Susan Blackmore is a psychologist, lecturer and writer best known for her book The Meme Machine (1999) and the textbook Consciousness: An Introduction (4th Edition 2024 with her daughter Emily Troscianko). She is a Visiting Professor at the University of Plymouth, UK.

Her research interests includes memes, evolutionary theory, consciousness, NDEs, OBEs, free will, lucid dreams, sleep paralysis, drugs, psychedelics, spirituality and meditation. She has written more than sixty academic papers, a hundred contributions to books, and her work has been translated into twenty other languages. She has practiced Zen for forty years and plays in a samba band.

Susan Blackmore shares her journey into the exploration of consciousness, beginning with a profound experience in her youth. She discusses her evolving thoughts on memes as a crucial element of human consciousness, the impact of technology on cultural evolution, and the implications of AI as a new replicator. Blackmore emphasizes the importance of contemplative practices in understanding the illusion of self and explores predictive processing theory as a potential framework for consciousness. The conversation also touches on her writing process and the challenges of articulating complex ideas.

Chapters

08:56 The Journey into Consciousness

12:45 Exploring Memes and Cultural Evolution

20:19 The Impact of Technology on Memes

25:59 AI and Its Implications for Humanity

32:00 The Importance of Stillness in a Fast-Paced World

32:53 Exploring the Illusion of Self

40:12 Predictive Processing Theory and Consciousness

50:49 Consciousness in Simple Systems

55:47 The Writing Process and Inspiration

01:03:37 ryan exit no music  - 10:24:25, 2.28 PM.mp3

01:03:51 083 Reality.mp3

https://www.susanblackmore.uk/

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Keywords

consciousness, memes, AI, predictive processing, self, meditation, cultural evolution, digital replicators, philosophy, Susan Blackmore, Genes, Evolutionary psychology, mindfulness, zen, psychedelics, psychedelic science, Neuroscience, depth psychology,