Hello there!
Fundraiser for the Ormylia Foundation
On Sunday 4th August we’re raising funds for the Ormylia foundation, supporting children fleeing war zones and many other similar causes. A donation means you can submit a question at the open Q&A with Michael Levin and Bernardo Kastrup.
You can see dialogues with them on the youtube channel including recently released videos exploring metacognition, what is “information” and ‘what is a thing’! More on that below.
Upcoming Events in London & Online
- Headless Way Days with Richard Lang: These sessions continue to sell out and the next available date is in September. Book early if you want to get a head / lose a head!
- Special Course on Loving-Kindness Meditation: Mark Ovland returns with this ancient life-changing practise, presented in modern terms.
You can find all these events here.
Spotlight on Michael Levin and Bernardo Kastrup
Michael Levin must be amongst the most exciting thinkers in biology right now. His lab explores fundamental questions and finds hard evidence for fundamental questions including:
- where memory is stored (not just the brain)
- how the body knows what shape to create (not just in DNA)
- which unexpected entities might be intelligent (probably not just animals)
He is sympathetic to idealism (or ‘nonduality’) but it's his differences of opinion with Bernardo that make for a fascinating dialogue. All three of our previously hosted discussion with Michael Levin are on youtube, and you can catch the most recent one here.
Understanding Metacognition
When the colour of the background changes very slowly, nobody tends to notice. Even though you are obviously seeing the colour before and after, the change isn't being registered metacognitively.
This crucial distinction is what Bernardo has said most people misunderstand about idealism. (The proposal that everything is fundamentally consciousness.) To understand this we need to understand the difference between something being in awareness, and being able to reflect on and report that it is in awareness.
The concept is so fundamental to understanding our experience, consciousness and perhaps reality itself, that we released two dedicated videos on the topic:
Bernardo Kastrup on Metacognition - #1
Bernardo Kastrup on Metacognition #2: Integrated Information Theory & Markov Blankets
Why should you care?
Well, Metacognition may have a lot to do with the very purpose of your life, and perhaps existence itself. This proposal echoes mystical traditions ranging from Advaita Vendanta to Sufism: that self-awareness is the goal of life.
I hope some of this sparks your curiosity, that you enjoy the videos and events, and that we'll see you on August 4th with your very own questions!
With appreciation,
Amir
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