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