Alex O’Connor
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– VIDEO NOTES
Annaka Harris is an American writer. Her work touches on neuroscience, meditation, philosophy of mind and consciousness. She is the author of the New York Times bestseller “Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind”.
– LINKS
Get the documentary “Lights On”: https://annakaharris.com/lights-on/
– TIMESTAMPS
0:00 – Annaka’s Documentary on Consciousness
03:45 – How Has Our Understanding of Consciousness Evolved?
12:31 – How Can We Study Consciousness?
27:18 – Split-Brain Patients
41:12 – What is ‘The Self’?
49:07 – Is Consciousness Fundamental?
01:00:16 – Consciousness at the Foundation of Science
01:08:51 – Do Conscious Experiences Create a Unified Self?
01:23:21 – How Is the Brain Relevant to Consciousness?
– CONNECT
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The Within Reason Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/within-reason/id1458675168
– CONTACT
Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com
——————————————
Source
I should of been asleep 2 hours ago but this is too interesting. My biggest takeaway…. She got the brains and the beauty😂 I love these conversations that are on the frontier of our knowledge. This seems like the most important question. Consciousness is our means of experiencing reality, but it's role in creating that reality and to what level and how it works is still a mystery. It seems like there is something important there. Consciousness is God. The creative force that permeates all. We are all divine but many do not realize it. We are all the universe observing itself.
If matter is an epiphenomenon of consciousness, why startle at the fact that "inanimate" matter is conscious?
It is, though.
Everything alive is conscious. Consciousness is the life force. A ant is conscious a sprig of grass is alive , a stone is never alive.
I think I enjoyed this, therefore I am enjoyed this.
This podcast wiggles my neurons.
It never ceases to amaze me how people like this can be so sure there isn’t a God despite THOUSANDS of years of BILLIONS of people believing the contrary 😛
I read her book twice. Very thought provoking and it's not an intimidating long boring read. It's really good. 👍
An interesting addition to the split brain study results is the existence of multiple personality disorder, where the brain creates strong amnesia barriers between certain brain regions in order to quarantine traumatic experiences that are too difficult for a child's brain to process. Each of these different quarantined regions has a separate conscious experience (for the most part, there is also nuance here) to the point that not only memories but also preferences, skills, and even accents can be gained by one and not other personalities. There is some really interesting neuroscience going on around this disorder as well since the separation between consciouses is visible in brain scans.
Matter is an epiphenomenon of consciousness.
Throwing thousands of words at topics rarely adds clarity to them.
Have fun out there.
Morons…
Not sure if I don't get her point but this seems like the most convoluted way to say that either nothing exists without perception or that consciousness doesn't actually exist and we just perceive it as a reality but it's not a thing.
Wow, 90 minutes of "you just gotta listen to my book". Automatic dismissal
Okay, so consciousness exists, check.¿ how about collective unconscious?Cause i've heard aboot a thing where it's like a co operative unconscious. Like you know,dreams and daydreams and hypnosis type stuff. A true collective unconscious that will be fun.
Consciousness as fundamental to reality is not a new idea, it is simply an unpopular position.
“All spirit is matter, only it is more fine, or pure, and can only be discerned by purer eyes.” -Joseph Smith
“In God, we live and move and have our being.” -Saint Paul
“I Am the light and life of the world” -Jesus Christ
Etc etc etc.
However, as tantalizing as such little gems are, these “no soul no self” interpretations of supreme permeating consciousness are rash and illegitimate conclusions.
Yes yes the eastern mystics are accurate in pointing out how we often misconstrue perceptions or instinct with observer, or wrongly identify such ephemeral experiences as “self,” but that does not prove their is no Knower doing the Knowing. It simply reveals layers of functionality and interaction (and thus, distraction.)
And yes of course our modern scientists can detect fascinating electrochemical interactions incidental to our articulations of our actions or perceptions, but that does not prove we have no unique conscious existence and exert no unique impact in the larger apparatus by our unique intrinsic qualities, it simply points out the functional limitations of the current operational hardware thru which we are interacting, and categorizes processes and sub-processes and meta-processes.
Entire systems can be upgraded or scrapped altogether yet consciousness itself will remain in existence.
It is monumentally pathetic when a person is so “smart” they think themselves out of existence.
Perhaps this woman is one of those “NPC” creatures, a biomechanical instinctual insect in human form.
Alex I would suggest you refuse to sell your soul to idiots who tell you that you have no soul because they themselves are incapable of the experiencing their own soul because they have assimilated into the hive mind and seek to hide their dissolution behind sophisticated linguistic puzzles.
Seriously, when you listen to these types of arguments, taken to their completion, you realize these sorts of “intellectuals” have just pronounced final judgment by declaring themselves to be out of control purposeless characters with no permanent personal identity. Thus they are unnecessary and dangerous. If we were “in the matrix” they basically just pushed the auto-delete button.
I have a permanent soul. Respect my boundaries you delusional bitches, or I will accept your self-definition as soulless non-humans and I will do you a favor by exterminating you.
If that offends you, think carefully m, because it was you who just told all humanity they have no identity, no purpose, and no self control. But really you were only describing yourself and the other mindless drones who have assimilated. This reminds of that Duormomo demigod demon in the Dr Strange flick. People seeking to re-merge with the whole by assimilating into non-entity.
Actual intelligent people choose the path offered by Jesus Christ who does not desire to erode your identity but rather offers to help you fulfill your divine potential and live in eternal harmony and joy. If there is only one instrument playing one monotone note, you cannot have harmony with your fellow beings. If you people are so smart, why do you ruin the symphony by trying to sidestep the composer and the director?
A cello is comprised of elemental particles maintained in structure by forces and observed by other entities through the interactions of waves and fields…but any red neck hillbilly with a third grade education can tell you that cello ain’t gonna play itself.
Humans are NOT mere mechanistic operations. Real humans are operators navigating those mechanistic operations.
Unless you’re a non-essential NPC, I suggest you accept accountability for deliberate action.
We have to experience 4d and 5d in meditation that is the only way in my opinion
TLDR- She seems to define consciousness as any physical interaction, thus being fundamental.
Core Argument- What we call 'consciousness' is an end result of a lot of processes working together, some being not particularly complex. Provable by consciousness being 'malleable' if these processes are effected. Such as in split brain patients. Along with seeing 'consciousness' in very simple systems (she doesn't give a robust example, but I know ants pass the mirror test for example) Thus she reasons, there would need to be an extra factor causing regular matter to become consciousness at some point. Leading her to find it more reasonable that matter is just conscious at base.
Issue- I think her conclusion that consciousness seemingly not having a solid starting point and supposedly requiring extra factors implying stuff has to be consciousness at base doesn't logically follow. Because that would apply to every concept we use to describe things. We have simplified stuff to the four fundamental forces in science. That doesn't mean we don't use more derivative concepts such as kinetic energy, philosophy, idk basically anything really including matter, video games etc as if they are actual things/concepts which they exist. Everything is essentially a model based on practicality, there's no reason consciousness can't be similar. I haven't watched her 11 hour documentary, so it might be explained there- but I don't see an actual reason to treat consciousness as fundamental. I think the actual takeaway, is that consciousness is a spectrum- which makes both intuitive and logical sense
I think she wanted me to watch her documentary
I love her laugh it’s so full of whimsy
"Green does not exist. Green exists as an experience…" "Space itself is not a fundamental feature of the universe…"
1. Intelligence does not arise from unintelligence.
In all observation of the natural world, we never see intelligence spontaneously emerge from something wholly unintelligent. Every intelligent being we know has arisen from a source that already possessed intelligence.
2. You cannot give what you do not have.
Just as a human cannot create intelligence from nothing, the universe cannot bestow intelligence if it does not already possess it. Our own intelligence proves that intelligence exists in the source of all things, because it could not have originated from nothing.
3. The part reflects the whole.
What exists in a part exists in the whole, even if not every part manifests it. Our intelligence, as a part of the universe, indicates that the universe itself possesses intelligence. Just as hair and nails are parts of a living body but not alive themselves, intelligence in us reflects intelligence in the larger reality.
Sarah Walker and Lee Cronin would be excellent future guests for you Alex. Assembly Theory is so interesting and so much of it can be understandable, even for a midwit such as myself…
She begins to describe space as a conscious perception instead of a limited objective reality, it reminds me of a video i watched about “how other dimensions perceive us” or something like that where he describes how other hypothetical dimensional beings “see” us and i think it’s a good pre discussion to this aspect.
Semepoietic Consciousness
One sentence: Read about Yair Pint's reaearch.
There is one single consciousness experiencing all of "our" experiences.
"You" and "I" are all part of the "one".
I want to share something about consciousness in a way that bridges both spirituality and science, because they’re really pointing to the same thing from different directions.
At the deepest level, there appears to be one underlying consciousness, a unified field of awareness. Science talks about this as a field, like the quantum field, where everything arises from the same source of energy and information. Spiritual traditions have always described this as unity, or oneness.
Within that one consciousness, there are layers of expression. Just like in physics, where a single field can express itself as different particles or waves, consciousness expresses itself through different levels of awareness.
One of those levels is collective consciousness, shared patterns of thought, emotion, and understanding that exist beyond any one person. We see evidence of this in psychology, neuroscience, and even biology, where systems communicate and organize themselves collectively rather than individually.
Then there’s individual consciousness, you, me, and our personal experience of being aware. Neuroscience shows that the brain doesn’t create consciousness as much as it organizes and filters it, much like a receiver tuning into a signal. That suggests awareness isn’t confined to the body, it’s expressed through the body.
The direction of growth isn’t fragmentation, but the opposite, it's integration. As individuals become more self-aware, more regulated, and coherent, they naturally influence the collective. Enough coherent individuals begin to shift the tone of the whole system, this is how cultures, movements, and even social norms evolve.
From there, humanity itself becomes a bridge. The Individual awakening feeds collective awakening, and collective awakening leads everything toward a more unified state of awareness. That’s what many traditions call God consciousness, or complete consciousness.
Not a separate being somewhere else, but consciousness fully aware of itself. Unity remembering itself through humanity.
So the movement is from one, to the many, and back to one again.
Not by escaping individuality, but by integrating it.
That’s the return.
33:26 – in LLMs we call this halucinations?
Yep awareness is basic.
Imagine trying to keep up with a conversation with Sam Harris and his wife at a dinner
Max Planck, quote: "I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derived from consciousness".
Basic argument, I don't know what consciousness is, I can't explain it, therefore everything is conscious. I'm sorry, that is just not the way things work.
Ahh ! Back to the topic PANPSYCHRIST, cause I am one.
but are you, Anika, conscious of your husband’s rabid Zionism and denial of genocide?
Im an hour in and shes not actually made any arguments exept for saying she is convinced but thinks its crazy..
Conciousness is byproduct of subject, known as subjective quality
Allow me to sum up that 11 hour documentary.
Fundamentally, everything that currently exists could not exist unless the pre-existing fundamentals for it are already in place.
Now backtrack that strain of thought to the beginning.
Design is an emergent of thought.
Conscious thought.
Consciousness is beyond fundamental.
Consciousness, is The Source of all things.
You're welcome.
Science and philosophy catching up with mysticism.
32:32 Did they ask both hemispheres if they wanted to participate in the study?
The universe is full of information….where is it? It has to be made physical by a conscious entity…..not always human,
If anyone ever succeeds in transfering one brain into a new body I hope they test the memories and see if they are still the same or if part of who they were no longer exists. I imagine in the hypothetical scenario that what is actually happening is who they were is now dead and someone else exist with only a part of who they were.
Why do some people have more seperation and less empathy, and others have more connection and more empathy? I don't think our minds are distinct, I think the people who feel very distinct are missing some connections that others have and it is a spectrum, and the people who feel they are distinct may be more connected then their experience, and the people who feel very connected may be imagining connections where there isn't. Not only is mental distinction a spectrum but it is prone to dilusion.
If our minds are so distinct from each other then how are dogs able to respond to the smell of emotions hormones? Why are emotions contagious?
I find it frustrating when dealing with physicist who believe the smallest thing detectable is the smallest thing. Our ability to measure isn't as good as realities ability to exist. Life may go way smaller than lights ability to detect.
"There were no children on the road," reminds me of something that happened when I was a kid. I woke up and my brother and cousin said "lets play a game." I said ok. Then they said, "lets play wrap each other in a blanket and stuff each other between the mattress and wall and see how long it takes to get out." I said no I don't want to play that game. They said, "too late you already agreed." They wrapped me in the blanket and stuffed me between the mattress and wall then asked, "can you speak." I said let me out. They shoved the mattress against me hard and said, "can you speak." I said let me out. Then they shoved the mattress against me a little harder. This time when they asked I could not speak. Then my brother said here is an alarm clock we will be back in 5 hours. I was so angry until I heard the screaming, metal clanking, and bodies being thrown against the wall just outside the window. It was a family fued. My grandma lied to the authorities and said she got the limp from a tracktor accident, my uncle said he got his injuries in vietnam, and my aunt said her busted nose was from being kicked in the face by a horse, but I knew since I was there that day what actually happened. I think I was 4 years old but not sure because I was young. I asked my brother why didn't you take me with you to your friends house and he said, "would you have stayed." He was right I would have died if he hadn't did what he did. No kids in a dangerous area means something is going to happen and the local know it.
One of the main limitations of the research she is doing is that we can only see things that react with light. If there is antimatter or something else causing what we see, we wouldn't see it.
Spinoza: one substance, two attributes (matter and thought) – David Hume: stream of consciousness and the illusion of self – Kant: noumena and phenomena – Alfred North Whitehead: Process and Reality – Charles Hartshorne: Omnipotence and other Theological Mistakes…
17:17 It absolutely is observable.
6:40 I believe its all or at least that the underlying principle of consciousness is behind the formation of all mediums of matter.. Energy creates matter and I believe it does so with intent. I wouldnt call it God though.
Reducing God down to nothing 👏
If you write about your true self, you are an aware object, not subject, writing about itself.
Lemma 1: your hands type your thoughts in such a way that your true self agrees with what your hands are writing, otherwise you are not writing about your true self.
Lemma 2: the content of your writing includes stating that it was written by your true self, otherwise you are not writing about your true self.
Lemma 3: the true self agrees with Lemma 1 and Lemma 2.
Lemma 4: the true self agrees with Lemma 3.
Therefore, your true self is a form of typewriter, by Lemma 4.