsan, Geoffrey West, Brian Enquist, Jim Brown, Elisa Mora, Chris Kempes, Manfred Laubichler, Annalee Newitz, Venkatesh Rao, Daniel Schmachtenberger, Nate Hagens, Yanis Varoufakis, Ferananda Ibarra, Josh Field, Michel Bauwens, John Pepper, Kevin Kelly, Gregory Landua, Sam Bowles, Wendy Carlin, Kevin Clark, Stuart Kauffman, Jordan Hall, William Irwin Thompson, Henry Andrews This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelgarfield.substack.com/subscribe
Dr Iain McGilchrist (neuroscientist, psychiatrist, polymath, author of The Master and His Emissary) devised a thesis that sets out how the two sides of our brains can affect the way we both interact and create the world. The left hemisphere is a narrow, extractive, problem-solving “machine” that divides and conquers things, fails to see our part in the world and to fathom beauty, awe and responsibility. Our civilisation, Iain says, has become ruled by a left-brain mentality, which is killing us and leaving us “wretched”; we need to put the right side back in charge! Iain is an associate of Green Templeton College in Oxford and a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Royal Society of Arts. His 2009 book Master and his Emissary became a cult read and the recent follow-up, The Matter with Things took him 12 years to write (and is 600,000 words long!). In this chat we cover why societies start out creative, happy and flourishing (right-brained!) but switch left and destructive as they expand; the secret to living a well and happy life and how to find meaning and beauty in a world we possibly can't “fix” (in the left-brain sense of the word). SHOW NOTESLearn more about Iain's work via his website and watch his videos here.Buy Master and his Emissary and The Matter with Things here.Listen to Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor's Wild episode.Here's the link to the HowTheLightGetsIn Festival that I'm speaking at this month.Here's the starting point for joining my book serialisation project.--If you need to know a bit more about me… head to my "about" pageFor more such conversations subscribe to my Substack newsletter, it's where I interact the most!Get your copy of my book, This One Wild and Precious LifeLet's connect on Instagram and WeAre8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nate and David open the show discussing the neurology of character change, then interview journalist Hanna Seariac, who has spent 2024 investigating the fentanyl crisis in rural Utah. Drug overdose deaths in Utah involving opioids have doubled in the last five years. In the first article of her series, “The rural Utah community at the crossroads of the fentanyl epidemic (https://www.deseret.com/politics/2024/08/10/fentanyl-crisis-in-rural-utah/),” Hanna explores small towns that have seen the devastation of opioid addiction and fentanyl first hand. How did we get here? What can be done to stop this horrifying epidemic from destroying more lives and families? Hanna searched through years of data and interviewed more than 20 people connected to the crisis, including those in recovery, former fentanyl distributers, law enforcement officials and recovery specialists. With the second article in the series, Hanna speaks with five Utahns who have nearly lost everything to fentanyl (https://www.deseret.com/utah/2024/08/10/drug-addiction-recovery-in-utah/) and how they have managed to rebuild their lives and find the strength to not only overcome addiction, but to help others. Books referenced by Nate in this episode are Renovated, by Jim Wilder and Dallas Willard, The Master and His Emissary, by Iain McGilchrist, Banana, The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World, by Dan Koeppel
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comRod is an old-school blogger and author living in Budapest. He's a contributing editor at The American Conservative and has written several bestsellers, including The Benedict Option and Live Not by Lies. His forthcoming book is Living in Wonder: Finding Mystery and Meaning in a Secular Age, which you can pre-order on Amazon. And check out his raw and honest writing on Substack, “Rod Dreher's Diary.”For two clips of our convo — on what red-pilled JD Vance, and embracing the mystery of Christianity — pop over to our YouTube page. Other topics: Rod moving to Hungary; his begrudging vote for Trump this fall; his vote for a crook against David Duke; Harris baiting, and beating, Trump in the debate; her evasion on immigration; not disavowing her extreme views from 2020; her response on Israel; the cat-eating thing; how Trump makes wokeness worse; Vance as the future of the right; his tolerance of January 6; him signing on to Trump's abortion pivot; the Kavanaugh hearings; the canceling of Judge Kyle Duncan; politics destroying friendships; riots and speech crimes in the UK; Orbán and migrants; the war in Ukraine; racial violence on Elon's X; rightwing anti-Semitism; Vance's conversion to Catholicism; “childless cat ladies”; pronatalism; the sexual revolution; Ross Douthat; the loss of freedom in parenthood and its joys; Deneen's Why Liberalism Failed; Houellebecq's Submission; Zygmunt Bauman and liquid modernity; environmental destruction; Trump's grudge against windmills; Germany nixing nuclear power; the Iraq War; Trump vs. the neocons; his phone call to rig the vote-tally in Georgia; lawfare; the Hunter laptop story; Iain McGilchrist and the cultural crisis of the West; Pascal; religious faith arising in a crisis; conversion stories; Kierkegaard; transcendentalism; Rod attending an exorcism; demons and miracles; psychedelics as a window to the divine; Rod's LSD trip in college; my MDMA trip in Miami; the lack of silence in modern life; and an update on my Ozempic summer.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy (the first 102 are free in their entirety — subscribe to get everything else). Coming up: Michelle Goldberg on Harris, David Frum on Trump, Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy on the history of animal cruelty, Mary Matalin on life, Anderson Cooper on loss and grief, John Gray on, well, everything, and Sam Harris for our quadrennial chat before Election Day. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.
In this presentation delivered at the "Metaphysics and the Matter with Things: Thinking with Iain McGilchrist" conference—a collaborative event by the Center for Process Studies (CPS) and the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in March 2024—John Vervaeke explores the concept of "mattering" and its critical role in understanding the meaning of life. He contrasts "meaning in life" with the broader "meaning of life," emphasizing the importance of connectedness and belonging over mere purpose. Vervaeke draws on research to introduce "religio," a deep sense of connectedness that underpins our existence, and critiques materialism for overlooking the relational aspects of human life. Through cognitive science, biology, and philosophy, Vervaeke demonstrates how our intelligence and problem-solving abilities are deeply intertwined with our capacity to find what truly matters. — Metaphysics and the Matter with Things: Thinking with Iain McGilchrist was a collaborative conference put on by the Center for Process Studies (CPS) and the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in March of 2024. This three-day conference brought leading process thinkers across various disciplines, including physics, neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and theology, into critical dialogue with McGilchrist's work in a collegial effort to assess, question, extend, and apply it. For more information on the conference and to purchase recordings, please visit https://ctr4process.org/mcgilchrist-conference/ Embark on a journey of personal growth and meaning with us. Join our Patreon Patreon community, where shared wisdom fuels transformation. — 0:00 Introduction to the Metaphysics of Mattering 1:05 Meaning in Life: Purpose, Coherence, Significance, and Mattering 6:40 Connectedness and Religio 10:10 Relevance Realization and General Intelligence 12:45 The Problem of Relevance Realization 21:20 Formalization and Ill-Defined Problems 27:10 Relationality and the Sacred — The Vervaeke Foundation is committed to advancing the scientific pursuit of wisdom and creating a significant impact on the world. Become a part of our mission. Join Awaken to Meaning to explore practices that enhance your virtues and foster deeper connections with reality and relationships. — Ideas, People, and Works Mentioned in this Episode Matthew Segall Richard Tarnas Kelly-Ann Allen Evan Thompson Read Montague Michael Levin Aristotle Zak Stein Nietzsche Iain McGilchrist Christopher Cherniak Jerry Fodor J.L. Schellenberg Relevance Realization Religio Conformity theory Duhem–Quine thesis, Susan Wolf, Meaning in Life and Why It Matters John Searle, The Rediscovery of the Mind Catherine Pickstock, Aspects of Truth: A New Religious Metaphysics Harold Brown, Rationality James Filler, Heidegger, Neoplatonism, and the History of Being: Relation as Ontological Ground J. Jaeger, A. Riedl, A. Djedovic, J. Vervaeke, and D. Walsh, Naturalizing relevance realization: why agency and cognition are fundamentally not computational Frank Martela and Michael F. Steger, Distinguishing coherence, purpose, and significance Follow John Vervaeke: Website | X | YouTube | Patreon — Thank you for Listening!
Tim likes to say that art is the opposite of propaganda—but what does that actually mean? Katie, Tim, and friends discuss the relationship between poetry and propaganda, including discussion of Amanda Gorman, Robert Frost, Wilfred Owen, Iain McGilchrist and more. At the Table: Katie Dozier Timothy Green Brian O'Sullivan Joe Barca Dick Westheimer Nate Jacob
Psychedelics are back in vogue as influencers promote hallucinogens as a gateway to spiritual enlightenment. The boom in mind-expanding drugs even seems to be opening up some people to the possibility of God. But what are the dangers of taking shortcuts to the transcendent? Justin hears from those arguing for and against the psychedelic resurgence including Mikhaila Peterson, Alan Noble, Alex O'Connor, Shawn Ryan, Iain McGilchrist and Phil Cotnoir. Ashley Lande explains why her search for enlightenment through psilocybin, LSD and mushrooms led her to some dark places, and how she found her way back to Christ. More info, book & newsletter: https://justinbrierley.com/surprisingrebirth/ Support via Patreon for early access to new episodes: https://www.patreon.com/justinbrierley/membership Support via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/brierleyjustin Support via Tax-deductible (USA): https://defendersmedia.com/portfolio/justin-brierley/ Buy the book or get a signed copy: https://justinbrierley.com/the-surprising-rebirth-of-belief-in-god/ Ep 26 show notes: https://justinbrierley.com/surprisingrebirth/episode-26-psychedelics-and-the-search-for-god-ashley-landes-surprising-journey-to-faith The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God is a production of Think Faith in partnership with Genexis, and support from The Jerusalem Trust & the Christian Evidence Society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Why did atheist neuroscientist Philipp Koch recently lose a 25-year-old bet on consciousness? Why is 'panpsychism' in fashion? And could the latest research on the brain be pointing us back towards God? Justin speaks to scientists and philosophers such as Sharon Dirckx and Philip Goff on the surprising turn away from atheist materialism. Ex-atheist Jennifer Fulwiler shares her story of realising love must be more than brain chemistry and influential thinker Iain McGilchrist reveals how a new understanding of the mind is pointing us back to God. For Iain McGilchrist on Re-Enchanting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Gi9bfSwwI4 More info, book & newsletter: https://justinbrierley.com/surprisingrebirth/ Support via Patreon for early access to new episodes: https://www.patreon.com/justinbrierley/membership Support via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/brierleyjustin Support via Tax-deductible (USA): https://defendersmedia.com/portfolio/justin-brierley/ Buy the book or get a signed copy: https://justinbrierley.com/the-surprising-rebirth-of-belief-in-god/ Ep 25 show notes: https://justinbrierley.com/surprisingrebirth/the-believing-brain-how-iain-mcgilchrist-rediscovered-the-soul The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God is a production of Think Faith in partnership with Genexis, and support from The Jerusalem Trust & the Christian Evidence Society. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this interview, John speaks with Iain McGilchrist about the differences between the left and right hemispheres of the brain and their impact on our perception and interaction with the world. Iain explains that the left hemisphere focuses on details and immediate tasks, while the right hemisphere maintains a broad, vigilant awareness of the environment. He discusses how modern society overemphasizes the left hemisphere's functions, leading to a loss of meaning, beauty, and wisdom.
Iain McGilchrist is a psychiatrist, writer, and former Oxford literary scholar. McGilchrist came to prominence after the publication of his book The Master and His Emissary, subtitled The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World.
Dr. Jordan B. Peterson sits down in-person with psychiatrist, researcher, and philosopher Dr. Iain McGilchrist. They discuss right brain/left brain hemispheric specialization, the basis of delusion, “unknowing” as a necessary step toward wisdom, consciousness and the divine ground of being, and the imposition of mediocrity in the modern West. Dr. Iain McGilchrist is a psychiatrist, neuroscience researcher, philosopher and literary scholar. He is a Quondam Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, an Associate Fellow of Green Templeton College, Oxford, a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and former Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Director at the Bethlem Royal & Maudsley Hospital, London. He has been a Research Fellow in neuroimaging at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore and a Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Stellenbosch. He has published original articles and research papers in a wide range of publications on topics in literature, philosophy, medicine and psychiatry. He is the author of a number of books, but is best-known for The Master and his Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World (Yale 2009). In November 2021 his two-volume work The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions, and the Unmaking of the World was published by Perspectiva Press. - Links - 2024 tour details can be found here https://jordanbpeterson.com/events Peterson Academy https://petersonacademy.com/ For Iain McGilchrist: Website https://channelmcgilchrist.com/ On X https://twitter.com/dr_mcgilchrist?lang=en The Matter With Things (Book) https://tinyurl.com/5d3cfns6 The Master and His Emissary (Book) https://tinyurl.com/3p4favfe