Consciousness, Perception & Reality - Donald Hoffman, PhD | The FitMind Podcast

Donald Hoffman, PhD is a cognitive scientist and a professor at UC Irvine, where he studies consciousness, visual perception and evolutionary psychology.
On this episode, we “take the red pill” and hear Dr. Hoffman’s theory on why reality is not what it seems. He explains this complex topic by comparing reality to a user interface.
We discuss many topics, such as his mathematical theory of consciousness, questioning beliefs, and how the mind forms new mental models.
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SHOW NOTES
0:00 | Introduction to Donald Hoffman, PhD
2:23 | Why Reality Isn’t as It Seems
7:30 | Reality as a User Interface
13:51 | Adapting to Evolving Technology
16:06 | Creating New Mental Models
18:31 | Moving Beyond Spacetime
23:06 | Consciousness is Fundamental
25:26 | Ancient Wisdom & Science of Consciousness
30:00 | Conversation with the Dalai Lama (starting at 54:40): livestream.com/accounts/55878...
30:15 | Reality Transcends Concepts
36:39 | Questioning Beliefs
38:56 | A New Worldview
45:04 | Mathematical Theory of Consciousness : www.frontiersin.org/articles/...
45:39 | Rapid Fire Questions

[@davidchou1675]

This is one of the more informative Hoffman interviews on KZbin because you let him finish his thoughts without interruption -- bravo!! Kudos as well for the Dalai Lama link!

[@yifuxero9745]

He's right, Consciousness is fundamental (and Absolutely so, going back to Nargajuna, 150-250, and to Shankara's 788-820 Advaita Vedanta). It's only an ignorance of perception (Maya) that prevents us to cognize the underlying Reality (or Substance, the word used by Spinoza), of existence. The entire universe and everything in it is That Pure Consciousness, but various methods and portals are needed to tap into and merge with Consciousness in the state of non-dual Samadhi that transcends the mind. Mantras and breathing exercises are among the techniques.

[@SeiroosFardipour-wf4bi]

Now that pr DH brought about that truth it seems that it makes sens completely nature in order to keep on going it has to brings about needs, desires,reproduction,at all levels even stars and galaxies,he is damn right,l must confess it is very original all humans questions like way souls that babies die or life is suffering or beautiful,all that become irrelevant

[@peterkuhn78]

A fundamental Paradox: Talking about Truth will never reach it, because language is conceptual and Truth lies beyond!

[@wearewon]

No. It's like a sign post. Reading it won't take you to the destination but will absolutely help guide you there, if u follow the instructions. You must have energy to pick yourself up and follow the instruction.

[@marlenayurukova5282]

Reality is beyond "nama/rupa" ( name/form) according buddism.

[@cynthiachristiansen8803]

Prism vision is a unique experience.

[@davidchou1675]

Hey any idea where that Dalai Lama video is -- it was hosted on Livestream but no longer at that URL...and doesn't seem to exist anywhere (current) on Google!!

[@marlenayurukova5282]

Fundamental buddist point is: reality is beyond conceptions and ideas, beyond names and forms ( "nama / rupa"), so it is beyond any theory or religion, it is beyond buddism itself.

[@yifuxero5408]

Hoffman states that what's behind/beyond space-time is Consciousness itself. True, but being hooked on mathematics and logic, he doesn't provide the means of getting to a direct experience of Consciousness, what Aristotle called "Being-In-Itself", or the One of Plotinus, the Tao, the Substance of Spinoza, or the Absolute Infinite of set theorist G. Cantor. To do this, use the method advocated by Manjushri in the Surangama Sutra (listening to certain sounds). No problem. Access "Mahamritunjaya mantra - Sacred Sounds Choir" and listen to it for 5 min per day for at least two weeks. Enjoy the Bliss.

[@susancherian6359]

Buddhism yoga martial arts yin Yang chi are all concepts from Hinduism . Plato etc did go to India to study philosophy.

[@greggkroodsma8197]

Behind the interface hides the exit.

[@geoffreynhill2833]

Maybe Mr Hoffman should try anthropological fieldwork in Botswana? 🤔

[@davidchou1675]

????

[@geoffreynhill2833]

Sorry, I'm still trying to find the vid. It's by a white South African (or Rhodesian?) about supernatural experiences of local black people. It was extraordinary. Geoff.

[@GiedriusMisiukas]

n1

[@matthiasnickerson]

He’s wrong about Fitness being the reason humans evolved to see and perceive less truth. He states over the last 2000 years that humans evolved to see less truth. Why did we start 2000 years ago? We’ve been around a lot longer than that. What’s so significant about 2000 years ago? Any major events that occurred at that time in history? The only one I can think of is that is when we went from BC to AD because that’s when Jesus supposedly walked the earth. That’s when the Gospels came out. Which he speaks in parables all the time. Everyone reads them but interprets them metaphorically as a good message which causes people not to consciously perceive the actual words they’re reading, the words that are influencing and indoctrinating them to act a certain way. They become supraliminal. Everyone sees evil as good and good as evil, puts darkness for light and light for darkness. No one sees truth. They call the Gospels “Truth” when in reality it is “False”. That is the reason humans have evolved to see and perceive less and less truth. Open your eyes!

[@bahiraluna]

Seriously?