Understanding the Brain, Society, and the Meaning of Life | Iain McGilchrist

[@benmckinnon3440]

Iain was so gentle, humble and kind whilst giving sharp clarity for ears to hear. Very inspiring

[@sigmundfried3838]

It's a wonderful interview . Iain is like a jail warden who , with heavy keys in hand, comes to free you from the oppressive certitude of the left hemisphere. His words have the effect of a Buddhist Kohan which aims at shattering our conceptual framework so that we may see things afresh, if only for a moment. Is beauty not that which frees us, precisely because it escapes the grasp of the left hemisphere , and allows us to behold, for a short time, the dazzle of sunlit autumn leaves in a gentle breeze as they tumble earthwards, there to continue the endless cycle of death and rebirth. I guess he just blows me away....

[@lynnroots7556]

Mee too 💞💞💞

[@ginalibrizzi5204]

Beautifully said!

[@longevity-u1z]

@@Reso-pn7kr seems like females only get a 'point' if they're young, ie, 'fertile'???

[@SpiritualPsychotherapyServices]

dhamma: the Pāli cognate of “dharma”. However, in this case, it invariably refers to the teachings of Gautama Buddha, rather than the eternal law (“sanātana dharma”, in Sanskrit). In this book, it is used in the former sense, that is, of “holy and righteous concepts and deeds”. Therefore, the term “Buddhist dhamma/dharma” is somewhat nonsensical, since dhamma/dharma is fundamentally non-sectarian. Despite being the most atheistic human being to have ever existed, I often PRAY that I am not in the process of consuming a meal whenever I hear a Buddhist monk or lay teacher referring to his or her lecture as being a “dhamma talk”. If you have carefully read the entirety of this Holy Scripture, “F.I.S.H”, and you have listened to many Buddhist sermons, you may have already guessed the reason for my fervent prayer. This is because the assertion that the overwhelming majority of Buddhist monks are teaching authentic dharma, is so excruciatingly cringe-worthy and laughable, I am genuinely fearful of choking on my food upon hearing such silly claims! First of all, the founder of Buddhism himself, Siddhārtha Gautama was hardly a paragon of virtue, having abandoned his family in order to become a mendicant monk, being an animal-abusing carnist, and encouraging females to become loose women (so-called “nuns”). In my half a century of life, I have only ever encountered one or two Buddhists who adhered to (actual) dharma, so in that sense, they were factually SUPERIOR to Gautama himself! For instance, the abbot of the largest Buddhist society in my homeland, Australia, believes that it is dharmic (legitimate) for men to insert their reproductive organs inside the faeces holes of other men, and of course, like his idol, Gautama, he is a murderer of poor, innocent, defenceless animals, and a filthy feminist. Furthermore, despite being an indigenous Englishman, and a graduate of one of the most prestigious universities on earth, University of Cambridge, he is entirely unable to coherently speak his native tongue! Should not a supposed “spiritual leader” be an exemplar in at least his own language? Of course, no human being (including so-called “Avatars”) who has ever lived was morally perfect, but those who claim to be spiritual masters ought to be beyond reproach in respect to their own ethical practices. In the aforementioned case, Gautama should have returned to his family as soon as he understood the immorality of his actions, just as I, when I began adhering to dharma, repaid two persons from whom I had stolen goods and cash. Furthermore, assuming that Gautama was really a carnist (and knowing the typical diet of Bhārata, it would be safe to assume that he was at LEAST a lacto-vegetarian, and therefore an animal-abusing criminal), he was certainly sufficiently intelligent to understand that it is unnatural for an adult human to suckle the teats of a cow or a goat, and that human beings are fully herbivorous. Otherwise, how could he possibly be considered a member of the priestly class of society (“brāhmaṇa”, in Sanskrit) if he was not able to even comprehend some of the most basic facts of life? Make no mistake, carnism (see that entry in this Glossary) is a truly abominable, horrendous, wicked, hateful, evil, immoral, sinful, demonic ideology, as is feminism and unlawful divorce (in the case of Prince Gautama, the abandonment of his wife and son would be considered an act of divorce). When a so-called Zen Buddhist priest asks another MALE so-called Zen Buddhist priest (as occurred in a video interview I just watched on the Internet), "Do you and your husband have any kids?”, one can be fully assured that the lowest point in the history of humanity has been reached. The fact that both the aforementioned so-called priests are American men, is not coincidental, since the most decadent religionists seem to be of Western/first-world origin. I don't believe I have come across a single Western Buddhist monastic who is not at least slightly left-leaning (“leftism” being a common term in the English-speaking world for “adharmic”).

[@ccreasman]

“Information is not understanding.” Brilliant! That’s the difference between wisdom or critical thinking and data acquisition, fact awareness.

[@MrEnniscorthy]

Wisdom and critical thin king are not the same

[@seanomaille8157]

Much to consider here, but surely two people agreeing with each other is part of the problem they both are identifying. So much of you tube is filled with people agreeing with each other with little challenge. And then the comment section is filled with others agreeing to the agreement. I would agree with some of what Gilchrist says here about brain function, but when I hear talk of Jordan Peterson and Niall Ferguson I realise there is an agenda here, which is fair enough, but why not have a constructive challenge? Another one-sided echo-chamber is hardly the point of Mr Gilchrist's argument.

[@murraymcgregor7829]

@@seanomaille8157 Well Ian McGilchrist did disagree with John Anderson on his thoughts about our response to the pandemic with regards to him linking it to being a fully left brain response.

[@ginalibrizzi5204]

Having listened to many of Dr. McGilchrist’s lectures and discussions, this interview really stands out to me. Asking different types of questions gave us the opportunity to hear new insights and ideas. Thank you.

[@WilburD-x7i]

Listening to Iain McGilchrist is such a tonic!

[@Baka_Komuso]

I find it quite the opposite; a reason to despair….

[@Archie460]

Dr Gilchrist, is my favourite speaker Author and intellect his books are incredible. Thank you Dr Iain Mcgilrist 🙏

[@kateoneal4215]

Since I follow geopolitical events carefully, daily, and am also a visual artist, the picture I get is of a world map. What I see is the western hemisphere aligning with the left hemisphere of the brain, while the right hemisphere is in alignment with the more ancient cultures of the east. I've listened to many of Iain's talks and read some of his work, but this is the first time I've clearly envisioned it graphically/ geopolitically. It's quite amazing, actually. Thank you.

[@curlygrain4389]

Are you sure you haven’t jumped to a conclusion and are falsely rationalising?

[@geoffbowcher3189]

With open hearts and open minds we can surely flourish.

[@Li-eq6td]

With a pure heart, yes, which is why virtue education is key.

[@longevity-u1z]

@@Li-eq6td a pure heart doesn't safeguard against terrible emotional suffering

[@Li-eq6td]

@@longevity-u1z yes, it won't protect against pain... but it's the only way to keep a clear access to the right hemisphere and to God

[@Li-eq6td]

@@longevity-u1z the development of consciousness is always painful, that's a bare fact... that's why there are so many insensitive people in the world today who bypass this development... but they only delay the problem

[@claymoreth]

Sounds like unwarranted optimism that Iain connects to the left-hemisphere.

[@johnroulston370]

As always John Anderson’s conversations and videos are extremely insightful. Thank you to both John and Ian McGilchrist for a very interesting, thoughtful and inspiring conversation.

[@lechenaultia5863]

This guest has put words to a sense my right brain (and, it seems, that of so many others) has had for years now of constriction and decay. His summary at the end was beautiful and inspiring.

[@br4180]

I listen to you every night. I have learned to change the way I look at things. I love how you help. Thankyou.

[@DrAndrewC]

Thank you John and Iain. John, I really appreciated you pressing the point about the governmental / media response to the COVID measures were not tempered as the bigger picture became clearer. Well done John.

[@invin7215]

This deserves more views, Iain is a treasure.

[@shahlaahy4372]

Perfect conversation to share far and wide as seeds which may find fertile grounds to flower deserts of desolation!❤

[@annea3004]

Wish I had said what you just said! Lol... love it!

[@theobservereffectexplained1102]

Thank you for waking us up from a trance of looking at the world from one way and bringing beauty goodness and truth into our lives. Gratitude for your wisdom and hard work. I wish you win the noble peace prize for all your efforts to explain this complexity

[@theobservereffectexplained1102]

🎉

[@claranordblom8968]

Thank you, for this Amazing interview such important knowledge, explained .. addressing the deep cause of challenges so enlightening 🌸

[@Donaldalisary]

« There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio than are dreamt of in your philosophy. » I got a lot from this interview. Thank you John and Dr. McGilchrist in particular who has shown great respect for true science, the three transcendentals, love and the sacred.

[@tannykeeler9728]

A helpful discussion about how unthinking we are & where we’re taking ourselves.

[@observer991]

What I wish I had done differently is become fascinated with these kinds of thoughts when I was much younger. I am 66, with probably 10 to 20 years left, if I live that long...to take in as much of this stuff as possible. I have always been fascinated with information and being able to turn the information I acquire into understanding and wisdom. However, what I am starting to see by listening to the words of Iain and John is that although I have been on a productive track, I haven't been as efficient as I could have been had I been able to understand many of these things as well as I am starting to by listening to these very insightful words. Thank you, so much John, for producing these videos.

[@annea3004]

No knowledge is lost or wasted. I remember thinking in my 30s that 70 years was definitely not long enough to experience all life: rich and poor; sick and well, etc. Now I have come to understand we have lifetimeS. The wisdom and experience you have gained will go with you. This also helps explain the gifted and talented folk who are born thus. Do not despair. I was a late bloomer. Wasted years trying to figure things out! Enjoy life. 💜

[@ianrichardson9950]

Listening to your conversation helps keeps me sane! Thank you.

[@toby_fred]

The line between good and evil runs between every BRAIN

[@JayJay-wg5ex]

love ian mcgilchrist

[@architektura204]

"Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" by Betty Edwards, Ph.D is a fantastic tool for developing spatial reasoning and artistic skills in our left-hemisphere dominant dogmatic culture.

[@chopincam-robertpark6857]

Another Great One John, this is your niche.

[@RudyRotor]

OMG... the left hemisphere apprehends and the right hemisphere comprehends. Beyond brilliant 🙏

[@michaelcarbery9520]

Brilliant interview. I loved the explanation of left and right hemisphere. I always thought the previous left/right stuff was overly complex. And linking to our moods based on left right and how they coordinate together seems to make sense to me. I have spent time wondering if my left brain communicates with the right side. I think when I get into that stubborn state of knowing that I am right that is left. And the knowing that I am not always right is the right side. And that they are not so separate that I know when I am in one or tuther.

[@annea3004]

He said it was complex! Lol

[@longevity-u1z]

sometimes ppl redouble their efforts bc they can't think of what else to do, like me watching youtube vlogs and writing comments to self-soothe until i feel like being more active?

[@longevity-u1z]

ok, so if i put myself down i get 'points', is that correct???!!! then i'm not a threat???! : )

[@annea3004]

Lol... me too!

[@ritalewis1021]

His theory explains the insanity all around us.

[@Li-eq6td]

As if people really were turning into machines... But how to reverse this crazy trend? :(

[@kateoneal4215]

....in the "western" world.

[@SpiritualPsychotherapyServices]

Respected British anthropology professor, Dr. Edward Dutton, has demonstrated that “LEFTISM” is due to genetic mutations, caused by poor breeding strategies. 🤡 To put it simply, in recent decades, those persons who exhibit leftist traits such as egalitarianism, feminism, gynocentrism, socialism, multiculturalism, transvestism, homosexuality, perverse morality, and laziness, have been reproducing at rates far exceeding the previous norm, leading to an explosion of insane, narcissistic SOCIOPATHS in (mostly) Western societies.

[@tinman1952]

The teaching I have found that most closely parallels Dr McGilchrist's insights is the Course in Miracles.

[@RobRobertson1000]

Thank you again John. I love that you do not push your own ideology on the interviewee, rather you gently probe and let them talk. One thought occurred to me as I ruminated afterwards. You and Mr McGilchrist spoke of scientism (the rejection of anything outside the exploration box I have delineated) Yet he appears to be a bit the same, resisting going to the God question. Would that be fair? Maybe we could coin a new ism - philosiphism. We speak of beauty and love and meaning and right and wrong, but rule out the possibility of how those things came to be.

[@SpiritualPsychotherapyServices]

DOCTOR McGilchrist, rather. ☝️

[@premakau]

Thank you learned men ....very wonderful discussion on the problems of human brains and its behaviours...This should be treated as a special branch of science..searching brain is also a Quantum physics.. wherever you touch there is something new to learn..

[@robynroper598]

Very enlightening especially his final thoughts on life❤

[@hayatezzaldin7286]

Compassion and love ❤

[@terryhoare2989]

Insightful. Thank you.

[@veronicalodge25]

Important nugget of information Iain, everything has a shadow side..TY for that reminder..

[@mabelheinzle2275]

Thank you - incredibly thought provoking

[@oliveoil7642]

The one reason I believe so many youth are struggling with addictions and mental wellness comes down to their lack of purpose, meaning and community!

[@Breathoffreshair88]

You guys are legends honestly Thankyou for everything you are bringing forth in the way that you are doing. John Anderson, I think you would be great as Prime Minister. I don’t care much for politics but I’d actually vote. Haha on ya mate :)

[@ChrisOgunlowo]

Brilliant and enlightening, as ever!

[@KingBooks26]

As an author says, it is necessary that we're not close in our ideas and identities, and certanties, and be open to others for what is reasonable and important for men

[@shmachable]

After watching this video, I googled the phrase, "a sense of the sacred". The very first hit in my search results was to an address given at BYU in 2004 by Elder D. Todd Christofferson. It's an address with which I am already quite familiar and which I hold dear. It offers some wonderful insights into this idea of sacred things as well as patterns to increase our sensitivity to the sacred. I highly recommend giving it a read or a listen.

[@F1ct10n17]

I didn't evolved, I learned and I was born to learn.

[@karenness5588]

Mr. Anderson, I gave my right brain your question about what would a person be like who did not have right and left brain in balance, emphasizing the general whole rather than the specific. This is the answer it gave me: scatterbrained, absent minded, forgets what it was doing, tries to put the lid from one container on a different container, in other words, it doesn't focus, to a greater or lesser degree. It forgets how important it is to focus to get things done that that must be done, like turning off stove burners and paying bills. And it does happen, Mr. McGilchrist. In myself, when I find something that the right brain tells me to do, it's hard for anything to distract me. Most of the time, though, I'm thinking about all of the different things that puzzle me, following a certain line until I reach a dead end, at which is usually some deep discomfort, either from a topic too complex or one too personally frightening. Occasionally, I will have an Aha! moment when the right brain comes to a new conclusion or finds a new connection I had failed to notice before. Because I've had a complex set of experiences throughout my lifetime, my right brain has had to work overtime, often plunging me into depression. It's only as I've solved many of the different puzzles set by my right brain, as well as reduced the complexity of my life, after a small number of minor strokes, that I've been able to focus more on the more mundane tasks of crafting a civilized life. If you wonder about said complexity consider: maternal 20th century North American culture wedded to paternal, essentially 19th century culture, embedded in colonial Spanish culture, occupying the territory of a still extant Mayan culture, complicated by fragmented and psychotic nuclear social structures. It's enough to give the right brain the problem of a lifetime without giving the left brain much grasping to do, except the occasional?/constant? mental connections. I was an aviation electrician for a we while; they used to call us "one-wires." Follow a wire and find the problem. And I love commenting on KZbin because it gives me a place to trace those wires from one place to another and become familiar with the grand schematic.

[@purpleflame334]

Thank you!

[@annea3004]

Thank you John and Iain. I had to really pay attention with this video! 😉 When Iain spoke about life being very complex I understand. I'm in my 60s and the realisation that I don't know everything and constantly need to re-evaluate my stance on subjects and attitudes is demanding. I envy those who have set, established belief systems and will die thus. Nothing changes for them. They can relax knowing they are right. 😂

[@bobbeckel5266]

I really enjoy listening to Dr. McGilchrist philosophies. Does anyone know of any KZbin channels that actually show the experiments his theories are based on?

[@annea3004]

You could google it? 😉

[@alexandrazachary.musician]

Dear Sir, can you please credit your lovely title music? It becomes a veritable ear-worm whenever I listen and I’d love to find it in its entirety. Thank you 🙏🏽❤️

[@gmk2222]

Wholesome stuff

[@craigpereira4122]

Amazing ❤

[@Luckydog557]

Thank you

[@kateoneal4215]

Speaking of books... Have others seen what's happening to our libraries? Many have been permanently closed and others have had hundreds, thousands of books removed. I'm a US bibliophile and am greatly alarmed.

[@annea3004]

I've been buying books on all subjects for years. We need to have our own libraries. In Australia we're ok so far. However, I'm sure banning/disappearing certain books could become a thing. Be your own librarian! 💜

[@kateoneal4215]

@@annea3004 It's extremely important for the entire population, even those who can't afford their own libraries, to have them available. Ben Franklin came up with the idea for a "lending library" because a democracy depends on a well-read citizenry.

[@kateoneal4215]

And I'm talking about MILLIONS of books disappearing. Not just "certain" books.

[@JenE3377]

Either we must perceive at work in the universe, alongside force, a principle of a different kind, or else we must recognize force as being the unique and sovereign ruler over human relations also. Beauty is the word that shall be our first… Our situation today shows that beauty demands for itself at least as much courage and decision as do truth and goodness, and she will not allow herself to be separated and banned from her two sisters without taking them along with herself in an act of mysterious vengeance. We can be sure that whoever sneers at her name as if she were the ornament of a bourgeois past-whether he admits it or not-can no longer pray and soon will no longer be able to love.

[@carnakthemagnificent336]

Reminded me of Ecclesiastes 10:2 "The heart of the wise inclines to right, but the heart of the fool to the left."

[@mabelheinzle2275]

Community Nature and the Sacred

[@arlinegeorge6967]

Beautiful beautiful genuinely realistic talk. In the now if we have humans are discussing there is hope. Great humans like this are bringing awareness in this broken universe, The universe is a well oiled machinery just like schools, colleges , hospitals industry press technology. The universe is filled with ego and power desperate people,But genuinely realistic human's will bring sense. Or else great leaders like Dalia lama' his wisdom is showing great results. So probably Indians will prove what our values, culture and traditions bring upon us. Love and peace to all

[@longevity-u1z]

iain i dont like to challenge u because of ur marvellous coherence, but sometimes i think that science getting things wrong can have a negative impact?

[@longevity-u1z]

2. with ur aversion to ai, presumably u don't feel that the former provides limits which, before, u said, in so many words, i think, that you believe are 'necessary', with the greatest respect.

[@finnmacdiarmid3250]

McGilchrist’s “elevator pitch” has gotten better in the past couple of years. It’s only made more sense since the publishing of TMWT and the subsequent interview tour.

[@ausforaus7617]

My gut feeling is that he is right

[@DougCrawford-z5v]

In the vast expanse of our minds, there lies A division stark, a line drawn between The left hemisphere, the right, each with its own Unique perception of reality. The left, it apprehends with cold precision The world around us, breaking down each part Into its smallest pieces, analyzing With logic sharp and methodical. But in its coldness, lacks the warmth of feeling That the right hemisphere possesses in abundance. For the right, it comprehends in hues of emotion, Seeing not just the parts, but the whole, The grand tapestry of existence unfurling, A symphony of colors, sounds, and shapes. Yet despite its grace, the right can oftentimes Get lost in the vast expanse of its own making, Unable to discern the details that The left can so easily pick apart. But here's the beauty of the brain at work, For in harmony, the two can come together, The left serving as a tool for the right To break down, analyze, and understand, Before returning to the whole, enriched By the nuances and complexities it found. But beware the dangers of the left alone, For in its cold utility lies the seed Of delusion, of a reality distorted By its own narrow focus on the parts. It sees the tree, but misses out on forest, The rhythm of the music lost in the notes, The beauty of the painting in the brushstrokes. Yet without it, the right would be adrift, Lost in a sea of sensory overload, Unable to make sense of the world around. So let us take a moment to appreciate The delicate dance of the hemispheres, The left and right in perfect harmony, Each bringing something precious to the table. For in their balance lies the key to wisdom, To truly understanding all that we see, To seeing the world in all its glory, In all its complexity and beauty.

[@mabelheinzle2275]

We only know matter through consciousness- wow - true

[@MrEnniscorthy]

For John the Universe is MECHANICAL.The world is full of stuff that makes us materially RICH and SPIRTITUALLY POOR

[@annea3004]

It takes all kinds of people to make a world. Living our own best life is what makes the world great. Going within is where you may find your happiness. 😏

[@wretchedexcess1654]

Chaos is inescapable... ...it's always lurking about... ...just as pervasive as Order. Without both, there is no balance possible.

[@annea3004]

No learning either. 😏

[@wretchedexcess1654]

@@annea3004 Exactly! It's a self-imposed impediment to ignore or discount either.

[@kevincallahan61]

Read Lonergan’s Insight.

[@tomgreene1843]

A forgotten man now ..??

[@MrEnniscorthy]

John has the so called WISDOM of retrospectivity. The truth is that we were all scared of the unknown lethality of COVID. Any shot at the ABC must be taken in the LNP. Iain politely moves Joh off this track.

[@notoriouswitness6560]

Yes this is when I stopped watching. Dr Iain is a great mind and didn’t need to hear that much less be expected to apply any theory to such nonsense.

[@LouiseDay-bd4qi]

Wow, this confirms my methods working with groups. Those who are what I labelled cold lizards accountants and their type could never see the value of the flying dragons, the artists and creators. While the dragons knew that the lizards were vitally important to keep order.

[@Video2Webb]

Everything spoken of in this conversation or interview actually refers to the process of evolution that humans are inevitably involved with. We are exploring ourselves as we chase down rabbit holes towards, surprisingly, the prospects of self-annihilation collectively and personally. That which some of us decry as narratives and myths enabling the power seekers to prosper - temporarily - at the expense of goodness, beauty and truth, is going to fade out, lose energy and credibility, as life's imperatives push back harder and harder. So I am saying that all which McGilchrist is pointing out and John Anderson too by his questions, are running streams of creativity even when awful to behold, and that the consequences mount up ever more energetically which will bring those streams to an end. So I am optimistic that despite all hazards which scare us, enrage us, disgust us about today's simplistic, inadequate or plain WRONG take on things, will take their course until brought to a final end by determined and canny opposition. Call out the narrativists! Call out the myth makers! Gather in numbers to do so. The bad things about today's culture will wither and die.

[@SacraTessan]

At what point in the transcription is the specific sacred described and defined ..why am I so tired about to just getting the long description of how the brainparts work owerand ower again in the yt versions ...although I experience reading of the books is at a different deeper level .As during writing express Ian mc Gilchrist deeper values

[@Մարգո-ե8ջ]

Very timely dialogue. Isn’t it strange, that when they show youth in western country,rarely you see genuine smiling face. It’s more like a grin with perfect set of teeth or veneers, with beautiful faces, that don’t express any thought process. It looks the more affluent is society , less content it is. How can in a museum be a massive queue to see some pop singer stage costume, and very few to look at paintings of the masterpieces? And conversing has become an art, of using words to conceal what one thinks, for fear to appear politically or ethically incorrect.

[@finnmacdiarmid3250]

You’re part of the solution, spread the word. McGilchrist argues attention is a morally motivated act. I’d go even further to suggest that ethics themselves are an expression of awareness, thus to abuse one’s attention is to abandon the possibility of moralisms indefinitely. It’s so feeble the mighty tower we rest our laurels down on. It’s about time we get back to it’s construction and fortification rather than watch as it’s foundations are crumbled by a force we do not desire to confront. Incentivization to commit to a higher awareness and ideal of truth is the challenge. An individualized challenge with even narrower solutions. But it’s possible. That’s where I find McGilchrist’s notion of the sacred to be intriguing going forward in OUR matters. What that will be I do not yet know.

[@patrickconnolly2654]

The meaning of life? I am life, not death. The meaning behind my existence is (maybe) not one of the questions that one would ask if one had not been pushed to its limits of understanding. There is merit to "owning the question." We can't have " e plurbis unim" because society owns a question.. we can only own answers. We need to own the wrong answer in order to experience pleasure. We need pleasure to counter the fact that we exist.

[@Archie460]

I don't normally watch this rather right wing show, however I am so surprised you have invited an open-minded intellectually enlightening guest speaker on It's fantastic.

[@longevity-u1z]

if, as prof hoffman suggests, the one has separated itself to know and observe itself better, i would proffer that this method of self-reflection is not a good idea.

[@levcimac]

Here's a provocation: you can't value what you're not in relationship with. In contemporary times we have become increasingly cut off from nature, community and the sacred. This leads to the assumption that we're valuing these less and less.. a worrying thought. We need to start to relate to these once again, just as we might mend a relationship.

[@Robert-xs2mv]

Life has no meaning, other than what you give it! So the pursuit of the meaning of life is pointless. Just live your life the best you can, and it provides its own meaning. And how one defines “best” is an individual personal experience interpretation.

[@jml2683]

What makes something beautiful is a left hemisphere question for a right hemisphere experience.

[@humanistastv]

I have always noticed that the anglosaxon countries are wrong about what humans are and society should be! This men explains the truth! Please learn this and change!

[@mcnallyaar]

I feel like talking to John Anderson is a nail in the coffin of one's respectability.

[@annea3004]

That's sad you feel that way. Every human being adds to the whole of creation... even you. 😁

[@lesliecunliffe4450]

Brain hemisphere function is a red herring when understanding the crisis in our culture. Wittgenstein always condensed a unit of meaning by combining natural history (biology and the ability of humans to give feedback to modify our biology), forms of life (as understood in the way humans divide up their practices), and language games ( which Wittgenstein describes as the way language plays out in our forms of life). This means that any unit of analysis always transcends brains, as the mind is embedded and embodied not located inside someone's head. Both Wittgenstein and Heidegger rejected the mind-in-brain view at least ninety years ago. if our thinking has gone wrong, this is due to the way the embedded and embodied mind has been influenced by historical, social and cultural pressures and fashions, not brain functioning.

[@MikeFuller-ok6ok]

To be is the living union of the senses and how the mind and brain channel information from the external world and ow we give back information and find ourselves within the world.

[@rosehouse1603]

I believe certain groups of powerful and influential people have strategically used media and indoctrination in schools to create the state of thinking observable in society today.

[@BernardSmith-z3q]

a typical left hemisphere response

[@Robert-xs2mv]

@@BernardSmith-z3qlol

[@jomansson5742]

.... which is by design because left brains are easier to wash

[@crookedfingerjack]

There isn't prison and there isn't a key, there isn't a warden for the jailor is me. The sacred has no place for images and idols. Leviticus, 26:1

[@hopaideia]

Me parece que también se podría plantear que el hemisferio derecho es donde habita nuestro niño interior, curioso, creativo, agradecido, dependiente, vive. y en el hemisferio derecho abita en adulto, con el niño herido, A la defensiva, pragmatico sobrevive

[@OldEnglandCathedral]

literature and our brain

[@mabelheinzle2275]

Iain sadly is biased about the covid response - typical for an unhealthy elderly intellectual - still an interesting voice

[@Archie460]

I feel that all the media coverage in Australia around COVID was really bad. They all sang from the same hyme sheet.

[@dawnandy7777]

The mindset that developed AI is the left-brain world of algorithms. Can right-brain wisdom survive this technology?

[@Robert-xs2mv]

Survive is the wrong word, exist be better, can AI exist without the wisdom ?

[@annea3004]

People who use the left-brain algorithms may be extremely creative. We can't generalise. I'm an artist who can balance my budget. Working in both hemispheres as needed. Don't fear change... embrace the good and leave the rest. 😊

[@longevity-u1z]

but if you vitalize you have to rely on automatization, no, which, i would suggest, is mechanical and uniform, ie, also left-brained?

[@VMorgenthaler-yp6yz]

I seem to be predominantly right brain. I find it difficult to be angry.

[@YtUser-c1c]

Wow, the left hemisphere is extremely narrow minded… that reminds me of certain people on the left.

[@aletheia161]

As Baudrilliard might say, the territory no longer precedes the map.

[@Rogerholberg]

I would welcome Dr. McGilcrist's take on Lenin. At autopsy it was discovered that one side of Lenin's brain was only the size of a walnut. I assume that was the right side and Lenin and his will to grab power was a function of the left hemisphere. Yet, Lenin was highly intelligent and did a credible job, for instance, playing against the best chess players of his time. And he did that with a right brain the size of a walnut. How does that happen?

[@jomansson5742]

Wikipedia: both sides had pathology but not that severe, plus he had neurosyphillis

[@Robert-xs2mv]

Yet the third part of the brain is ignored. If only people learned to make use of it.

[@carollima20]

What is it?

[@seanmoran2743]

Yet Churchill doubled down during 1914 when he had already wrote that Wars of Democracy backed by Modern Industrial Power would be devastating for all involved

[@KRGruner]

I am very sympathetic to McGlichrist's overall aim, but he is totally wrong about the over-emphasis on left-hemisphere functions. That is simply not borne by observation of what is happening in society today. Might have been true during the Enlightenment era (even then, I have my doubts), but certainly not in the 20th century and today. These days, it's ALL (absolutely ALL) about holistic approaches to life with a total disregard for consistency, logic, and analysis. So nope, not buying it. Many of the ideas here seems to me correct, but definitely not that one.

[@seanmoran2743]

So basically you don’t agree with he’s views of the Enlightenment and especially those that follow it to exclusion of everything else

[@KRGruner]

@@seanmoran2743 I don't cre about his views on the Enlightenment per se. What concerns me is his mistaken assumption that what we need is less analysis and more holistic approaches to the big questions facing society. He is very wrong about this, in fact he has it exactly backwards. Both are needed to be sure, but the issue is the total modern (or should I say post-modern?) emphasis on holistic views with total disregard for analysis, logic. reason, and science.

[@The1SlayerChannel]

Estranged from society, estranged from nature, estranged from the sacred. Modern life is an absurdity

[@loganscott4396]

How can there be meaning to life without it also be meaningless?

[@noelhausler2911]

Hume firmly believed that evil and suffering offered evidence that God didn’t exist. The argument as follows, led him to state that it was not reasonable to believe in God’s existence: If God is omniscient then He must know about all the suffering, so why doesn’t He help? If God is omnipresent then He must see all the suffering, so why doesn’t He want to help people? If God is omnipotent then He must be powerful enough to stop the suffering, so why does He continue to let it happen? If God is omnibenevolent, He must love everyone enough to stop all the suffering, surely a loving God wouldn’t want to see people suffering?

[@sixtysecondphilosopher]

I am a system of a’ priori modes, not a body of limbs and organs. We need to move beyond the notion of “We” because we as humans is a loose premise at best. In essence, the body conduit has no fixed predicate in the abstract lens. What is it of us that knows that? We should begin to define ourselves as a set of a’ priori modes. A set that allows for systemic alignment. A set synthesised with realities structures and stresses. This is the next step. Everything else is tied up in a field of inverted axioms and that path is a dead end.

[@br4180]

Can you talk about ocd.

[@georgegrubbs2966]

I am concerned that his severe separation of functions and roles for each hemisphere is not true. What of people living with only one hemisphere? What of people who have their corpus callosum surgically severed? I would tread cautiously throughout the video, and do some checking of the claims made.

[@annea3004]

Dr Sachs wrote an interesting book about the brain... However, I feel that our spiritual/psychic connection can augment our lives in some cases. There are the blind who can still 'see'. Such examples clearly show there is more at work I.e. consciousness that resides outside of the brain/body. Putting all these things together is more than I can handle. Your question is valid and we need all points of view for learning and evolution. 🙂

[@georgegrubbs2966]

@@annea3004 In my work and life experiences, I have discoved that some of what seems to be real is illusion, such as the so-called spirit world. It is comforting to believe in a benevolent God or gods and a guardian angel, and even immortality after physical death. But a truely objective consideration of the hypothesis of disembodied spirits shows that it is false. Someone blind from birth cannot "see." Someone who losing their sight after years of sight can produce inner images as sighted people can. Losing one's sight causes a sharpening of other senses such as hearing. I know of cases where people use their cane by tapping and can echolocate objects that way to avoid running into them. I can roughly descibe the object.

[@carollima20]

Maybe its predominantly like that, but not rigid...?

[@JeremyHelm]

4:16 left: actuating objects

[@JeremyHelm]

4:44 what's not on the map (yet)

[@JeremyHelm]

7:26 what's gone missing

[@JeremyHelm]

7:56 prioritized attending to something that doesn't understand anything

[@JeremyHelm]

8:03 left apprehends, right comprehends

[@JeremyHelm]

10:30 even the perception of interdependence is recognized asymmetrically

[@seanmoran2743]

Sauron maybe gone but I see very many Saurumans

[@MrEnniscorthy]

Around 27 mins into the podcast Mr Anderson gets into the ABC with savage criticism...........John is so LEFT Brain certain he is a prisoner of his biases

[@annea3004]

Thank God we're not! 😄