What is Consciousness? With Neil deGrasse Tyson & George Mashour

What is consciousness? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice learn about the study of consciousness and how psychedelics could help illuminate the inner mechanisms of the brain with anesthesiologist and founder of the Michigan Psychedelic Center, George Mashour.
How do you study consciousness? We break down what a medically-induced coma is and how we would define a conscious being. What do we still not understand about consciousness? Is it located in a particular part of the brain? We discuss consciousness across species, panpsychism, and the emerging consciousness of babies. Could consciousness be applied to machines?
We discuss cognitive evolution and the different categories of consciousness theories. How will we know if a computer is conscious? We discuss how machines might achieve consciousness and whether replicating a human brain neuron by neuron would yield the same results as the original.
Learn about how psychedelics could help us uncover the inner mechanism of the brain. Why would putting chemicals in the brain help us understand it better? Do drugs help us understand objective reality better? We break down the conscious experience and what the brain is really doing.
Thanks to our Patrons Andrew O., Johnathan Kuhl, Nathan champlin, Matthew Smith-Burlage, Kareem Austin, Charles Blaksmith, and İtKopuk Cansel Işıksel for supporting us this week.
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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
#StarTalk #neildegrassetyson
00:00 - Introduction: Consciousness
4:30 - What is a Medically Induced Coma?
6:55 - What is Consciousness?
12:00 - Panpsychism & Consciousness in Other Animals
16:35 - Self Recognition & Perception
19:24 - Computers Achieving Sentience & Replicating Consciousness
24:41 - Psychedelics to Understand the Conscious Mind
31:07 - Psychedelics for Therapy
37:28 - The Birth of a Field

[@StarTalk]

What questions do you still have about consciousness?

[@BestieKing]

Do you think we are in a simulation and that we are all one (in consciousness) and not all one in the physical world (like our body)

[@chancelewis6514]

I have a fractured skull and scoliosis. I use THC a lot to counter pain. I have such a deep thought process and enjoy learning new things and growing. Is my state unique in my conscience?

[@chancelewis6514]

Also I used to have stress induced epilepsy

[@chancelewis6514]

Is my state of consciousness on another level because it's been broken down?

[@bjchorny]

Before Reach toothbrushes, it was flip-top heads. Evolve or perish

[@RetroTheatre420]

I like this guy; he's not afraid to say he doesn't know something. The world needs more of that.

[@bartolomeothesatyr]

Desperately!

[@LCM-sq4pw]

How can one call himself an expert on something that he doesn't know???🤔

[@bartolomeothesatyr]

This question begs some questions of its own, @@LCM-sq4pw - firstly, when did the interviewee claim expertise in the subjects to which he admitted his ignorance? I don't recall it happening in this interview. Secondly, given that no human being is equipped with the capacity to know everything, how can you expect even a subject matter expert to know everything? The very act of developing expertise entails learning more precisely the contours of what it is that even *_experts_* don't know - what outstanding questions remain in the field? What investigatory work has yet to be carried out? Answers beget questions; the more we learn, the more we discover we have yet to learn. Ultimately, in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. An expert doesn't have to (and in fact cannot) know everything - they just have to know more than laypeople and dilettantes.

[@Robert1991acosta]

he knows what we know and what we don't know about this something@@LCM-sq4pw

[@UserLogin-Z]

Consciousness is one of the topics that science has no business answering because science isn’t the only investigational tool that we have. You need philosophy and metaphysics - rather than traditional physics to answer

[@rainsfall4119]

Startalk is on Fire lately nothing but great quality podcasts in the 2024 already, thank you ❤️

[@rjampiolo32]

Wow, bring back George Mashour for future episodes. Now I'm less ignorant and more interested in the topics discussed. Superb episode thanks!

[@sonnyc.9259]

you and me both

[@geese5170]

Bots?

[@smokenstein]

It's good to hear Neil becoming more open to psychedelics. It may be of value for him to experience how truly humbling and powerful they can be. I doubt that he would lose anything if he tried, but it is possible he might gain a lot from it.

[@spartakus41]

I doubt Neil will ever try something like LSD or psilocybin experience. He is too stubborn about it. Can't say if it is a good or bad thing though. If he tried and had a bad trip, i'd rather he didn't try.

[@PhilipPedro2112]

I think Tyson is in a great place, psychologically and intellectually, to trip. What would that mind discover?

[@lemongavine]

Chuck banging out the great questions

[@jimskeuh]

that's a great question!

[@Kube_Dog]

That's a really great question.

[@FLLCI]

Very good question!

[@mcds54]

I did lots of LSD varients recreationally in my 20s (I'm 70 now) So glad I experienced it. There has been nothing else in my life that comes close to what I saw and felt with LSD. I can still remember those trips vividly 50 years later. (I also did Psilocybin mushrooms). Maybe it's not for everyone, and the vibe was very different in the 70s, but it definitely expanded my mind in more ways than I could explain.

[@soumyadhar2446]

Could you describe your experiences

[@mcds54]

@@soumyadhar2446 Honestly, no. There aren't any words to try to describe what I experienced, and certainly no way for me to communicate it to others, especially if you have not tripped before. It's just a life experience for me which will always be amazing and fascinating.

[@MutaliMusic]

Chuck SHINED in this episode! Good stuff young man! ✊🏾

[@Kube_Dog]

Who is the young man?

[@jasonlow6943]

It might sound silly ... But I actually love that we still know so little about the fundamental mechanics and defining attributes of consciousness... It is extremely interesting and it helps me to realize that there is always .... ALLWAYS... More to learn...

[@nfboogaard]

It's awesome to know there's so much to explore, at the same time it's sad that that ignorance usually gets filled with notions like "spirit", "soul" and divine/religious attributes.

[@ScottGimpel]

I think there might be more known that is not shared with us 😊

[@Some_Deist]

@@nfboogaard Same can be said about the materialistic explanations.

[@maniacslap1623]

The concept of consciousness gets kinda convoluted. In the grand scheme of things, your subconscious brain can do everything the conscious brain can do EXCEPT interact with the physical world in an efficient manner. Notice how when u sleep, your body basically minimizes your senses. Loud noises, bright lights or abrupt touching can cut through it but your brain is actively keeping u from interacting with the physical world while u sleep. When you’re awake, it’s the opposite. Your brain is allowing maximum interaction with the physical world. Your ability to think is just a means of making this interaction more efficient. Self awareness arises from our ability to think. Further streamlining the way we interact with the physical world. By design, your concious brain can’t run as efficiently as your subconscious brain. This drop in efficiency is what causes us to feel separated from the inside world aka like someone else is driving the vehicle. I smoke a lotta weed😂😂😂

[@mashaleng]

Learn to spell always first 😂

[@LeilaKincaid]

Oh yes, now you are speaking my language. I have an MA in Consciousness Studies and am going on to doctoral research about consciousness. I presented my research at the Society for Consciousness Studies annual conference, and absolutely love this conversation! Thank you! By the way, at approximately 8:15 in the vid, Neil references books like "Consciousness Explained..." and I'd like to point you to Allan Combs' seminal work, Consciousness Explained Better. He founded the Transformative Studies department at the California Institute of Integral Studies 20 years ago, where their primary focus has been on consciousness studies, and he has more books and papers published on consciousness than anyone on Earth.

[@asamreynoso9448]

That’s so awesome ❤

[@itsmybuddha.nature]

Good luck and best wishes. I can feel your passion.

[@l3rlc]

Do you know why he keeps saying that it is such a new/young field? I feel like there have always been people studying consciousness....

[@marketingwithwilliam]

Have you looked into Caroline Cory's work for bmeasuring consciousness??

[@John_Fisher]

I loved that initial answer to the question 'what is consciousness?' It reminds me of a quote from Augustine of Hippo musing about a similarly deep, fundamental question, "What is time? If nobody asks me, I know; but if I were desirous to explain it to one that should ask me, plainly I know not."

[@alexstevensen4292]

That one is easy time is the position of the pointers of the clock

[@Masterpcb_]

I really want Neil to talk about his own psychedelic experience soon

[@spartakus41]

I just can't find words to describe how much interesting that would be for me! Maybe that's because English is not my first language though)))

[@MaverickBlue42]

He's never had one, and he's previously expressed he's unwilling to try them until the science is more broadly understood. Chuck tried to talk him into it too

[@PhilipPedro2112]

If he has tripped, it might not be a good idea for him , being the type of public persona he is, to share that publicly. Carl The credibility of some of Sagan's ideas were dismissed by his enemies when they learned that marijuana played some role in their genesis and development.

[@nikslived-114]

​@@PhilipPedro2112 Hopefully we are shedding that stigma.

[@frankcoverjr.-jz3ne]

As a veteran psychonaut, my individual take on the effects of psychedelics is that our brains are hallucinatory by nature. Taking psychedelics remove some of the filters that our brains have to keep us from going insane. It’s fair to say that science is the daily ballast that keeps us afloat. Or something like that!😂💙♥️

[@fordprefect.betelguese]

Explore panpsychism.... everything is connected and is conscious throughout the universe... living organisms, plants, fungi, atoms, photons.. are all consciously connected... there are realms beyond our understanding but we are all part of the universe trying to understand itself

[@runnergo1398]

Religions exist because of our brains tripping. This is why I hate all religions. Don't get me wrong. I still believe in God. I just don't believe God wrote a single book on this planet.

[@keyzzz8379]

@@fordprefect.betelguese bros so based ngl same thing i felt when i took shrooms and couldn't describe it thanks g now I can google it lol

[@Shivaho]

Terrence McKenna calls them Deconditioning agents... They remove the social & genetic conditioning we get living in this Reality & allow us to see the full nature of reality that everything is Energy based in Consciousness.

[@suites.74]

makes sense. so much of the world we perceive is based on our own bias and needs.the world is so weird

[@scottyplug]

Chuck ruled this episode. Amazing topic. Wonderful conversation. "Keep looking up. . . . and IN!"

[@jony_b774]

Yes

[@Kube_Dog]

Why does he keep interrupting with dumb jokes? It really interrupts the flow, especially when the guest is just getting rolling.

[@scottyplug]

I mean, that's the schtick. It's his job to provide comedic relief to sort of bridge the gap between some super highly intellectual discussion and us common folk : ) He's a stand-up comedian by trade. @@Kube_Dog

[@mistasandman8996]

This show was different level knowledge. I will have to watch it multiple times to fully comprehend

[@JeramieCurtice]

The debate over 'What is consciousness?' is ironically a demonstration of consciousness itself. Neil's observation that there are countless books trying to define consciousness, as opposed to the few on a well-understood concept like gravity, highlights a crucial point. Consciousness is not a static phenomenon that can be easily boxed into a single definition. It's the ongoing process of experiencing, recognizing, and reflecting-essentially, the art of awareness and interpretation. Each attempt to define it, with all its varied perspectives, is actually a manifestation of consciousness at work. Unlike gravity, which is a physical force with a relatively straightforward definition, consciousness involves subjective experiences that are diverse and complex. This is why it eludes a universal definition and why its exploration is endless. In essence, the quest to understand consciousness is consciousness itself: an ever-evolving journey into our awareness and existence. So, when we ponder what consciousness is, we're actively participating in the very phenomenon we're trying to define.

[@freebirdwv1965]

I lived a life of depression, I read studies on depression and mushrooms. I decided to try it. I discussed micro dosing with a Indian Medicine man. He said to max dose 1st. Then micro dose. So I did.. only micro dosed a few times after the big night.. But I have not been depressed again. I don't think k it is for everyone. But it worked for me.

[@staxenglish]

A friend of mine tried that, she said it levelled out her deoression but gave her a bit of brain fog.

[@beany79]

I’m an episodic cluster headache sufferer & micro dosing works better than any pharmaceutical at busting the CH cycles.

[@maddmethod5880]

would love a discussion on disorders that change the "content" of consciousness, like derealization/depersonalization etc

[@donkey3187]

OH thats just the releasing and effect of fight or flight response chemicals in the brain.

[@user-pi7gc4wg8k]

Consciousness is a blessing to be given the opportunity to listen to Niel and Chuck.

[@albert.robles7]

Psychedelics are great, one time I was trippin on too much acid and I was staring at a fire pit and the fire pit turned into a mini world with little people and buildings, it was 2 years ago and it's such an experience to remember. would love to trip on Shrooms next, just dont know where or how i can get my hands on them, so rare in my area

[@cannydave]

The good thing about LSD is its non addictive, the best experience I've EVER had on ANY drug was LSD, I've been so happy my face literally hurt from smiling so much for so many hours, but but once the trip wears off the last thing I'm thinking about is dropping another trip, you need time to recover, the closest I'd ever had trips together were a week apart but usually months or years, having said that it's been 6yrs since the last time but certainly would again given the right time and setting

[@userconspiracynut]

[Adamsflakesx] Ships psychedelics

[@albert.robles7]

​@@userconspiracynut how can I reach out??

[@albert.robles7]

Is it Instagram?

[@userconspiracynut]

Yeah, he has variety of stuffs like mushrooms, LSD, DMT, MDMA even the chocolate bars

[@andrewscoppetta4944]

Being a Tool fan, this conversation on consciousness reminds me of a favorite lyric from the song Right in Two: “Repugnant is the creature who would squander the ability to lift an eye to heaven conscious of its fleeting time here” The song is written from the perspective of 2 angels looking down from heaven, baffled by human behavior (“monkey killing monkey killing monkey over pieces of the ground”), so although the song itself is a negative commentary on the human existence, that lyric to me is a beautifully simple description of human consciousness. Obviously, as discussed in the video, there are different levels of consciousness in animals, but I always wonder if the awareness of our own inevitable end is indicative of the higher level of human consciousness compared to “lower” levels of animal consciousness. Do elephants know they will die one day? They seem to understand death to some extent. Dolphins and whales “name” each other by using unique signature calls, so they have a sense of the individual. Do they realize that one day that individual will be gone forever? How would we ever know? It always intrigued me that the knowledge of our own end might be a definitive marker of “higher” consciousness, and that Tool lyric kinda boiled that concept down for me way back when I first heard it. I’d love to hear other opinions if anyone actually kept reading this comment after the opening line of “As a Tool fan…” lol Thanks for everything you do Neil, Sir Nice, and company!

[@_Aeolus_00]

As a Tool fan, I am also a Tool fan. But I agree it's a very beautiful lyric. In the spirit of the topic: This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion

[@RoryJamesFord-rn9yu]

I am a prime example of a chemicals ability to be psychologically healed in an instant: lifelong depression and suicidality, one dose of ketamine. As soon as the drug took affect, a smile went across my face, and I haven't had depression and suicidality since that very moment, 4 years and counting.

[@dr-rex]

the same happened to me

[@hulamei3117]

Almost 70 and most of my years on earth has been spent on denying depression, running from depression, fighting against depression and now trying to flow with it. I'd like to stop depression. I need to try ketamine or something. I'd like to feel great again before I leave this life.

[@Ding824]

Neil, you are my hero, I've seen you live and preach your speech. Chuck, you are possibly the smartest comic, you bridge gaps that unite good people. I've had an interesting path in life, I consider myself smart by conventional metrics, and it just so happens that I've also taken many hallucinogens. Our brains hold many secrets and there is clearly a frontier of science here worthy of exploration. I feel I could contribute. I've sold cannabis legally after formal education of the medicinal applications and have seen those benefits manifest firsthand, and that is a meager fraction of the story. I'd love an opportunity to learn, share and contribute. I want nothing more than an exchange of forward thinking minds who are for the betterment of humanity, and, Woodstock aside, this is a real avenue to achieve that.

[@GMesa93]

George thank you. it’s my pleasure to sit here and listen.

[@SheSweetLikSugarNSavage]

Dr. Mashour gives really great resources.

[@NotTheEx]

Chuck is something else, I really enjoy him. I rarely even bother to watch the shows he isn't on, they're not near as entertaining.

[@freeltamon7208]

Big time!!!

[@andrewparker318]

I first realized the paradoxical nature of consciousness when I asked myself what would happen if I slowly replaced every atom in my brain with an identical one. Would my consciousness slowly disappear while something else that wasn’t conscious before takes my place? I would have no way of knowing if this did happen since my memories and thoughts wouldn’t change. This thought kinda terrified me because our bodies do slowly replace all the matter in our body with new matter as we age

[@LSA30]

Ah, the good ol' Ship of Theseus paradox

[@theblankchannel1752]

What about your brain, your memories? They are basically... in fundamental level, just different atom arrangements. And after many interactions, and over time, and of little changes... you're losing them, they get washed out. And the brain is very, very good at filling up the gaps... But what you remember is not what you experienced, it's just a reflection of the reality, created and maintained by your brain. So, what about your brain, your memories?

[@mikefixescars]

​@@LSA30you mean like a Chevy Aveo?

[@petersage5157]

If the replacement atoms are identical to the ones they're replacing, then you'll still be you. Everything about who you are arises from what you're made of. Here's another thought to consider: If your consciousness were somehow transferred into another person, would you still be you, or would you be them? Would you be able to remember that you were ever anyone other than them? Imagine retaining your sense of identity and morality and suddenly waking up in the brain and body of Brenda Spencer or Squeaky Fromme, with the neurochemical processes that make them who they are.

[@kishfoo]

But if those neuro atoms were completely replaced, you wouldn't know or even question your own memories. Of course your interactions with the people you know will prove that this particular form of atom and memory transfer doesn't happen, or we would hear of cases where two people came home from work and shouted, "Honey, I'm home." One would be a total stranger, but they would both have the same memories.

[@chancelewis6514]

Long time fan!! I love your content Neil!!

[@jasonsalcedo9037]

Love the work thank you for helping us expand out train of thoughts with great wisdom

[@FacesintheStone]

Usually it’s for the masses.. we’ll see how he does this time 😅 greatest comment Jason

[@sincityian]

Please do a whole episode on psychedelics! The research is so interesting!

[@PhilipPedro2112]

Or do a whole episode while on psychedelics. That would be interesting.

[@goczangabor24]

i can highly recommend netflix's "how to change your mind", a very cool mini-docu-series on psychedelics with the experiences of those with ptsd, cancer, suicidal thoughts due to chronic illnesses, etc. also starring actors, musicians, and just a general overview about the research of these substances and their legalization for medicine

[@gabrielacovay]

I loved this episode!!! Thanks for covering such an essential topic. Now.. where can we get samples? 😂

[@DarkSporeProductions]

LOVE LOVE LOVE this episode! Thank you!!

[@ROOKIEDAD]

Thank you for switching back to normal intro and theme❤😊 That's the feeling of the "good old startalk"

[@barrahart]

Greetings from this Nigerian humanist 🤍

[@moonshoes11]

Hello there! 👋🧔‍♂️

[@dmd7472]

Chuck smashing it 🦇 ⚾️

[@jamessavok295]

everything is always revolving (never Stopping)

[@PeaceProfit]

Getting to the heart (energy) of the conversation, experiencing the Lessons, Opportunities, Variety and Evolution of realities is the universal mechanism of L.O.V.E. Maintaining the course of respect, regard, relevance and resolution of that experience is the natural path of balancing its expansion. 👣🕊👽

[@Johnansvisionary]

Great. Dreams are another dimension

[@Donovanwashere]

Chuck Nice is the goat 😂👏❤️

[@Kittie28]

I love NDT so much and these intense conversations, but Chuck just really breaks up the seriousness and makes it so compelling to watch! I think it would get dry and boring without him

[@vickieysacoff4249]

Thanks for this! Always a great topic, and there's so much we don't really understand. 😊

[@karlgoebeler1500]

Using a story to synchronize thoughts with reality.

[@masterofnone3981]

All I know is that music was so much better in the 60’s and 70’s when musicians were using psychedelics.

[@FacesintheStone]

The artifacts of North America feature mammoth and mushroom on the same stone- coincidence? The mammals were creating* the mushrooms in poo and the people were following the mammoth, and the mushrooms have nothing to do with our consciousness. It’s all about the art which is invisible to most people. Not-for profit- I teach you how to see the art of your ancestors. ❤

[@michaelvaladez6570]

Like who..Heresay.. a media blitz back in the day..

[@blackdeathnapkin]

Sounds like Santana who has said that an artist isn't true unless they've experimented with LSD. I don't buy it, but thought you'd get a kick out of that if you hadn't heard it said.

[@XxxTragidyxxX]

Artist these days still do

[@dustinsmith9375]

Now they all use Xanax and the music reflects. It all sounds drony and tired

[@is.this.a-real-thing]

100% thank you so much for brightness the topics of the day. However, there must be smarter people than me and Neil that can get the work done?

[@Gwenx11nb]

I so love listening to Neil!!! 🤗 So fascinating. 😮 It's hard for me to follow along at times but nonetheless i digest what I can.

[@Johnnyde94v2]

Yay

[@himarei]

Psychedelics are tools, like any tool they can be dangerous if misused. They are tools to study the mind. Studying the mind while still being inside of it is very difficult if not impossible. Psychedelics brings you out of your own mind. Imagine you are inside a house ,you have to describe the outside appearance of the house but you aren't allowed to go outside. It would be possible to create a good approximation by studying the inside, by looking out of the windows, but unless you go outside, you'll never know what the house actually looks like. To study the mind, you get a much clearer picture while out of it.

[@DaretoDream814]

Once again, totally enjoyed the SHOW! Add on, but don't change. Appreciate U!

[@leimococ]

Both Neil and Chuck made great questions.

[@roelslegers2688]

The ONE question I’m asking myself since always is: i know/feel that I am myself but how so? Why am I not my cat or some insect or some plant? Or anything alive for that matter. Greetings from Belgium

[@rajithawickramanayake4542]

in bhuddhism , its a thing thats inside your body and brain, consiousness is a kind of energy that flows through each births or lives , entangled with karma. so once it go inside a cats body at birth , it becomes the cat. likewise

[@salehhaz8842]

yippeeee

[@sideshowbobrobert]

we know more about the universe than we do about our own oceans; we know less about our brains than we do the oceans......thank you again for yet another stellar conversation at the frontiers o' the mostly unknown...

[@tompowers8495]

Very, rarely do I ever lol watching you tube......Star Talk is an exception.... I've known Neil for decades and really enjoyed the talks we've had and Chuck is a jem.......the two are a Classic pair of entertainment and information.....kind of reminds me of another great pair "Car Talk", great work gentleman.

[@bigwill123ism]

Whoop! Whoop!

[@kishfoo]

A controlled mixture of caffines and opiates under differing temperature controls while going into sleep mode helps bring subconscious brain activity into the conscious mind. It helps to save and recall the twilight experience. Certain videos and music to direct focus beforehand will help evoke and guide. Adding different degrees of sleep deprivation before the sessions also affects the exerpience. My most extreme was 3 hrs sleep every 24 hrs in shifting cycles for 2 weeks. My conscious and subconscious minds merged and I started hallucinating and believing that every thought I had was real. Ended up the the psyche ward for a spell. Yikes! I never added psychedelics to this exact process because... my shroom experiences were decades before this when I could by them from street vendors in Japan. But I would totally volunteer. **Under controlled medical supervision**

[@rjampiolo32]

fortunately, you were able to overcome that. Sounds scary lol.

[@kishfoo]

​@@rjampiolo32Yup. And it helped me pull content from the ether or mind for a fantasy scifi novel series I'm writing.

[@SheSweetLikSugarNSavage]

See..... that's what I'm talking about... psychedelics can be nasty business and I've never tried them for a dream sake. My ideal vacation from reality would not be in a padded psych ward.😆

[@kishfoo]

@IfElvesWereDayDreamers Sure. Such experiments are not for everyone. Just for the few who are willing to push the boundaries and even sacrifice their own sanity to gain insight beyond the physical realm. Not everyone makes it back. And not everyone who does make it back can keep a recollection and understanding of what they experienced

[@SheSweetLikSugarNSavage]

​@@kishfoo but that's the thing.... This is not true. Some, depending on the insightfulness of the individual, or individuals, can venture into realms beyond the physical to and fro, and return safely. Which leads to the question, are some born with a certain Birthright to venture in safely?.... something like a biological hall pass encoded in their DNA. Sure psychedelics drugs can be used to obtain the ability , but is it really about psychedelics drugs? Certain Bloodlines, or blood lineages can do this naturally, without adding a chemical enhancer. Adding a chemical enhancer only helps to push the boundary if they're seeking for instance a form of shamanism. But even if not, then they can go in and return back safely without having any side effects period. Meanwhile others without the DNA signature could possibly be driven mad with things like hallucinations, mental depression, or where they began to experience a phenomenon like spiritual hijacking. Especially if they're repeatedly entering uninvited. Its as if its an invasion into a house if they have no right to be there. So how similar, or how different are we really in our so-called junk DNA?

[@Tehnologicus]

Here is my take: The energy involved in the neurotransmission process, largely electrical and chemical in nature, can be seen as emerging from atomic interactions. Since consciousness and well-being are deeply connected to brain function and neurotransmitter activity, it’s plausible to theorize that the energy dynamics at the atomic and molecular levels within neurons are integral to these higher-order experiences.

[@Jethro420]

watched this whole thing high. (Gron lemonade mega pearl, for those curious) incredible! :) look forward to more episodes :D

[@EseEilien]

What an amazing episode.

[@straightwithnochaser]

Great stuff! Thanks for another awesome video!

[@gabrielouellette933]

Amazing guest.

[@thierrymarcellus9082]

Comedians are so smart… Chuck is great 👍

[@myersred8]

See also Boltzmann Brain: consciousness as a mirror of rare order in the chaotic entropy of the universe, and the idea that another phenomenon could come along and actually map on to that rare order and reproduce it as a conscious awareness is almost inconceivable. One clear feature of consciousness is that it entails a degree of organization and order and symmetry that it is instinctively felt as something special and sacred.

[@asan1050]

Thank you for posting.

[@Ian-bl9xd]

Great stuff. Had amazing trips but also the most terrifying too. Set and setting so true.

[@ReedNOFX]

I love these videos thank you neil

[@user-pr2os6tt6c]

Thank you ❤

[@kellyrobinson1780]

DAYUM, Chuck! You had some questions that were REAL! And I don't mean non-comedy; I mean incisive. I mean, I was already impressed wirh your intelligence and familiarity with a broad range of subjects, but this session caught me off guard. Respect.👍

[@patrowan7206]

This is so rational that it hurts... oh yeah, it hurts so good. A great short show on these vast topics!

[@joaorafael9409]

Great talk, great subject! You should invite Dr. Miguel Nicolelis from Duke University, it would be such a rich talk (and fun)!

[@arturasstatkus8613]

Thank You,Dear Sirs.

[@TheCgOrion]

Same thing with Ergot. There are compounds that have been isolated, and are still used to this day in medicine. Excellent episode.

[@sketchtheparadigmyork1217]

I love how philosophical were getting on the pod. God and Consciousness are interesting subjects to ponder.

[@joseimpact]

great episode!!!

[@BitCounter]

Boom! Mind blown... Great episode.

[@mrafam626]

No better show online 👏

[@damiensadventure]

Star Talk has been releasing BANGERS this week!!! I've followed Neil's career since I was a school kid. Did you know this man once lifted a car out of the way so a bus could pass by while he was in a foreign country on work or vacation. They thought he was super man. He was like "Nay, I pivoted a fulcrum. It was physics." Or something like that. Absolute Giga Chad of an astrophysicist and an all around good dude.

[@ThumperThumps]

Chuck is the best!!!

[@jasminetoschlog4559]

Great episode!!!

[@naturallybecoming831]

From my experience I’ve come to understand that we are individualized expressions of consciousness. So everything that we see is a mirror of our state of consciousness. So we’re all creating our experiences and versions of people based on what we believe or assume to be true. But I guess I’ve been defining it more as our perspective and assumptions of life. Like the awareness of life itself. It’s been more spiritually focused but it’s definitely help me step back and let go of depression anxiety and other things regarding mental health. I’ve cured those things by learning I am the (consciousness) awareness of the anxiety/depression vs completely identifying with the feelings and thoughts of anxiety etc I was definitely interested in trying psychedelics or ayahuasca because I’ve listened to a lot of peoples experiences shifting states of consciousness and being able to see life on earth/beyond the matrix and our human identification. I find that since I’ve shifted my consciousness without taking drugs I think it would still be interesting to see how my own consciousness would interpret or express those higher states

[@sharky2675]

great question

[@moonshoes11]

Neil and Chuck 2024

[@detectivehowardb7]

good show gentlemen. Glad other's are getting to see. Nothing to fear but fear itself.

[@d-onedeekool9482]

Great talk.

[@glenncurry3041]

When Chuck just sits there and NdG says, let's back up...! You know you've got some guest there! Incredible stuff!

[@monkerud2108]

great episode, enjoyed it :)

[@bartolomeothesatyr]

@26:41 - "Right on!" indeed, Chuck, "Right on!" indeed! ✊

[@charleswettish8701]

Uncontrollable sobbing is how we'll know when a computer is concious.

[@VTECH650]

great talk

[@harrisonhicks9697]

Excellent stuff gentlemen.

[@karlgoebeler1500]

Single words that start a conversation. Yes i have ears and a out of place words starts the thought process.

[@atgtaurus67]

He’s so smart his head is glowing 💫

[@markvis4106]

i'd just like to say: .... the conciousness is in the mitochondria, thank you.

[@avivavogelgabriel5482]

Chuck’s questions were quite excellent. I hugely prefer Chuck’s contribution when he asks these incisive questions, rather than his often disruptive stuff like “When are we gonna get HIGH!” 🎉😊

[@HappyBelly10]

I like Chuck. He helps bring it down to my level (a scientist but not a physicist)

[@glennferrell2902]

Great video - an anesthesiologist is perfect for this discussion! Raises questions. 1) Do we limit the discussion of consciousness to the world of classical physics? (As opposed to quantum physics) where we could wander so far off in the weeds that nothing we said would have practical application. 2) Is a discussion of "consciousness" primarily a "semantic" discussion (kind of a Wittgenstein question)? Which emphasizes the importance of Chuck's request for a definition. 3) What's our "domain"? In humans we think of the spectrum of consciousness as going from unconsciousness to consciousness. But if our domain is all matter in the universe, then the low end might be a rock - something "not-conscious" (old Star Trek episodes aside). Then, of course, we have to peg the high end of that spectrum? Is it us? Dolphins? (studying dolphins led John Lilly into believing there were conscious beings inside of his stereo system.) Whales? Elephants? (Cats?) 4) And how do we deal with swarm intelligence -- ants and bees? Where on the spectrum is this kind of consciousness? The individual brains of leaf-cutter ants already have a million neurons. They can, individually, make a decision to change caste. As a group they build roads, farm, keep slaves. Swarms/hives/colonies seem to be somewhere on the spectrum - but then maybe the spectrum is not linear. 5) How about bacteria? 6) Viruses? Viruses are usually held not to have consciousness because the only actions they take are those that help them survive and replicate (like ants, cats, members of political parties ...).

[@charliebate]

Great related reading ... "Quantum Body: The New Science of Living a Longer, Healthier, More Vital Life"

[@The-binge_710]

Great Content

[@artofunk]

I would Love to have Deepak Chopra inserted into this mix! And to make it even more extravagant, add Rupert Spira please…!!! Loved this 👌🏾👍🏽

[@atgtaurus67]

Great show Guys! ❤️💫🍄

[@karlgoebeler1500]

The need to clarify the mental state. Multiple consultations or all at once. You Dr Mashour would also know the need for one question at a time.