The Waking Cosmos Podcast

Philosopher Philip Goff joins me to talk about panpsychism, cosmic fine-tuning, and his hypothesis that the universe is driven to the creation of conscious life and value. Please support Waking Cosmos on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos Philip's website: https://philipgoffphilosophy.com

I discuss the philosophy, history and movement of sentientism with Jamie Woodhouse. Please support Waking Cosmos on Patreon here https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos Jamie's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Sentientism As mentioned in this episode, here is my conversation with David Pearce: https://on.soundcloud.com/suSUP Jamie's conversation with David Pearce: https://youtu.be/zpjZWJGM5ak?si=a8oWS8lgoEAbBOWu

Does moral truth exist? In this episode I talk to the philosopher Sharon Rawlette about her work on moral realism, and her pursuit of a universal ethical theory grounded in the intrinsic value of conscious states. We discuss her book, The Feeling of Value, utilitarianism, the deep nature of value, hedonism, darwinian suffering, and Sharon’s belief in the teleological (purpose-driven) nature of reality. My Patreon ~ https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos Sharon’s website ~ https://sharonrawlette.wordpress.com/

We live in a unique time in history, when humanity’s growing technological power risks destroying our vast potential in the universe. The philosopher Toby Ord calls our unique time, "the Precipice." Today Toby joins me on Waking Cosmos to discuss existential risk, artificial intelligence, consciousness, and the far future of life in the universe. Please Support Waking Cosmos on Patreon~ https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos Toby’s Sites: Main Website~ https://tobyord.com The Precipice~ https://theprecipice.com Toby's Twitter~ https://twitter.com/tobyordoxford Toby's book, The Precipice is now available in hardback and audiobook. The paperback edition will be released in the UK on February 18, and March 23 in the US.

In today’s episode of Waking Cosmos I’m joined by the philosopher and consciousness researcher Andrés Gómez Emilsson. He is the director of research at the Qualia Research Institute, and the cofounder and president of the Stanford Transhumanist Association. We discuss Andrés’ views about consciousness, and how it could be a deep and fundamental part of the universe (panpsychism). We explore how shifting our perception of identity to consciousness may profoundly transform our civilization, and prepare us for an unimaginable future in the universe. We talk about the psychedelic renaissance and how it is opening us up to radical new perspectives about consciousness and identity, and we also discuss what truths if any, might be glimpsed through psychedelic and altered states. We also explore Andrés’ extraordinary view that subjective states of wellbeing, also known as positive valence, disclose the utility function of the universe itself. Please consider supporting the continued existence of Waking Cosmos on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos Thank you! Episode Links~ The Qualia Research Institute: https://www.qualiaresearchinstitute.org/ Qualia Computing: https://qualiacomputing.com/

For all of science’s impressive advancements, one problem has stubbornly eluded us: Why do we have consciousness? How does inert unconscious matter give rise to the light of conscious experience? Neuroscientist Donald Hoffman has been pondering this question throughout his career. His thinking has gradually led him to a surprising possibility — that consciousness itself is fundamental to reality. Donald’s theory, however, differs from that of the growing number of other scientists and philosophers now arriving at this conclusion. The fundamental nature of reality, Donald theorizes, is comprised of an infinite network of interacting conscious agents. Uniquely, Donald offers a precise mathematical definition of a conscious agent. He believes the theory may be used to reconstruct the universe and existing scientific discoveries purely through the interaction of these units of consciousness. As Donald has gradually become “a student of the math” his theory has led him to consider fantastic possibilities, including the existence of infinitely great minds which exist beyond our realm of perception. Among other possibilities, Donald believes “conscious realism” leaves the door open to life after death. In my conversation with Donald we explore the surprising implications of his theory, and what it suggests about our own place in reality. If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting Waking Cosmos on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos Pick up Donald Hoffman’s book “The Case Against Reality” (also on Audible) here: https://amzn.to/2T31Kes

Did the universe require the evolution of conscious life? How does our evolving picture of the universe impact human life? Cosmologist Brian Swimme joins Adrian on the Waking Cosmos podcast. Please consider supporting this podcast on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos Watch Brian's Documentary, Journey of the Universe ~ https://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/

For many years psychologist Roger Nelson Ph.D. has explored an extended property of the mind that is unexplained by current science. Results of these experiments seem to suggest that our thoughts and intentions are not encapsulated within our brains or bodies, but extend mysteriously into the world around us, and in scientifically measurable ways. While controversial, a careful but open-minded look at this research strongly suggests the effects are real. In my conversation with Roger, we explore this research, including his later experiments, with the Global Consciousness Project, that hint to the existence of a larger collective consciousness, in which our minds participate. Today we discuss the findings of these experiments, and what could be their profound implications. Please consider supporting my work on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos Roger's book, Connected, on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Connected-Emergence-Consciousness-Roger-Nelson/dp/1936033356

Dean Radin Ph.D. is a scientist who has been exploring mysterious anomalies of consciousness for decades. As chief scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, Dean has conducted many scientific experiments testing the existence of telepathy, precognition, mind-matter interaction, and other anomalies of the mind. It is a field of study which remains controversial, but as we explore in today’s episode of Waking Cosmos, the evidence for some of these “psi phenomena” is overwhelming. Today Dean and I discuss these effects and consider what they might tell us about consciousness, and perhaps, the nature of reality. Among other topics, we also explore Dean’s experiments probing the observer effect in quantum physics, and the possible role of consciousness in the collapse of the quantum wave-function. I hope you enjoy this episode of Waking Cosmos. If you would like to support future open-minded conversations about consciousness and reality, please consider becoming a Patreon subscriber. Thank you! My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos Dean’s Website: http://www.deanradin.org More evidence of psi phenomena: http://deanradin.com/evidence/evidence.htm Listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/metarising

Does the Universe have a Mind? My guest today is the philosopher Philip Goff, who has received attention for his defense of panpsychism, which is the idea that consciousness, —the distinctly subjective aspect of our minds, could be a fundamental element of reality. With growing support for panpsychism in academia, it is a view that Goff believes could do for the philosophy of mind what Darwin’s theory of evolution did for biology. In our conversation today we discuss the reasons for believing that consciousness is an intrinsic part of reality, as well as the possible implications for both cosmology and life on this planet. We also consider how panpsychism, in conjunction with priority monism, could entail the existence of a cosmic mind. This is a view Philip has termed “Cosmopsychism.” If you enjoy Waking Cosmos and would like to support its continued existence, please visit my Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos Preorder Philip's book Galileo's Error here: https://amzn.to/1FKUofO Philip's Twitter: @philip_goff Philip's website: http://www.philipgoffphilosophy.com

Patreon ~ https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos Psychologist David Luke is one of the new generation of psychedelics researchers, based at the University of Greenwich in the UK. One of the things that stands out about David is that while he takes a scientific approach to understanding the potential value of psychedelics, he keeps an open mind to what these experiences bring us into contact with, including what they might reveal about the nature of reality itself. One possibility for David is that psychedelic substances such as DMT override the “reducing valve” function of the brain — opening the floodgates between our ordinary sense of self, and a much greater transpersonal reality. In today’s episode of Waking Cosmos (listen below) we talk about David’s ideas and research into these substances, including his controversial experiments exploring whether psychedelics can serve as catalysts for psychic phenomena, like precognition and telepathy. To those unfamiliar with the evidence of such “psi” effects, this might seem bizarre, but as a past president of the Parapsychological Association, David is well versed in the significant body of evidence suggestive that these phenomena are real. I hope you enjoy this episode of Waking Cosmos! If you’d like to support the continued existence of this podcast, please consider visiting my Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos David's latest book, DMT Dialogues https://amzn.to/2DgH5uB Breaking Convention Conference https://bit.ly/2GbmZWB

My guest today is David Pearce, a well known philosopher and transhumanist, yet his views about consciousness set him apart from other transhumanists you might be familiar with (listen below). David believes that the nature of consciousness goes much deeper than can be explained through classical physics or from within a materialist paradigm. He suspects that consciousness may reflect an intrinsic feature of reality. Whether or not this is the case, David is confident that the unity of consciousness is facilitated by a quantum unity occurring in the brain. As a result, David is skeptical about the possibility of classical computation-based “mind uploading” or truly conscious artificial intelligences arriving in the foreseeable future. But while our descendents will continue to be biological, they will however be dramatically different to us, not only with their indefinite lifespan, physical fortitude, and resilience to disease, but most significantly, in the structure of their minds. According to David, our great grandchildren will inhabit profoundly blissful mind spaces which exist exclusively “above hedonic zero”. They will have abandoned retributive emotions such as jealousy and anger, and their ordinary conscious states will be comparable to today’s peak experiences. Most significantly for David, our descendants will set their sites on abolishing suffering in all sentient life on this planet, and finally, the entire reachable universe. If you find David’s vision hard to believe, this will be an interesting episode! Next time on Waking Cosmos we’ll compare the mechanistic view of the universe with the emerging organismic paradigm. Please consider supporting Waking Cosmos on Patreon here. https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos David Pearce's website https://www.hedweb.com

"There is a limitless horizon of possible mental experiences, pregnant with unimaginable value and significance." Please consider supporting Waking Cosmos on Patreon~ https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos The nature of consciousness is among the most profound mysteries humans have encountered. And yet, whether we think that consciousness reflects a fundamental feature of reality, or a mere illusion, we do know, at least in our case, that brains are involved. We also know that changes made to our brains correlate with dramatic changes in consciousness. As scientific and technological development continues, we’re likely to gain much greater ability to retune this biological instrument, and potentially gain access to a much broader variety of possible conscious states. Future augmentation of brains could open us to a limitless horizon of mental experiences, pregnant with unimaginable value and significance. When mind itself is stretched across the canvas, what will we want to want? What values will guide such minds? One thinker who is exploring these questions is the philosopher Andrés Gómez Emilsson, who I was honored to interview on the Waking Cosmos podcast. In this conversation we discussed the universal drives of self-creating minds, the elusive nature of consciousness, the recent rise of panpsychist theories, and the power of psychedelics for exploring psychic space. Perhaps the issue that most animates Andrés is the nature of happiness and its relationship to suffering. Do we need the depths of suffering in order to experience the heights of ecstasy? Will it one day be possible to “engineer away” all suffering through technology? And if so, can we really be happy all the time “without going insane?” My conversation with Andres was truly mind-expanding for me, and I hope it will be the first of many. If you value open-minded philosophical conversations like this one, please consider supporting Waking Cosmos on Patreon~ https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos

How do we map the landscape of consciousness? What is the future for mind in the universe? And is consciousness an intrinsic part of reality? Today on Waking Cosmos I'm joined by Mike Johnson from the Qualia Research Institute, where they're working on a theory of consciousness which could have profound implications for society, including the development of what we might call a 21st century mood-ring, through which we begin to telegraph our phenomenology, and explore entirely new landscapes of experience. In the second half we discuss how any sufficiently "crisp" theory of consciousness can be directed to anything, including cosmological phenomena like black holes and even the Big Bang.  I hope you enjoy today's episode as much as I did. If you're enjoying these open-minded conversations about consciousness and reality, and would like to help me turn this into a full time project, please consider supporting Waking Cosmos on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos LINKS~ The Qualia Research Institute website - https://qualiaresearchinstitute.org Mike's blog - https://qualiaresearchinstitute.org/blog Qualia Computing - https://qualiacomputing.com Waking Cosmos Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos

Are psychic phenomena real? In today's episode of Waking Cosmos, Adrian talks to Garret Moddel, a physicist at the university of Colorado who has carried out extensive scientific experiments exploring ESP, also known as “psi” phenomena. Garret has conducted experiments exploring phenomena ranging from telepathy, to precognition, and mind-matter interaction. He even recounts how he and a number of students used remote viewing to successfully predict the stock market.  In addition to the evidence of psychic abilities, Garret shares his thoughts on the Global Consciousness Project - a global mind-matter experiment believed by some to measure collective shifts in attention in the global human population.  Of particular interest to Garret is the mysterious role of scientists' expectations and beliefs in the outcomes of their experiments. We hope you enjoy today's episode. You can support Waking Cosmos on Patreon here~ https://goo.gl/hguWhM The SSE conference program https://www.scientificexploration.org/2018-conference