logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
14m 9s

What is consciousness? PART 1 | Iain Mcg...

Iai
About this episode

Being conscious


We 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/philosophyforourtimes




See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Aug 20
The limits of nothingness | Peter van Inwagen
From philosophy to science, metaphysics to psychology, the idea of 'nothing' is central to the universe, existence and experience as a whole. But the nature of 'nothing' is even more bewildering than we might first imagine. Parmenides argued that non-being is impossible because t ... Show More
27m 44s
Aug 12
Is free will an illusion? The chemistry of freedom | Patrick Haggard, George Ellis, Jennifer Hornsby
The question of free will - and whether we have it or not - is age-old across philosophy, religion, and human thought in general. Having free will allows us to have meaning, responsibility, reward and punishment. Yet discoveries in neuroscience have put our ability to choose, out ... Show More
40m 10s
Aug 5
Has the world gone to Hell? | Slavoj Žižek on fascism, shame, and dirty jokes
Žižek: "Trump did what The Left couldn't"As we look around at the state of the modern world, it's very easy to get disheartened - and that's putting it lightly! From pointless wars and endless suffering to the decline of social bonds and trustworthy institutions, there really is ... Show More
41m 11s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2025
#404 — What If Consciousness Is Fundamental?
Sam Harris speaks with his wife, Annaka Harris, about LIGHTS ON, her ten-part audio documentary exploring the perplexities of consciousness and the cosmos. They discuss the hard problem of consciousness, whether consciousness is fundamental, what split-brain patients can teach us ... Show More
2h 20m
Jul 2020
Episode 82, ‘The Nature of Consciousness’ with Susan Blackmore (Part II - Further Analysis and Discussion)
The smell of coffee, the taste of asparagus, the warmth of a hug, and the agony of death: conscious experience makes up the fabric of our world, yet many consider it to be the most intractable mystery in philosophy and science. What is it like to undergo experience? What is the f ... Show More
41m 34s
Jul 2024
#374 — Consciousness and the Physical World
Sam Harris speaks with Christof Koch about the nature of consciousness. They discuss Christof’s development as a neuroscientist, his collaboration with Francis Crick, change blindness and binocular rivalry, sleep and anesthesia, the limits of physicalism, non-locality, brains as ... Show More
42m 7s
Jul 24
Essential Teachings Special: You are the Light of Consciousness
Eckhart talks with a live audience about the new consciousness he sees emerging around the world. He says one of life’s great mysteries is that the universe is conscious. While scientists struggle to define it and we can’t see it under a microscope, consciousness exists. Eckhart ... Show More
51m 17s
Dec 2024
Ep508 - Dr. Tony Nader | Consciousness Is All There Is
Dr. Tony Nader visits Google to discuss his book “Consciousness Is All There Is: How Understanding and Experiencing Consciousness Will Transform Your Life.” Dr. Nader offers a direct path to peace for ourselves and our world that anyone can obtain—simply by delving into our own C ... Show More
34m 59s
Nov 2021
Episode 101, Talking about the Mind (Part I - The Fabric of Reality)
Introduction Imagine the smile on your parent’s face as you rush to meet them at the school gates, the soft heat of the sand between your toes on a first holiday, waking up in the haze of a late afternoon after dancing all night, the drop in your stomach when you realize you’ll n ... Show More
55 m
Apr 2025
#927 - Annaka Harris - Unpacking The Mystery Of Consciousness
Annaka Harris is an author, editor, and speaker focused on neuroscience and consciousness.What does it mean to be conscious? What is consciousness? These questions have puzzled humanity for millennia. Despite our greatest scientific breakthroughs and philosophical efforts, are we ... Show More
1h 7m
Jul 2024
E104 - Annaka Harris: Reality Is Stranger Than You Think, Consciousness, Perception, Free Will, AI & Love
Annaka Harris dives deep into some of the most profound and perplexing questions about the nature of consciousness, perception, free will, AI, and the underlying meaning of love and existence. Annaka begins by defining consciousness and exploring the "hard problem". She discusses ... Show More
2h 24m
Aug 2024
Sam Harris Blows Your MIND on Life After Death, Consciousness, and the Mystery of Existence| Sam Harris EP 694
Have you listened to the FULL EPISODE yet?"The good thing about this universe is consciousness. Your life is your consciousness in each moment." - Sam HarrisIn this mind-bending episode, Lewis sits down with renowned neuroscientist, philosopher, and bestselling author Sam Harris ... Show More
7m 56s
Nov 2024
Sensing The Sacredness of The Universe
In this episode, Eckhart talks about the two different aspects of knowing: conceptual knowing and a deeper kind of intuitive knowing. He says indigenous cultures and people in the ancient world were deeply familiar with the idea that everything has a soul. They shared a profound ... Show More
37m 27s