Consciousness is a mystery

Consciousness is a mystery

What is consciousness, really? We don’t know. Scientists aren’t sure. Philosophers can’t agree. All we have is the fact that it feels like something to be you right now. Beyond that, human consciousness remains a complete mystery. Sean talks with Michael Pollan about his new book, A World Appears, which is about what we do and don’t know about consciousness and why it continues to be one of the great miracles of nature. They get into why consciousness has proven so hard to define, whether the self is real or just a useful fiction, what psychedelics and meditation reveal about the mind, and why even serious neuroscientists are starting to question strict materialism. Along the way, they wander into plant intelligence, AI psychosis, ego death, and the unsettling possibility that not knowing might actually be the right place to land. Host: Sean Illing (@SeanIlling) Guest: Michael Pollan, author of A World Appears (@michaelpollan) We would love to hear from you. To tell us what you thought of this episode, email us at thegrayarea@vox.com, or leave us a voicemail at 1-800-214-5749. Your comments and questions help us make a better show. And you can watch new episodes of The Gray Area on YouTube. New episodes drop every Monday and Friday.Listen to The Gray Area ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Episoder(764)

Yuval Harari, author of “Sapiens,” on AI, religion, and 60-day meditation retreats

Yuval Harari, author of “Sapiens,” on AI, religion, and 60-day meditation retreats

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Elizabeth Drew covered Watergate. Here's what she thinks of Trump.

Elizabeth Drew covered Watergate. Here's what she thinks of Trump.

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21 Feb 20171h 12min

Avik Roy on why conservatives need to embrace diversity

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14 Feb 20171h 32min

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7 Feb 20171h 38min

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2 Feb 201750min

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31 Jan 20171h 4min

JD Vance: the reluctant interpreter of Trumpism

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24 Jan 20171h 43min

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17 Jan 20171h 4min

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