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
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
14:35 Blobs of order: being in between below above
Dr. Esmee Geerken, Arts Science fellow, UvA Institute for Advanced Study
15:10 Higher Dimensions of Consciousness?
Dr. Jacob Jolij, author and lecturer at Groningen University
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
17:00 End
