The Science of Consciousness

We are very excited to be collaborating with the Essentia Foundation and the Institute for Advanced Study at the University of Amsterdam to organize an online conference on the Science of Consciousness.

One of the greatest questions we face is the nature of consciousness. Currently, the most widely accepted scientific framework is materialism: the idea that the world around us and everything in it, including ourselves, arises from the interplay of underlying material substances. Within this framework, consciousness is the result of brain processes. Yet, materialist neuroscience has not yet been able to pinpoint consciousness in the brain. Furthermore, the materialist framework does not explain the phenomenon of subjective experience and leaves no room for human values, including meaning, compassion and humanity. At this conference, we explored different metaphysical frameworks that include materialism, but also alternatives such as idealism, which may contradict or complement materialism.

The Conference took place on November 2nd and 4th 2021, online. The sessions were recorded and the links will be made available below as they appear.

Program

November 2nd

14:00    Does the evidence indicate that experience is (generated by) brain activity?

Dr. Bernardo Kastrup, author and director of Essentia Foundation

Click here to watch Bernardo’s presentation

14:35    Consciousness: flexibility, risk factor, wisdom

Prof.dr. Henk Barendregt, emeritus professor of foundations of mathematics and computer science, Radboud University

Click here to watch Henk’s presentation

15:10    The predictive mind

Prof.dr. Heleen Slagter, professor of brain, cognition and plasticity, Free University Amsterdam

Click here to watch Heleen’s presentation

15:45    An introduction to Panspiritism: How Fundamental Consciousness Becomes Individual Consciousness

Dr. Steve Taylor, author and lecturer at Leeds Beckett University

Click here to watch Steve’s presentation

16:20    Panel Discussion

Watch the Discussion here

17:00    End 

November 4th

14:00    Emergence in the Universe & the Human Mind

Prof.dr. Erik Verlinde, professor of theoretical physics, University of Amsterdam

Click here to watch Erik’s presentation

14:35    Blobs of order: being in between below above

Dr. Esmee Geerken, Arts Science fellow, UvA Institute for Advanced Study

Click here to watch Esmee’s presentation

15:10    Higher Dimensions of Consciousness?

Dr. Jacob Jolij, author and lecturer at Groningen University

Click here to watch Jacob’s presentation

15:45    Consciousness as relational

Dr. Iain McGilchrist, author, psychiatrist and former Oxford literary scholar

Click here to watch Iain’s presentation

16:20    Panel Discussion

Watch the Discussion here

17:00    End

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