#91 Meet the Philosopher Questioning Everything Neuroscience Assumes About Consciousness

Peter Sjöstedt-Hughes is a philosopher of mind and leading voice
on psychedelics, panpsychism, and the metaphysics of
consciousness. He’s a research fellow at the University of Exeter
and author of Noumenautics and Modes of Sentience — books
exploring whether mind is fundamental to the universe.


In this episode, we dive into why your brain might not produce
consciousness, how psychedelics could reveal deeper truths about
reality, the philosophical roots of mystical experience, and why
matter itself might be sentient.


Expect to rethink everything you thought was solid...


Timestamps:


00:00 Understanding Panpsychism


02:49 The Nature of Consciousness


05:56 Defining Mind and Its Ambiguities


09:01 Historical Perspectives on Mind


11:49 The Evolution of Consciousness


14:57 Philosophical Positions on Consciousness


17:41 The Intersection of Consciousness and Biology


20:33 The Influence of Historical Context on Consciousness


23:53 Exploring the Continuum of Consciousness


26:41 The Debate on Consciousness Cutoff Points


32:22 Exploring the Nature of Electrons and Consciousness


34:26 The Interconnection of Consciousness and Physics


36:24 Diverse Perspectives on Panpsychism


40:13 Historical Context of Panpsychism and Its Reception


43:40 Psychedelics: Insights into Consciousness


51:52 The Challenge of Describing Psychedelic Experiences


01:00:23 The Debate of Universalism vs Contextualism


01:01:43 Psychedelics and Consciousness: Fact vs Fiction


01:03:46 Hallucinations: Delusions or Deeper Reality?


01:05:13 Mental Causation: The Connection Between Mind and Body


01:08:55 The Therapeutic Mechanism of Psychedelics


01:12:49 Exploring Panpsychism: Consciousness Beyond the Brain


01:16:22 The Future of Consciousness Studies


01:25:03 Metaphysical Possibilities in Science





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