Back to: Consciousness Cartography: Mapping Non-Local States of Awareness
Module 0: Recommended Media
The material in this module spans philosophy of mind, neuroscience, history of science, and contemplative practice. Different minds absorb different media at different depths. The resources below are organized by topic. None are required in addition to the readings, but each has been selected because it conveys something the text alone doesn’t.
On the Hard Problem of Consciousness
| ▶ VIDEO RECOMMENDATION
David Chalmers: “How Do You Explain Consciousness?” TED Talk, 18 minutes. The source. Watch it first. TED.com search: David Chalmers consciousness TED |
| ▶ VIDEO RECOMMENDATION
Closer to Truth: “What Is Consciousness?” (Series) Robert Lawrence Kuhn’s long-running PBS series features extended interviews with Chalmers, Dennett, Penrose, Koch, Tononi, and dozens of others. Individual episodes run 5–15 minutes. An extraordinary resource for understanding the full range of serious positions. closertotruth.com search: consciousness |
On Consciousness Theories
| ▶ VIDEO RECOMMENDATION
Philip Goff: “Galileo’s Error and Panpsychism” 45-minute lecture. Excellent on the historical origins of why science excluded consciousness and the contemporary case for panpsychism. YouTube search: Philip Goff panpsychism lecture |
| ▶ VIDEO RECOMMENDATION
Bernardo Kastrup: “Analytic Idealism in a Nutshell” 25-minute video. Kastrup explains why consciousness-as-primary is more parsimonious than materialism. Essential viewing before reading Why Materialism Is Baloney. YouTube search: Bernardo Kastrup analytic idealism |
| ▶ VIDEO RECOMMENDATION
Stuart Hameroff: “Orchestrated Objective Reduction” 60-minute lecture on Orch-OR, including the latest experimental support from anesthesia research and microtubule biology. YouTube search: Hameroff Orch OR lecture 2023 |
On the History of Consciousness Research
| ▶ VIDEO RECOMMENDATION
Dean Radin: “The Science of Psi” (Google Tech Talk) 75-minute data-dense presentation. Covers the cumulative statistical case for psi phenomena. One of the best introductions to the research literature. YouTube search: Dean Radin Google psi |
| ▶ VIDEO RECOMMENDATION
Jim Tucker: “Life Before Life’’ (TEDx Charlotte) 17-minute TEDx talk on reincarnation research from the University of Virginia’s Division of Perceptual Studies. YouTube search: Jim Tucker TEDx reincarnation |
On Phenomenological Practice
| ▶ VIDEO RECOMMENDATION
Shinzen Young: What Is Mindfulness? A 12-minute talk that presents the three core skills (concentration, clarity, equanimity) in plain language. Accessible for students with no meditation background. YouTube search: Shinzen Young what is mindfulness |