Philosopher of Mind: Consciousness, Out-Of-Body Experiences & The Illusion of Self! Thomas Metzinger

About the conversation

Sentia Spirits the future of drinking (Use Code GIANT10 for 10% discount off your first purchase: From the US: https://us.sentiaspirits.com?sca_ref=9392512.WxQFiaRSmPH3YUX From Europe: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084 Thomas Metzinger is a professor of theoretical philosophy, consciousness researcher, and author of The Ego Tunnel, Being No One and The Elephant and the Blind — some of the most radical books on the nature of the self and reality ever written. Download a FREE copy of The Elephant And The Blind HERE: https://thomasmetzinger.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Metzinger_MIT_Press_2024-1.pdf He’s spent decades exploring the hardest questions in neuroscience and philosophy: What is consciousness? Is the self an illusion? Could AI ever suffer? And what happens when our models of reality — including ourselves — break down? Expect to learn why your “self” is just a transparent model your brain mistakes for reality, how out-of-body experiences (and virtual reality) reveal the fragility of personal identity, why conscious AI might be the greatest ethical threat of the next century, how meditation and psychedelics dissolve the illusion of “I”, why freedom of mind is under attack from attention-hacking technology, what it means to have a contentless conscious experience, why Metzinger believes we should ban synthetic consciousness — and what happens when you try to visit your girlfriend 85 kilometers away… without your body. Timestamps: 00:02:50 Transformative Experiences and Their Impact 00:05:38 Exploring Out-of-Body Experiences 00:08:57 The Nature of the Self 00:11:43 Phenomenology of Consciousness 00:14:38 The Role of Mental Imagery 00:17:35 Ketamine and Consciousness 00:20:30 Therapeutic Aspects of Out-of-Body Experiences 00:23:24 Understanding the Self and Consciousness 00:26:38 The Complexity of Selfhood 00:29:27 Phenomenal Representations and Their Transparency 00:32:21 Cognitive Agency and Mathematical Operations 00:45:46 Mathematics and Psychoactive Substances 00:49:15 Exploring Inner Experience and Phenomenology 00:52:05 Suffering and Experience Sampling 00:58:25 The Eternal Playlist Thought Experiment 01:03:21 Reflections on Past Generations and Happiness 01:10:32 The Impact of Social Media on Connection 01:17:56 AI Companionship and Future Relationships 01:18:48 Cognitive Offloading and AI's Impact on Development 01:20:10 Teaching AI Philosophy: A Historical Perspective 01:21:34 The Influence of Industry on AI Regulation 01:22:57 The Attention Economy and Emerging Intimacy 01:23:28 Philosophical Discoveries Through AI Interactions 01:25:18 Social Hallucinations and AI's Role in Perception 01:28:55 Virtual Reality and the Blurring of Reality 01:31:08 The Future of Social Media and AI Avatars 01:33:34 Global Regulation Challenges in AI Development 01:35:55 The Risks of AI and Human Manipulation 01:39:15 The Uncertain Future of Humanity and AI 01:41:15 Finding Meaning in a Declining World ... 📚 RECOMMENDED READING The Ego Tunnel: The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self: https://amzn.to/3UEcS0A Being No One: The Self-Model Theory of Subjectivity: https://amzn.to/41i7X9k … Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel) Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084 Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL ) Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder) Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqe Follow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249