1 00:00:04,460 --> 00:00:02,000 so without an introduction you can read 2 00:00:07,849 --> 00:00:04,470 us by Oh everybody knows Larry Larry's 3 00:00:10,129 --> 00:00:07,859 job really simple I said Larry contacted 4 00:00:15,709 --> 00:00:10,139 him some months ago no pressure 5 00:00:20,929 --> 00:00:15,719 can you define the problem for us and he 6 00:00:25,150 --> 00:00:20,939 said damn you but the answer is yes so I 7 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:37,000 [Applause] 8 00:00:43,610 --> 00:00:39,770 that is one of the most interesting 9 00:00:45,860 --> 00:00:43,620 introductions I've ever had it's really 10 00:00:53,180 --> 00:00:45,870 very zen the introduction of no 11 00:00:55,490 --> 00:00:53,190 introduction thank you bill well I'm 12 00:00:59,890 --> 00:00:55,500 here partially to pay my respects to 13 00:01:05,660 --> 00:00:59,900 Edward Wilson who introduced this term 14 00:01:06,590 --> 00:01:05,670 to the culture in 1998 he's a Harvard 15 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:06,600 man he is 16 00:01:15,730 --> 00:01:10,130 one of the world's leading experts and 17 00:01:18,350 --> 00:01:15,740 murmur ecology I didn't know either a 18 00:01:23,450 --> 00:01:18,360 murmur ecologist is an expert in the 19 00:01:26,350 --> 00:01:23,460 study of ants amts in addition he's an 20 00:01:30,260 --> 00:01:26,360 expert in the fields of sociobiology 21 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:30,270 ecology biodiversity environmentalism 22 00:01:36,980 --> 00:01:33,690 and scientific humanism and besides that 23 00:01:40,309 --> 00:01:36,990 he's won two Pulitzer Prizes here was a 24 00:01:43,279 --> 00:01:40,319 comment from Professor Wilson which 25 00:01:45,910 --> 00:01:43,289 gives you his measure look closely at 26 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:45,920 nature each species is a masterpiece 27 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:48,690 excuse me adapted to the particular 28 00:01:53,980 --> 00:01:51,090 environment in which it has survived who 29 00:01:57,440 --> 00:01:53,990 are we to destroy or even diminish 30 00:02:01,040 --> 00:01:57,450 biodiversity well I don't know anyone 31 00:02:03,620 --> 00:02:01,050 who could argue with that so I want at 32 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:03,630 the outset to acknowledge that I think 33 00:02:09,770 --> 00:02:06,450 that dr. Wilson's motivations are 34 00:02:12,470 --> 00:02:09,780 entirely Noble in spite of the criticism 35 00:02:15,500 --> 00:02:12,480 I shall engage in and I think that his 36 00:02:17,449 --> 00:02:15,510 opinions ought to be respected but this 37 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:17,459 does not mean that they should not be 38 00:02:23,510 --> 00:02:20,610 questioned he is not the individual who 39 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:23,520 introduced this term to Western cultures 40 00:02:31,460 --> 00:02:27,330 the term originated in the mid 19th 41 00:02:35,059 --> 00:02:31,470 century and it comes from the Latin Cohn 42 00:02:39,949 --> 00:02:35,069 meaning together and the Latin sealians 43 00:02:42,770 --> 00:02:39,959 meaning jumping so he defines conciliate 44 00:02:45,260 --> 00:02:42,780 as literally a jumping together of 45 00:02:48,650 --> 00:02:45,270 knowledge now the linking of 46 00:02:50,420 --> 00:02:48,660 and fact-based theory across disciplines 47 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:50,430 to create a common groundwork of 48 00:02:57,290 --> 00:02:54,690 explanation and so Concilium siz 49 00:03:00,110 --> 00:02:57,300 therefore the principle that evidence 50 00:03:02,390 --> 00:03:00,120 from unrelated sources especially 51 00:03:05,030 --> 00:03:02,400 science and the humanities including 52 00:03:07,820 --> 00:03:05,040 literature art philosophy religion music 53 00:03:10,940 --> 00:03:07,830 history and so forth can converge and 54 00:03:13,090 --> 00:03:10,950 produce unified conclusions there's a 55 00:03:15,650 --> 00:03:13,100 more general definition which I like 56 00:03:18,020 --> 00:03:15,660 conceal Ian's involves the conviction 57 00:03:20,330 --> 00:03:18,030 that there is a deep fundamental unity 58 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:20,340 that connects the seemingly disparate 59 00:03:27,980 --> 00:03:22,770 things of the world now when his book 60 00:03:29,510 --> 00:03:27,990 came out in 1998 I had an early read of 61 00:03:32,090 --> 00:03:29,520 it and I thought this is just terrific 62 00:03:34,580 --> 00:03:32,100 it's about time somebody did something 63 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:34,590 with this unification of apparently 64 00:03:39,650 --> 00:03:37,530 disparate areas of knowledge well the 65 00:03:44,270 --> 00:03:39,660 culture sort of jumped on this with open 66 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:44,280 arms and everything is named conciliate 67 00:03:48,890 --> 00:03:46,890 seized days there's a great winery 68 00:03:50,210 --> 00:03:48,900 incentive the Santa Barbara area in 69 00:03:55,310 --> 00:03:50,220 California where you can buy your 70 00:03:58,850 --> 00:03:55,320 conceal Ian's pinot noir Xerox has a 71 00:03:59,750 --> 00:03:58,860 company called conciliate software their 72 00:04:02,500 --> 00:03:59,760 conciliate 73 00:04:07,550 --> 00:04:02,510 technologies there are any number of 74 00:04:11,150 --> 00:04:07,560 consulting groups that have have grabbed 75 00:04:15,940 --> 00:04:11,160 this this name if you're into jazz you 76 00:04:19,220 --> 00:04:15,950 can buy a new album by Vincent Vega jazz 77 00:04:23,180 --> 00:04:19,230 musician named conciliate if you're into 78 00:04:25,130 --> 00:04:23,190 art check out lisa Wohlers through 79 00:04:29,720 --> 00:04:25,140 website she has a new painting called 80 00:04:34,250 --> 00:04:29,730 conceal Ian's you can get your frosty 81 00:04:36,710 --> 00:04:34,260 coffee mugs off the internet got conceal 82 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:36,720 Ian's and you can even buy consilience 83 00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:40,410 coffee to go with your coffee and mug so 84 00:04:45,580 --> 00:04:42,930 you know they're just no end to how the 85 00:04:47,750 --> 00:04:45,590 egg culture is embraced of this idea I 86 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:47,760 find it interesting to go back in 87 00:04:54,140 --> 00:04:50,490 history and look for Concilium spree 88 00:04:56,840 --> 00:04:54,150 cursors I think they're everywhere I 89 00:04:58,850 --> 00:04:56,850 think that the central message from 90 00:05:02,350 --> 00:04:58,860 Buddhism and Daoism 91 00:05:05,180 --> 00:05:02,360 is a form of this Concilium operation 92 00:05:06,970 --> 00:05:05,190 speaking of the complementarity of yin 93 00:05:10,040 --> 00:05:06,980 and yang the feminine of the masculine 94 00:05:12,110 --> 00:05:10,050 reactive in the positive and all of 95 00:05:12,950 --> 00:05:12,120 these things prefigure this idea of 96 00:05:16,190 --> 00:05:12,960 conciliation 97 00:05:18,610 --> 00:05:16,200 well the Greeks were early on into this 98 00:05:22,430 --> 00:05:18,620 idea this is attributed to Homer a 99 00:05:26,690 --> 00:05:22,440 single era is easily broken but not ten 100 00:05:29,990 --> 00:05:26,700 and a bundle there are all sorts of 101 00:05:32,270 --> 00:05:30,000 aphorisms and folk sayings that point to 102 00:05:36,110 --> 00:05:32,280 the legitimacy this idea in one way or 103 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:36,120 another my favorite is the Ethiopian 104 00:05:44,350 --> 00:05:38,610 saying on the bottom that when when 105 00:05:51,050 --> 00:05:48,920 Schiller got in on the act a synthesis 106 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:51,060 which embraces such a multitude of facts 107 00:05:57,260 --> 00:05:53,610 does not rest solely on anyone said of 108 00:06:01,780 --> 00:05:57,270 them and in a sense grows independent of 109 00:06:04,430 --> 00:06:01,790 them all I think that niels bohr 110 00:06:06,970 --> 00:06:04,440 actually tapped into this general idea 111 00:06:09,500 --> 00:06:06,980 with this principle of complementarity 112 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:09,510 mutually exclusive or contradictory 113 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:12,450 descriptions can be necessary to give a 114 00:06:18,860 --> 00:06:14,490 more complete representation of a 115 00:06:22,510 --> 00:06:18,870 particular phenomenon and I am sure that 116 00:06:26,540 --> 00:06:22,520 some of you old unreconstructed hippies 117 00:06:29,150 --> 00:06:26,550 will agree with me that maybe the best 118 00:06:32,030 --> 00:06:29,160 all-time description of conceal Ian's 119 00:06:34,840 --> 00:06:32,040 was the motto of the first Whole Earth 120 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:34,850 Catalog which was published in 1968 121 00:06:43,640 --> 00:06:37,890 saying that you can't put it together it 122 00:06:49,010 --> 00:06:43,650 is together well I want to review some 123 00:06:51,350 --> 00:06:49,020 of the opinions of dr. Wilson this is 124 00:06:55,100 --> 00:06:51,360 what he had to say about Concilium sub 125 00:06:56,750 --> 00:06:55,110 science and the arts neither science nor 126 00:06:59,750 --> 00:06:56,760 the arts can be complete without 127 00:07:02,000 --> 00:06:59,760 combining their separate strings science 128 00:07:04,520 --> 00:07:02,010 needs the intuition and metaphorical 129 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:04,530 power of the arts and arts needs the 130 00:07:12,629 --> 00:07:10,650 fresh blood of science he says this 131 00:07:16,529 --> 00:07:12,639 about concealed Ian's of Sciences 132 00:07:20,969 --> 00:07:16,539 elodie you you say that science cannot 133 00:07:22,709 --> 00:07:20,979 explain spiritual phenomenon why not the 134 00:07:24,719 --> 00:07:22,719 brain scientists are making important 135 00:07:27,450 --> 00:07:24,729 advances in the analysis of complex 136 00:07:29,550 --> 00:07:27,460 operations of the mind there is no 137 00:07:32,760 --> 00:07:29,560 apparent reason why they cannot come out 138 00:07:35,610 --> 00:07:32,770 in time provide a material account of 139 00:07:41,339 --> 00:07:35,620 the emotions and ratiocination that 140 00:07:43,739 --> 00:07:41,349 might accompany spiritual thought this 141 00:07:47,580 --> 00:07:43,749 is what he says about the concilium 142 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:47,590 science and ethics the evidence I 143 00:07:53,790 --> 00:07:50,770 believe favours a purely material origin 144 00:07:57,749 --> 00:07:53,800 of ethics and it meets the criterion of 145 00:08:00,320 --> 00:07:57,759 Concilium causal explanations of brain 146 00:08:03,450 --> 00:08:00,330 activity and evolution while imperfect 147 00:08:05,100 --> 00:08:03,460 already cover the most facts known about 148 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:05,110 moral behavior with the greatest 149 00:08:08,670 --> 00:08:06,610 accuracy and the smallest number of 150 00:08:13,260 --> 00:08:08,680 freestanding assumptions and yes I've 151 00:08:17,399 --> 00:08:13,270 lest I forget I may be wrong this is 152 00:08:23,309 --> 00:08:17,409 what he says about science and and 153 00:08:25,860 --> 00:08:23,319 ethics in and a further comment I think 154 00:08:26,939 --> 00:08:25,870 it is an error to pivot discussion of 155 00:08:28,230 --> 00:08:26,949 ethics upon the free standing 156 00:08:31,350 --> 00:08:28,240 assumptions that contemporary 157 00:08:33,300 --> 00:08:31,360 philosophers who have evidently never 158 00:08:34,589 --> 00:08:33,310 given thought to the evolutionary origin 159 00:08:37,980 --> 00:08:34,599 and material functioning of the human 160 00:08:40,740 --> 00:08:37,990 brain and no other domain of the 161 00:08:44,970 --> 00:08:40,750 humanities is a union with the Natural 162 00:08:47,960 --> 00:08:44,980 Sciences more urgently needed well I was 163 00:08:51,930 --> 00:08:47,970 getting a little nervous about this time 164 00:08:55,730 --> 00:08:51,940 but I thought I just may not have 165 00:09:00,240 --> 00:08:55,740 understood his drift but it became clear 166 00:09:03,569 --> 00:09:00,250 with further reading and this sort of 167 00:09:06,829 --> 00:09:03,579 cemented my suspicion on that for him 168 00:09:09,300 --> 00:09:06,839 the material realm is absolutely primary 169 00:09:11,009 --> 00:09:09,310 the general structure of the human nerve 170 00:09:13,769 --> 00:09:11,019 cell has now been charted in 171 00:09:15,870 --> 00:09:13,779 considerable detail its electrical 172 00:09:18,329 --> 00:09:15,880 discharge and synaptic chemistry are 173 00:09:22,730 --> 00:09:18,339 partly understood and can be expressed 174 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:22,740 in formulas obedient to the principles 175 00:09:31,190 --> 00:09:26,010 physics and chemistry 176 00:09:34,700 --> 00:09:31,200 and for professor Wilson the brain makes 177 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:34,710 consciousness the stage has been set to 178 00:09:39,710 --> 00:09:37,290 attack the master unsolved problem of 179 00:09:41,510 --> 00:09:39,720 biology how the hundred billion nerve 180 00:09:45,770 --> 00:09:41,520 cells of the brain work together to 181 00:09:47,770 --> 00:09:45,780 create consciousness the task is made 182 00:09:50,540 --> 00:09:47,780 somewhat easier by the fact that 183 00:09:53,030 --> 00:09:50,550 disciplines within biology itself are 184 00:10:01,520 --> 00:09:53,040 now generally consistent in growing more 185 00:10:03,410 --> 00:10:01,530 so with each year and so at this time 186 00:10:06,950 --> 00:10:03,420 I'm beginning to get a little nervous 187 00:10:10,100 --> 00:10:06,960 about this considerin side iya because 188 00:10:12,670 --> 00:10:10,110 he asserts that the materialist primary 189 00:10:15,560 --> 00:10:12,680 I can't see how there is any truth 190 00:10:17,390 --> 00:10:15,570 authentic conceal Ian's any genuine 191 00:10:20,380 --> 00:10:17,400 jumping together because there are no 192 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:20,390 equal status accorded to the jumpers and 193 00:10:29,350 --> 00:10:23,850 so the jumping becomes essentially a 194 00:10:32,180 --> 00:10:29,360 cosmetic operation now if there's an 195 00:10:33,890 --> 00:10:32,190 excavating opinion that has ever been 196 00:10:35,870 --> 00:10:33,900 rendered toward this point of view I 197 00:10:37,580 --> 00:10:35,880 think it might be Sir John Eccles who 198 00:10:44,030 --> 00:10:37,590 won the Nobel Prize in Physiology and 199 00:10:47,830 --> 00:10:44,040 medicine in 1963 he and his partner Karl 200 00:10:49,700 --> 00:10:47,840 Popper promissory materialism is a 201 00:10:52,820 --> 00:10:49,710 superstition without a rational 202 00:10:54,740 --> 00:10:52,830 foundation it is simply a religious 203 00:10:56,270 --> 00:10:54,750 belief held by dogmatic materialists who 204 00:11:00,250 --> 00:10:56,280 confuse their religion with their 205 00:11:06,010 --> 00:11:00,260 science it has all the features of a 206 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:06,020 messianic prophecy now if you go to the 207 00:11:13,060 --> 00:11:10,410 index in Wilson's book here's what's 208 00:11:15,950 --> 00:11:13,070 missing there's no mention 209 00:11:17,090 --> 00:11:15,960 parapsychology or SCI there's no mention 210 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:17,100 of nonlocality 211 00:11:22,310 --> 00:11:19,650 no mention of entanglement and certainly 212 00:11:25,250 --> 00:11:22,320 no mention of healing it is true that in 213 00:11:28,460 --> 00:11:25,260 the text ESP and psycho Kinesis are 214 00:11:33,530 --> 00:11:28,470 mentioned but they are compared to 215 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:33,540 sorcery and sympathetic magic so one 216 00:11:39,790 --> 00:11:36,810 wonders how Wilson can speak of a unity 217 00:11:42,790 --> 00:11:39,800 of separate categories 218 00:11:48,820 --> 00:11:42,800 raishin and thought when so much is left 219 00:11:52,050 --> 00:11:48,830 out well he was not done a this book the 220 00:11:55,870 --> 00:11:52,060 the next book after her conciliate 221 00:11:58,509 --> 00:11:55,880 2000-2006 book the creation in which he 222 00:12:01,410 --> 00:11:58,519 suggested that scientists ought to quote 223 00:12:03,940 --> 00:12:01,420 offer the hand of friendship to 224 00:12:06,880 --> 00:12:03,950 religious leaders and build an alliance 225 00:12:08,829 --> 00:12:06,890 with them and he said science and 226 00:12:11,259 --> 00:12:08,839 religion are two of the most potent 227 00:12:15,970 --> 00:12:11,269 forces on earth and they should come 228 00:12:20,230 --> 00:12:15,980 together to save the creation but before 229 00:12:23,230 --> 00:12:20,240 that and the 1998 book conciliate he was 230 00:12:25,090 --> 00:12:23,240 deeply ambivalent toward religion but 231 00:12:27,540 --> 00:12:25,100 religious belief has another destructive 232 00:12:31,150 --> 00:12:27,550 side equaling the worst excess of 233 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:31,160 materialism an estimated 100,000 belief 234 00:12:36,639 --> 00:12:33,410 systems have existed in history and many 235 00:12:38,350 --> 00:12:36,649 have fostered ethnic tribal wars each of 236 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:38,360 the three great Western religions in 237 00:12:43,900 --> 00:12:40,850 particular expanded at one time or 238 00:12:48,490 --> 00:12:43,910 another in symbiosis with military 239 00:12:53,949 --> 00:12:48,500 aggression so that true character arises 240 00:12:56,560 --> 00:12:53,959 from a deeper well than religion and as 241 00:13:02,170 --> 00:12:56,570 recently as four years ago he had begun 242 00:13:05,710 --> 00:13:02,180 to walk back his plea for unification or 243 00:13:07,750 --> 00:13:05,720 a conciliate science and religion he 244 00:13:11,050 --> 00:13:07,760 gave an interview to New Scientist 245 00:13:14,319 --> 00:13:11,060 journal which in which he said religion 246 00:13:17,710 --> 00:13:14,329 is dragging us down and this is a direct 247 00:13:20,290 --> 00:13:17,720 quote so I would say that for the sake 248 00:13:23,230 --> 00:13:20,300 of human progress the best thing we 249 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:23,240 could possibly do would be to diminish 250 00:13:33,660 --> 00:13:27,410 to the point of eliminating religious 251 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:33,670 faith so a central question for me and 252 00:13:41,199 --> 00:13:37,490 this Concilium debate is who are going 253 00:13:44,530 --> 00:13:41,209 to be the gatekeepers who gets to decide 254 00:13:48,579 --> 00:13:44,540 what jumps together and what it is that 255 00:13:52,809 --> 00:13:48,589 is doing the jumping and and what is the 256 00:13:57,610 --> 00:13:54,670 there is a huge difference opinion on 257 00:13:59,019 --> 00:13:57,620 this these questions one person I think 258 00:14:01,239 --> 00:13:59,029 he was particularly wise in this 259 00:14:03,759 --> 00:14:01,249 discussion had a discussion here at this 260 00:14:06,519 --> 00:14:03,769 conference a couple of years ago the 261 00:14:10,329 --> 00:14:06,529 philosopher Jeffrey [\h__\h] who is at 262 00:14:12,069 --> 00:14:10,339 Rice University in Houston there are 263 00:14:16,150 --> 00:14:12,079 those who claim that consciousness is 264 00:14:20,259 --> 00:14:16,160 not its own thing that it is reducible 265 00:14:21,999 --> 00:14:20,269 to warm wet tissue and brain hood but to 266 00:14:24,730 --> 00:14:22,009 this day no one has even come close to 267 00:14:29,379 --> 00:14:24,740 showing how this might work probably 268 00:14:32,470 --> 00:14:29,389 because it doesn't moreover as far as we 269 00:14:35,110 --> 00:14:32,480 can tell at the moment consciousness is 270 00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:35,120 entirely sewage in areas we know of 271 00:14:41,230 --> 00:14:37,370 nothing else like it in the universe and 272 00:14:44,949 --> 00:14:41,240 all we know we know only in through and 273 00:14:48,189 --> 00:14:44,959 because of this same consciousness or as 274 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:48,199 the research engineer Irma's Emerson 275 00:14:53,619 --> 00:14:51,170 Pugh cleverly put it if the brain were 276 00:15:01,119 --> 00:14:53,629 so simple that we could understand it we 277 00:15:05,049 --> 00:15:01,129 would be so simple we couldn't there are 278 00:15:07,660 --> 00:15:05,059 any number of eminent people working in 279 00:15:11,530 --> 00:15:07,670 esoteric science these days who flatly 280 00:15:12,960 --> 00:15:11,540 disagree with the certainties of dr. 281 00:15:18,009 --> 00:15:12,970 Wilson that the brain creates 282 00:15:19,629 --> 00:15:18,019 consciousness one of my favorite such 283 00:15:22,269 --> 00:15:19,639 individual is a Stewart Kaufman of 284 00:15:24,730 --> 00:15:22,279 theoretical biologist he complex systems 285 00:15:27,249 --> 00:15:24,740 theorists nobody has the faintest idea 286 00:15:30,790 --> 00:15:27,259 what a consciousness he is I don't have 287 00:15:33,730 --> 00:15:30,800 any idea nor does anyone else including 288 00:15:36,490 --> 00:15:33,740 the philosophers of mind now he wasn't 289 00:15:39,730 --> 00:15:36,500 just being a smartass he has a lot of 290 00:15:41,740 --> 00:15:39,740 colleagues who agree with him and among 291 00:15:44,379 --> 00:15:41,750 whom is one of the leading physicists of 292 00:15:46,299 --> 00:15:44,389 our time Freeman Dyson the origin of 293 00:15:48,850 --> 00:15:46,309 life is a total mystery and so is the 294 00:15:50,919 --> 00:15:48,860 existence of human consciousness we have 295 00:15:53,319 --> 00:15:50,929 no clear idea how the electrical 296 00:15:55,030 --> 00:15:53,329 discharges occurring in nerve cells in 297 00:15:58,929 --> 00:15:55,040 our brains are connected with their 298 00:16:01,569 --> 00:15:58,939 feelings and desires and actions now 299 00:16:05,190 --> 00:16:01,579 there has always existed alongside this 300 00:16:07,740 --> 00:16:05,200 line of thought and uncompromising 301 00:16:10,770 --> 00:16:07,750 train of thought represented perhaps 302 00:16:13,290 --> 00:16:10,780 most decisively by Daniel Dennett who's 303 00:16:15,420 --> 00:16:13,300 the philosopher at Tufts when we 304 00:16:17,130 --> 00:16:15,430 consider whether free will is an 305 00:16:20,550 --> 00:16:17,140 illusion of reality we're looking into 306 00:16:22,970 --> 00:16:20,560 an abyss what seems to confront us is a 307 00:16:25,890 --> 00:16:22,980 plunge into kneel ISM and despair 308 00:16:27,660 --> 00:16:25,900 there's no stopping point in this line 309 00:16:29,910 --> 00:16:27,670 of reasoning for it down it and his 310 00:16:33,330 --> 00:16:29,920 contreras it leads to what has been 311 00:16:36,150 --> 00:16:33,340 called eliminative materialism in which 312 00:16:40,260 --> 00:16:36,160 then it proclaims we're all zombies 313 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:40,270 nobody is conscious this is from his 314 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:43,810 book ironically entitled consciousness 315 00:16:53,910 --> 00:16:50,050 explained it seems to escape 316 00:16:58,110 --> 00:16:53,920 dr. Dennis awareness that if in fact he 317 00:17:01,350 --> 00:16:58,120 is right then he is a zombie also who 318 00:17:03,450 --> 00:17:01,360 were all zombies and if he is right and 319 00:17:07,829 --> 00:17:03,460 that nobody is conscious then neither is 320 00:17:10,050 --> 00:17:07,839 he so why on earth would we feel 321 00:17:12,809 --> 00:17:10,060 compelled to be compelled by his 322 00:17:14,790 --> 00:17:12,819 reasoning he has no choice but to say 323 00:17:16,679 --> 00:17:14,800 otherwise there are people who have 324 00:17:20,490 --> 00:17:16,689 pointed out these absurdities among them 325 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:20,500 is Bernard or Castro the computer 326 00:17:24,390 --> 00:17:22,810 scientist who is extremely prolific in 327 00:17:27,270 --> 00:17:24,400 writing books about consciousness these 328 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:27,280 days and I recommend all of them here we 329 00:17:31,710 --> 00:17:28,930 have consciousness trying to trick 330 00:17:33,330 --> 00:17:31,720 itself having trying to trick 331 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:33,340 consciousness into believing that it 332 00:17:39,030 --> 00:17:36,210 doesn't exist the motivation behind 333 00:17:40,830 --> 00:17:39,040 eliminative materialism is clear because 334 00:17:43,290 --> 00:17:40,840 if we deny the very existence of 335 00:17:47,580 --> 00:17:43,300 consciousness presto we no longer need 336 00:17:50,580 --> 00:17:47,590 to explain it and one of the strongest 337 00:17:52,830 --> 00:17:50,590 critics of eliminative materialism comes 338 00:17:54,690 --> 00:17:52,840 from my old alma mater the University of 339 00:17:57,860 --> 00:17:54,700 Texas at Austin 340 00:18:02,220 --> 00:17:57,870 it's from Galen Strawson the philosopher 341 00:18:03,870 --> 00:18:02,230 this particular denial is the strangest 342 00:18:09,870 --> 00:18:03,880 thing that has ever happened in the 343 00:18:12,090 --> 00:18:09,880 whole history of human thought so I want 344 00:18:14,850 --> 00:18:12,100 just to dwell on this mysteriousness of 345 00:18:17,430 --> 00:18:14,860 consciousness for just a little bit here 346 00:18:18,330 --> 00:18:17,440 I think one of the best books that ever 347 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:18,340 examined the 348 00:18:24,720 --> 00:18:21,610 issues was written back in 1980s the 349 00:18:27,169 --> 00:18:24,730 late 80s by Nick Herbert the quantum 350 00:18:29,580 --> 00:18:27,179 physicist and expert at nonlocality 351 00:18:31,529 --> 00:18:29,590 scientists science his biggest mysteries 352 00:18:33,029 --> 00:18:31,539 the nature of consciousness it is not 353 00:18:34,890 --> 00:18:33,039 that we possess bad or imperfect 354 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:34,900 theories of human awareness we simply 355 00:18:39,810 --> 00:18:37,690 have no such theories at all about all 356 00:18:42,450 --> 00:18:39,820 we know about consciousness that it has 357 00:18:45,269 --> 00:18:42,460 something to do with the head rather 358 00:18:49,980 --> 00:18:45,279 than the foot and I'm not so sure about 359 00:18:54,149 --> 00:18:49,990 the last sentence I actually Donald 360 00:18:56,880 --> 00:18:54,159 Hoffman who is my favorite cognitive 361 00:18:59,370 --> 00:18:56,890 scientist these days he's at UC Irvine 362 00:19:01,830 --> 00:18:59,380 he gave a talk here at dinner one was 363 00:19:04,830 --> 00:19:01,840 that three or four years ago the 364 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:04,840 scientific study of consciousness is in 365 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:07,330 the embarrassing position of having no 366 00:19:12,659 --> 00:19:10,690 scientific theory of consciousness so 367 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:12,669 the question comes up how sure those of 368 00:19:21,389 --> 00:19:14,770 us who are interested in these concepts 369 00:19:24,930 --> 00:19:21,399 respond to people who disagree JB 370 00:19:26,730 --> 00:19:24,940 Priestley the English playwright and 371 00:19:28,409 --> 00:19:26,740 philosopher wrote a book called man in 372 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:28,419 time several years ago it's one of the 373 00:19:35,909 --> 00:19:30,490 best looks at parapsychology ever I've 374 00:19:39,510 --> 00:19:35,919 ever seen he suggested this of course if 375 00:19:42,899 --> 00:19:39,520 a man with this theory at state makes up 376 00:19:45,090 --> 00:19:42,909 his mind not to be shown that queer 377 00:19:47,250 --> 00:19:45,100 things are happening little can be done 378 00:19:53,490 --> 00:19:47,260 except to make a face at him and a rude 379 00:19:56,840 --> 00:19:53,500 noise I've tried that before it I I hope 380 00:19:59,490 --> 00:19:56,850 it works better for you that did for me 381 00:20:03,680 --> 00:19:59,500 and I want to circle back on this 382 00:20:08,940 --> 00:20:03,690 insistence by professor Wilson that we 383 00:20:11,130 --> 00:20:08,950 eliminate religious faiths one would 384 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:11,140 like to know I think what is there 385 00:20:18,360 --> 00:20:12,970 anything else that would be eliminated 386 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:18,370 in the process well there's some people 387 00:20:22,230 --> 00:20:19,450 who thought that that would be 388 00:20:24,149 --> 00:20:22,240 disastrous among them was Einstein who 389 00:20:27,930 --> 00:20:24,159 said that science without religion is 390 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:27,940 lame and religion without science is 391 00:20:34,180 --> 00:20:31,610 blind Sir Arthur Eddington chimed in 392 00:20:36,609 --> 00:20:34,190 dismiss the idea that natural law may 393 00:20:38,259 --> 00:20:36,619 swallow up religion it cannot even 394 00:20:43,060 --> 00:20:38,269 tackle the multiplication table 395 00:20:45,909 --> 00:20:43,070 single-handed niels bohr was not far 396 00:20:48,940 --> 00:20:45,919 behind the fact that religions through 397 00:20:50,619 --> 00:20:48,950 the ages have spoken and images parables 398 00:20:52,090 --> 00:20:50,629 and paradoxes means simply that there 399 00:20:55,269 --> 00:20:52,100 are no other ways of grasping the 400 00:20:56,649 --> 00:20:55,279 reality which to which they refer but 401 00:21:00,129 --> 00:20:56,659 that does not mean that it is not a 402 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:00,139 genuine reality and splitting this 403 00:21:06,759 --> 00:21:02,450 reality into an objective and subjective 404 00:21:08,499 --> 00:21:06,769 side won't get us very far and they'll 405 00:21:10,450 --> 00:21:08,509 paste a fifteen or twenty years they've 406 00:21:13,180 --> 00:21:10,460 been some outstanding surveys that have 407 00:21:16,299 --> 00:21:13,190 wondered how scientists line up on these 408 00:21:20,830 --> 00:21:16,309 issues one which was very influential 409 00:21:23,049 --> 00:21:20,840 was published in nature in 97 and Larsen 410 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:23,059 and with them found that 39 percent of 411 00:21:27,220 --> 00:21:25,210 biologists physicists and mathematicians 412 00:21:29,049 --> 00:21:27,230 these were people who are currently 413 00:21:32,470 --> 00:21:29,059 working in science in the u.s. at the 414 00:21:35,919 --> 00:21:32,480 time they believe not only in a God but 415 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:35,929 in a God who answers prayers and the 416 00:21:41,229 --> 00:21:38,690 scientific and medical network last year 417 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:41,239 and I regard this organisations as kind 418 00:21:49,479 --> 00:21:43,970 of a sister organization of ours the SSC 419 00:21:51,249 --> 00:21:49,489 a 2008 survey survey of 3,000 medical 420 00:21:55,119 --> 00:21:51,259 technical and engineering professionals 421 00:21:58,029 --> 00:21:55,129 in the UK Germany and France they found 422 00:22:03,519 --> 00:21:58,039 that 25 percent described themselves as 423 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:03,529 atheists and 45 percent as religious or 424 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:07,730 spiritual and one of our own has weighed 425 00:22:13,989 --> 00:22:11,090 in heavily on this idea Stephen Schwartz 426 00:22:15,909 --> 00:22:13,999 as a researcher I think enduring 427 00:22:18,340 --> 00:22:15,919 religion should be seen as examples of 428 00:22:20,710 --> 00:22:18,350 empirical science I used the term 429 00:22:23,229 --> 00:22:20,720 enduring religions to distinguish from 430 00:22:24,999 --> 00:22:23,239 transitory cults all of the endearing 431 00:22:27,940 --> 00:22:25,009 faiths over generations of millennia 432 00:22:31,930 --> 00:22:27,950 developed a kind of empirical Nero Nero 433 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:31,940 biology involving opening to non-local 434 00:22:38,229 --> 00:22:35,330 consciousness Steven continues there is 435 00:22:42,070 --> 00:22:38,239 an innate recognition of the reality of 436 00:22:44,870 --> 00:22:42,080 non-local consciousness in all religions 437 00:22:47,390 --> 00:22:44,880 a small group of materialist scientists 438 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:47,400 another small cohort of atheists and a 439 00:22:52,960 --> 00:22:49,410 few small factions may think otherwise 440 00:22:55,700 --> 00:22:52,970 but for the bulk of humanity across time 441 00:22:58,580 --> 00:22:55,710 geography and culture within the 442 00:23:00,760 --> 00:22:58,590 religious spiritual context the reality 443 00:23:04,300 --> 00:23:00,770 of non-local consciousness has been 444 00:23:09,020 --> 00:23:04,310 foundational across all religious 445 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:09,030 rituals are designed to the same in to 446 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:11,250 train a person to attain a sustained 447 00:23:18,740 --> 00:23:15,570 intention focused awareness this is this 448 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:18,750 mechanism has to do with grounding in 449 00:23:25,940 --> 00:23:22,650 the rituals so I want to make a few 450 00:23:30,370 --> 00:23:25,950 proposals about what not guide us in the 451 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:30,380 future and respond to these contentious 452 00:23:38,570 --> 00:23:36,570 positions I think that at the bottom we 453 00:23:40,250 --> 00:23:38,580 will recognize that consciousness is 454 00:23:43,460 --> 00:23:40,260 simply fundamental and non-local in 455 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:43,470 space and time and as such having no 456 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:44,250 boundaries 457 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:48,570 is infinite and unitary standing on the 458 00:23:54,740 --> 00:23:51,330 shoulders of an oft-repeated comment by 459 00:23:57,260 --> 00:23:54,750 max planck our regard consciousness is 460 00:23:59,690 --> 00:23:57,270 fundamental our regard matter as 461 00:24:02,870 --> 00:23:59,700 derivative in consciousness we cannot 462 00:24:05,060 --> 00:24:02,880 get behind consciousness everything that 463 00:24:09,890 --> 00:24:05,070 we talk about everything that we regard 464 00:24:13,670 --> 00:24:09,900 as existing postulates consciousness and 465 00:24:15,770 --> 00:24:13,680 Jeff Krol has chimed in consciousness is 466 00:24:19,580 --> 00:24:15,780 the fundamental ground of all that we 467 00:24:22,910 --> 00:24:19,590 know or ever will know it is the ground 468 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:22,920 of all the sciences all of the arts all 469 00:24:28,340 --> 00:24:25,050 of the social sciences all of the 470 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:28,350 humanities indeed all human knowledge 471 00:24:36,350 --> 00:24:32,250 and experience and I want to circle back 472 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:36,360 to my own profession which I think has 473 00:24:39,820 --> 00:24:37,770 something important to say about this 474 00:24:42,140 --> 00:24:39,830 debate I believe that in the future 475 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:42,150 consciousness will be increasingly seen 476 00:24:47,500 --> 00:24:45,090 as a key in healing and I'm willing to 477 00:24:50,210 --> 00:24:47,510 say that based on current data 478 00:24:53,630 --> 00:24:50,220 separating science from religion and 479 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:53,640 faith makes absolutely no sense 480 00:24:56,650 --> 00:24:55,770 whatsoever in the field of clinical 481 00:25:00,280 --> 00:24:56,660 medicine 482 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:00,290 and I say that based on an avalanche of 483 00:25:06,340 --> 00:25:02,210 data that has been accumulating for the 484 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:06,350 past 40 to 50 years in my profession we 485 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:09,530 now know that those people who follow a 486 00:25:14,290 --> 00:25:11,930 spiritual or religious path and I have 487 00:25:15,970 --> 00:25:14,300 to add that it does not seem greatly to 488 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:15,980 matter which one they choose but if they 489 00:25:21,460 --> 00:25:19,250 choose one and stick with it they live 490 00:25:25,870 --> 00:25:21,470 on average seven to thirteen years 491 00:25:28,450 --> 00:25:25,880 longer than people who do not and in the 492 00:25:30,250 --> 00:25:28,460 process they have a lower instance of 493 00:25:33,270 --> 00:25:30,260 all the major decisions you want to look 494 00:25:36,790 --> 00:25:33,280 at including heart disease in cancer we 495 00:25:39,550 --> 00:25:36,800 had a little hint back in the 90s that 496 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:39,560 this evolution thinking was in process 497 00:25:44,710 --> 00:25:42,650 by a cover of the Journal of American 498 00:25:46,900 --> 00:25:44,720 Medical Association was still one of the 499 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:46,910 most prestigious medical journals in the 500 00:25:53,500 --> 00:25:50,450 world and here we see a gloved and gound 501 00:25:55,420 --> 00:25:53,510 and scrubbed surgeon with his head bowed 502 00:25:58,000 --> 00:25:55,430 and his hands folded in some sort of 503 00:26:02,460 --> 00:25:58,010 prayer before he enters the surgery 504 00:26:05,470 --> 00:26:02,470 suite my wife and I have Barbra have a 505 00:26:08,140 --> 00:26:05,480 have opportunities to talk to groups of 506 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:08,150 doctors about these ideas from time to 507 00:26:13,780 --> 00:26:10,730 time we were giving a talk in Tacoma 508 00:26:16,750 --> 00:26:13,790 Washington a while back and after our 509 00:26:19,360 --> 00:26:16,760 talk a female surgeon came forward and 510 00:26:21,550 --> 00:26:19,370 she said I have to share with you two 511 00:26:23,170 --> 00:26:21,560 the prayer that I always used before I 512 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:23,180 enter the surgery suite 513 00:26:29,590 --> 00:26:26,090 she said when I'm gloved and gound and 514 00:26:32,260 --> 00:26:29,600 scrubbed I hold up my hands and I pray 515 00:26:39,830 --> 00:26:32,270 dear God these are your hands now don't 516 00:26:45,420 --> 00:26:41,970 don't say surgeons and don't have a 517 00:26:48,650 --> 00:26:45,430 sense of humor I'm pretty enthusiastic 518 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:48,660 about this book it's recently out it's 519 00:26:56,100 --> 00:26:52,210 the title really contains a powerful 520 00:26:58,170 --> 00:26:56,110 message physicians untold stories and it 521 00:27:00,000 --> 00:26:58,180 was written by Scott Cole Baba who as an 522 00:27:03,120 --> 00:27:00,010 internal medicine doc and the Wheaton 523 00:27:05,700 --> 00:27:03,130 Illinois area this this book has got 524 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:05,710 some real whoppers in it he did 525 00:27:11,490 --> 00:27:08,170 something I've never seen done before he 526 00:27:13,260 --> 00:27:11,500 went around to his colleagues on the 527 00:27:15,120 --> 00:27:13,270 medical staff and he said I want you to 528 00:27:21,060 --> 00:27:15,130 ride up for me the weirdest thing you 529 00:27:24,600 --> 00:27:21,070 have ever seen and they did and one of 530 00:27:26,310 --> 00:27:24,610 these stories was contributed by dr. 531 00:27:29,370 --> 00:27:26,320 Thomas Marshall who is an internal 532 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:29,380 medicine doctor in this hospital and 533 00:27:35,460 --> 00:27:31,770 this had to do with a young woman 534 00:27:37,020 --> 00:27:35,470 Barbara Comiskey and Barbara stories all 535 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:37,030 over the internet if you won't search it 536 00:27:42,630 --> 00:27:39,850 for yourself you can but I would 537 00:27:44,730 --> 00:27:42,640 recommend the book here's the story and 538 00:27:51,510 --> 00:27:44,740 this is an elaborate history so I'm 539 00:27:54,060 --> 00:27:51,520 going to rely on a few slides here she 540 00:27:56,280 --> 00:27:54,070 was a gymnast and a talented flute 541 00:28:00,450 --> 00:27:56,290 player and in high school in the Wheaton 542 00:28:01,980 --> 00:28:00,460 Illinois town at age 15 she developed 543 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:01,990 multiple sclerosis and there was no 544 00:28:05,760 --> 00:28:03,850 doubt about the diagnosis because she 545 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:05,770 was taken to Mayo Clinic and this was 546 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:09,250 certified she graduated high school in 547 00:28:15,420 --> 00:28:13,810 68 and entered college but she dropped 548 00:28:19,220 --> 00:28:15,430 out because she just couldn't manage it 549 00:28:22,170 --> 00:28:19,230 physically things went from bad to worse 550 00:28:25,370 --> 00:28:22,180 quickly she had to respiratory arrest in 551 00:28:27,750 --> 00:28:25,380 the early 1970s she required 552 00:28:30,150 --> 00:28:27,760 hospitalizations several of them for 553 00:28:32,970 --> 00:28:30,160 pneumonia she had a collapsed lung in 554 00:28:36,330 --> 00:28:32,980 1980 she wound up having a tracheostomy 555 00:28:38,580 --> 00:28:36,340 with supplemental oxygen because she 556 00:28:40,260 --> 00:28:38,590 couldn't breathe well she lost control 557 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:40,270 of her bowel and bladder and had an 558 00:28:47,060 --> 00:28:42,770 indwelling urinary catheter and 559 00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:47,070 externally ileostomy to the outside she 560 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:48,570 became legally blind 561 00:28:55,220 --> 00:28:51,930 she lost her vision she was previously 562 00:28:59,720 --> 00:28:55,230 religious but she lost her faith along 563 00:29:01,910 --> 00:28:59,730 with the other problems she became bed 564 00:29:04,700 --> 00:29:01,920 bound she couldn't stand up she had 565 00:29:07,670 --> 00:29:04,710 severe contracture she was in a 566 00:29:10,850 --> 00:29:07,680 permanent physical condition and her bed 567 00:29:14,540 --> 00:29:10,860 pretzeled up with that without much 568 00:29:16,130 --> 00:29:14,550 ability to move at all she developed in 569 00:29:17,990 --> 00:29:16,140 an inability to swallow she had a 570 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:18,000 feeding tube inserted into her stomach 571 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:22,410 from the outside so that by 1981 there 572 00:29:26,150 --> 00:29:24,330 was not much hope that she would last 573 00:29:29,450 --> 00:29:26,160 very much longer so she was entered into 574 00:29:32,570 --> 00:29:29,460 hospice care and was given six months at 575 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:32,580 the most to live and her internist and 576 00:29:38,030 --> 00:29:34,770 her family got together and agree that 577 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:38,040 when she she died that there would be no 578 00:29:43,060 --> 00:29:40,290 heroics and absolutely no 579 00:29:48,830 --> 00:29:43,070 cardiopulmonary resuscitation 580 00:29:53,590 --> 00:29:48,840 well something big happened on June 7th 581 00:29:56,840 --> 00:29:53,600 1981 they aired her story on a local 582 00:29:59,690 --> 00:29:56,850 limited radio station broadcasting only 583 00:30:01,430 --> 00:29:59,700 in the Wheaton region asking for prayers 584 00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:01,440 not only for her but for all of the 585 00:30:05,810 --> 00:30:02,610 other people in the listening audience 586 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:05,820 who were seriously ill and we know that 587 00:30:10,550 --> 00:30:07,890 there was an overwhelming response to 588 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:10,560 the prayer requests because later the 589 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:13,050 station received bags and bags of 590 00:30:19,340 --> 00:30:16,650 letters and so this Sunday afternoon she 591 00:30:23,570 --> 00:30:19,350 had two girlfriends who were visiting 592 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:23,580 her and all of these subsequent events 593 00:30:31,940 --> 00:30:27,570 were testified to and witnessed Barbara 594 00:30:35,420 --> 00:30:31,950 says that she heard a voice it was a 595 00:30:39,140 --> 00:30:35,430 male's voice and it said my child get up 596 00:30:46,490 --> 00:30:39,150 in a walk her interpretation was that 597 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:46,500 God was speaking to her so she did she 598 00:30:50,510 --> 00:30:48,450 jumped out of bed she removed her oxygen 599 00:30:53,510 --> 00:30:50,520 and for the first time in several years 600 00:30:56,990 --> 00:30:53,520 she stood on her own two legs her vision 601 00:30:59,330 --> 00:30:57,000 came back and she was no longer short of 602 00:31:03,170 --> 00:30:59,340 breath off of oxygen and her mother 603 00:31:05,540 --> 00:31:03,180 heard all this commotion in the bedroom 604 00:31:09,410 --> 00:31:05,550 she came in and apparently Barbara's 605 00:31:13,610 --> 00:31:09,420 body had began to change her mother said 606 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:13,620 you have muscles again well her father 607 00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:15,450 came in the room and he gave her a big 608 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:20,210 bear hug and wall stir around the room 609 00:31:25,190 --> 00:31:23,850 and this being a Sunday and since all 610 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:25,200 these nice things were happening they 611 00:31:32,180 --> 00:31:29,130 decided they better go back to church so 612 00:31:34,310 --> 00:31:32,190 they did and see everybody in the 613 00:31:37,310 --> 00:31:34,320 congregation knew this woman was dying 614 00:31:38,840 --> 00:31:37,320 and here she is walking from the back of 615 00:31:45,020 --> 00:31:38,850 the church up the central aisle to the 616 00:31:51,260 --> 00:31:45,030 front and the minister did not handle 617 00:31:53,900 --> 00:31:51,270 this well he he as it was described he 618 00:31:56,750 --> 00:31:53,910 fell against the pulpit for support and 619 00:32:01,670 --> 00:31:56,760 he kept muttering this is nice this is 620 00:32:04,000 --> 00:32:01,680 very nice so so everybody went home and 621 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:04,010 the next day the family took her to the 622 00:32:11,030 --> 00:32:07,170 office of dr. Thomas Marshall her 623 00:32:13,220 --> 00:32:11,040 long-term internist who had seen her 624 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:13,230 through all of this business here's what 625 00:32:17,750 --> 00:32:15,450 he said although I was seeing an 626 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:17,760 apparition he was my patient who was not 627 00:32:22,610 --> 00:32:20,010 expected to live another week totally 628 00:32:24,080 --> 00:32:22,620 cured I stopped all of her medication 629 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:24,090 and took out her bladder catheter but 630 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:25,770 she wasn't quite ready to have a trach 631 00:32:33,130 --> 00:32:28,770 tube removed until another visit no one 632 00:32:36,890 --> 00:32:33,140 had ever seen anything like this before 633 00:32:38,750 --> 00:32:36,900 so that afternoon he sent her for a 634 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:38,760 chest x-ray her lungs were now perfectly 635 00:32:44,630 --> 00:32:42,450 normal the collapsed lung had totally 636 00:32:48,740 --> 00:32:44,640 expanded with no infiltrate or other 637 00:32:51,380 --> 00:32:48,750 abnormality that existed before and he 638 00:32:55,820 --> 00:32:51,390 said further I have never witnessed 639 00:33:00,200 --> 00:32:55,830 anything like this before since so she 640 00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:00,210 went on to marry Marshall said she's 641 00:33:03,740 --> 00:33:02,250 gone on to live a normal life she 642 00:33:05,380 --> 00:33:03,750 subsequently married a minister and 643 00:33:07,400 --> 00:33:05,390 feels her calling in life 644 00:33:10,910 --> 00:33:07,410 is too 645 00:33:12,830 --> 00:33:10,920 of others now I want to point out to you 646 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:12,840 that this case has never been written up 647 00:33:17,630 --> 00:33:15,330 in the medical literature and you may 648 00:33:22,550 --> 00:33:17,640 say well this incision this case is so 649 00:33:27,230 --> 00:33:22,560 sensational were they hiding why haven't 650 00:33:32,050 --> 00:33:27,240 we heard about these that would be wrong 651 00:33:35,150 --> 00:33:32,060 they are hiding and we know this because 652 00:33:39,470 --> 00:33:35,160 partly because of this survey by Chellis 653 00:33:43,190 --> 00:33:39,480 and stem that was published in the 1980s 654 00:33:47,540 --> 00:33:43,200 in an analysis of reports of cancer 655 00:33:50,390 --> 00:33:47,550 admission from 1900 to 1987 almost a 656 00:33:53,030 --> 00:33:50,400 century these two researchers found that 657 00:33:56,390 --> 00:33:53,040 quote no physician was willing to risk 658 00:33:59,540 --> 00:33:56,400 his or her reputation by reporting a 659 00:34:04,210 --> 00:33:59,550 case of spontaneous regression he or she 660 00:34:07,730 --> 00:34:04,220 felt was due to a psychological method 661 00:34:10,580 --> 00:34:07,740 so the cases don't get published because 662 00:34:17,830 --> 00:34:10,590 of an epidemic of what I want to call 663 00:34:20,450 --> 00:34:17,840 conceal Ian's interruptus there's hope 664 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:20,460 the Institute of noetic scientists 665 00:34:29,450 --> 00:34:25,290 published this go to big volume in the 666 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:29,460 early nineties describing 3,500 cases in 667 00:34:39,350 --> 00:34:33,050 almost any decision you want to imagine 668 00:34:42,380 --> 00:34:39,360 which responded to no therapy or minimal 669 00:34:46,070 --> 00:34:42,390 therapy so the cases are out there if 670 00:34:47,780 --> 00:34:46,080 you go to the trouble to find them candy 671 00:34:49,100 --> 00:34:47,790 Gunther Brown has made our task of 672 00:34:51,770 --> 00:34:49,110 little easier she published this book 673 00:34:53,780 --> 00:34:51,780 recently testing prayer she's a 674 00:34:56,600 --> 00:34:53,790 professor of Religious Studies who has 675 00:34:58,760 --> 00:34:56,610 done healing experiments herself and I 676 00:35:01,670 --> 00:34:58,770 was delighted to stumble upon this two 677 00:35:02,620 --> 00:35:01,680 volumes set called miracles by Craig 678 00:35:05,540 --> 00:35:02,630 keener 679 00:35:07,940 --> 00:35:05,550 this describes thousands of radical 680 00:35:12,130 --> 00:35:07,950 healings worldwide from just about every 681 00:35:15,080 --> 00:35:12,140 religious tradition you want to name 682 00:35:17,420 --> 00:35:15,090 including non-religious sources so if 683 00:35:19,340 --> 00:35:17,430 you are of the opinion that religion and 684 00:35:20,570 --> 00:35:19,350 healing have nothing to do with it with 685 00:35:23,210 --> 00:35:20,580 each other I think 686 00:35:24,380 --> 00:35:23,220 you ought to check this out if you want 687 00:35:30,290 --> 00:35:24,390 to go to the professional literature 688 00:35:33,140 --> 00:35:30,300 here's one excellent study this is these 689 00:35:34,730 --> 00:35:33,150 are meta analyses of non-contact healing 690 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:34,740 studies that came out of the University 691 00:35:39,920 --> 00:35:38,010 of Northampton by Chris Rowe who spoke 692 00:35:44,060 --> 00:35:39,930 at this conference for what two or three 693 00:35:47,180 --> 00:35:44,070 years ago it involves 200 studies of 694 00:35:50,330 --> 00:35:47,190 distant healing intentionality about 695 00:35:52,550 --> 00:35:50,340 Hathi studies concerned humans whole 696 00:35:55,910 --> 00:35:52,560 human beings about half of them 697 00:35:58,580 --> 00:35:55,920 concerned studies and bacterial cells 698 00:36:00,860 --> 00:35:58,590 animals plants and so on and the 699 00:36:03,620 --> 00:36:00,870 statistical power is slim but it is 700 00:36:05,480 --> 00:36:03,630 statistically significant one reason 701 00:36:08,030 --> 00:36:05,490 it's not more significant is that these 702 00:36:09,890 --> 00:36:08,040 knock-your-socks-off cases like Barbara 703 00:36:13,910 --> 00:36:09,900 Comiskey never get reported in these 704 00:36:17,540 --> 00:36:13,920 kinds of studies now I haven't said 705 00:36:19,370 --> 00:36:17,550 anything about building stones work I 706 00:36:21,500 --> 00:36:19,380 don't want to steal his thunder round he 707 00:36:23,870 --> 00:36:21,510 will be talking about some of the most 708 00:36:28,960 --> 00:36:23,880 significant healing studies that are 709 00:36:32,480 --> 00:36:28,970 going on currently I want to mention I 710 00:36:35,780 --> 00:36:32,490 always put too much on my plate and it's 711 00:36:43,490 --> 00:36:35,790 just just a feeling I can't help it pray 712 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:43,500 for me one of the things that Wilson 713 00:36:49,550 --> 00:36:46,410 really criticizes in concealed Ian's is 714 00:36:52,070 --> 00:36:49,560 the idea that dreams and reverie and 715 00:36:53,240 --> 00:36:52,080 daydreaming and liminal states of 716 00:36:55,250 --> 00:36:53,250 awareness can tell you anything 717 00:36:56,630 --> 00:36:55,260 worthwhile in science I don't know why 718 00:37:00,020 --> 00:36:56,640 he says it's because the history of 719 00:37:04,490 --> 00:37:00,030 science is chock-full of exceptions 720 00:37:06,050 --> 00:37:04,500 I had a flirtation with this after bill 721 00:37:08,300 --> 00:37:06,060 bingston called me several months ago 722 00:37:11,530 --> 00:37:08,310 and asked me if I would give a talk and 723 00:37:14,450 --> 00:37:11,540 I was hesitant and I didn't answer him 724 00:37:18,670 --> 00:37:14,460 right away and that night I had a dream 725 00:37:23,380 --> 00:37:18,680 and in the dream bill pops up 726 00:37:26,470 --> 00:37:23,390 I don't I don't know why I deserve this 727 00:37:31,930 --> 00:37:26,480 special treatment but bill said you have 728 00:37:35,860 --> 00:37:31,940 to give this talk and I said oh yeah why 729 00:37:37,720 --> 00:37:35,870 do I have to and he said because SSC is 730 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:37,730 in your name he said how can you get out 731 00:37:51,210 --> 00:37:38,210 of it 732 00:37:59,980 --> 00:37:57,040 thanks Bill I guess so you see what this 733 00:38:02,730 --> 00:37:59,990 dangerous stop be careful with this I 734 00:38:06,730 --> 00:38:02,740 don't have time to go into some of the 735 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:06,740 dreams that I have I wanted to share 736 00:38:15,430 --> 00:38:11,210 with you which led to Nobel Prizes great 737 00:38:18,880 --> 00:38:15,440 advances Frederick Banting dream about 738 00:38:21,610 --> 00:38:18,890 how to how do you how do you isolate 739 00:38:23,530 --> 00:38:21,620 insulin well he did and he's still the 740 00:38:26,380 --> 00:38:23,540 not youngest Nobel laureate he was 741 00:38:30,970 --> 00:38:26,390 awarded the prize at age 32 calculate 742 00:38:33,160 --> 00:38:30,980 his dream about the cyclic structure of 743 00:38:35,800 --> 00:38:33,170 the benzene molecule 744 00:38:39,910 --> 00:38:35,810 Elias house discovery of the sewing 745 00:38:42,280 --> 00:38:39,920 machine and so I just think there's a 746 00:38:45,490 --> 00:38:42,290 deeper view of conceal Ian's that then 747 00:38:48,520 --> 00:38:45,500 Wilson has left us - I keep coming back 748 00:38:52,450 --> 00:38:48,530 - you can't put it together it is 749 00:38:56,500 --> 00:38:52,460 together so what holds it together and I 750 00:38:59,080 --> 00:38:56,510 think it's consciousness keep coming 751 00:39:00,640 --> 00:38:59,090 back - crapples opinion there is a 752 00:39:02,680 --> 00:39:00,650 terrific book that goes into these 753 00:39:08,830 --> 00:39:02,690 things in case anybody happens to video 754 00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:08,840 instantly so in summary the fundamental 755 00:39:13,300 --> 00:39:10,210 non-local nature of consciousness 756 00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:13,310 constitute each what I consider deep 757 00:39:19,270 --> 00:39:17,090 Concilium or ultimate conciliate the 758 00:39:21,190 --> 00:39:19,280 union of all opposites whose difference 759 00:39:23,860 --> 00:39:21,200 in separation are not fundamental but 760 00:39:27,570 --> 00:39:23,870 only apparent and I close with 761 00:39:31,240 --> 00:39:27,580 quotations from the recent book 762 00:39:32,559 --> 00:39:31,250 transcendental transcendental mine by - 763 00:39:35,579 --> 00:39:32,569 SSA years 764 00:39:38,339 --> 00:39:35,589 amounts Barris and Julianne loss bridge 765 00:39:41,729 --> 00:39:38,349 we are in the midst of a sea change 766 00:39:44,380 --> 00:39:41,739 receding from view is materialism 767 00:39:46,179 --> 00:39:44,390 whereby physical phenomena are assumed 768 00:39:48,999 --> 00:39:46,189 to be primary and consciousness is 769 00:39:51,159 --> 00:39:49,009 regarded as secondary approaching our 770 00:39:53,429 --> 00:39:51,169 insights approaching our sides is a 771 00:39:55,749 --> 00:39:53,439 complete reversal of perspective 772 00:39:58,779 --> 00:39:55,759 according to this alternative view 773 00:40:00,519 --> 00:39:58,789 consciousness is primary and the 774 00:40:04,509 --> 00:40:00,529 physical is secondary 775 00:40:09,009 --> 00:40:04,519 in other words materialism is receding 776 00:40:15,669 --> 00:40:09,019 and giving way to ideas about reality in 777 00:40:24,239 --> 00:40:15,679 which consciousness plays a key role I'm 778 00:40:34,689 --> 00:40:29,649 Thank You Larry so your perspective and 779 00:40:37,199 --> 00:40:34,699 description is beautiful and I wonder we 780 00:40:42,389 --> 00:40:37,209 are at a particular time in history 781 00:40:45,149 --> 00:40:42,399 where were at the end of perhaps 782 00:40:48,189 --> 00:40:45,159 materialistic reductionism and 783 00:40:52,359 --> 00:40:48,199 consciousness is becoming primary again 784 00:40:54,399 --> 00:40:52,369 if we had been standing instead at the 785 00:40:56,529 --> 00:40:54,409 beginning of enlightenment it would have 786 00:40:59,049 --> 00:40:56,539 been just the opposite we would be 787 00:41:01,959 --> 00:40:59,059 putting this archaic consciousness away 788 00:41:04,749 --> 00:41:01,969 and looking at materialism as a way to 789 00:41:05,999 --> 00:41:04,759 understand things and reductionism has 790 00:41:08,589 --> 00:41:06,009 been very successful 791 00:41:12,029 --> 00:41:08,599 technologically at least even though 792 00:41:18,999 --> 00:41:12,039 it's buried other things where is truth 793 00:41:21,309 --> 00:41:19,009 you know we're at one point in history 794 00:41:23,559 --> 00:41:21,319 we think we know the truth a few hundred 795 00:41:25,479 --> 00:41:23,569 years later won't it be different well I 796 00:41:27,939 --> 00:41:25,489 will I'm not sure it will because I'm 797 00:41:30,669 --> 00:41:27,949 not sure we're looking at 200 years in a 798 00:41:37,569 --> 00:41:30,679 feature I think it will be a closer on 799 00:41:41,009 --> 00:41:37,579 thing I I think we may be in for some 800 00:41:44,949 --> 00:41:41,019 surprises that we just don't anticipate 801 00:41:48,159 --> 00:41:44,959 Kingsley Dennis who is a British 802 00:41:51,099 --> 00:41:48,169 philosopher has written wisely about the 803 00:41:54,279 --> 00:41:51,109 fact that we in order to escape the 804 00:41:57,819 --> 00:41:54,289 devastations of runaway materialism may 805 00:42:03,069 --> 00:41:57,829 be headed for a global planet Theory 806 00:42:04,749 --> 00:42:03,079 near-death experience and just as many 807 00:42:08,079 --> 00:42:04,759 people survived a near-death experience 808 00:42:11,859 --> 00:42:08,089 come out of it with a radically altered 809 00:42:15,219 --> 00:42:11,869 new idea about what truth is it may be 810 00:42:19,209 --> 00:42:15,229 that a kind of global shock therapy 811 00:42:24,309 --> 00:42:19,219 might be necessary to save her to save 812 00:42:27,939 --> 00:42:24,319 our species I don't know what's going to 813 00:42:31,839 --> 00:42:27,949 happen I would rely on a comment by 814 00:42:32,559 --> 00:42:31,849 Edward Abbey the monkey wrench gang many 815 00:42:37,449 --> 00:42:32,569 of you probably 816 00:42:41,650 --> 00:42:37,459 and read it over a B he said what is 817 00:42:47,559 --> 00:42:41,660 truth he said I have no idea and I'm 818 00:42:49,839 --> 00:42:47,569 sorry I brought it up great talk 819 00:42:51,729 --> 00:42:49,849 I just want to make a comment positive 820 00:42:53,620 --> 00:42:51,739 comment about what you're saying what a 821 00:42:57,069 --> 00:42:53,630 reluctance about the medical journals to 822 00:43:00,549 --> 00:42:57,079 publish religiosity spirituality of 823 00:43:02,679 --> 00:43:00,559 Medicine I had a fellow who's doing a 824 00:43:04,269 --> 00:43:02,689 neurology fellowship with me and he was 825 00:43:06,909 --> 00:43:04,279 very interested in spirituality and 826 00:43:09,609 --> 00:43:06,919 religiosity and so we did a study 827 00:43:13,059 --> 00:43:09,619 showing that patients with Alzheimer's 828 00:43:15,819 --> 00:43:13,069 disease who were higher on us of rating 829 00:43:18,249 --> 00:43:15,829 of spirituality and private religious 830 00:43:20,890 --> 00:43:18,259 practices we're not going to structured 831 00:43:23,769 --> 00:43:20,900 religion churches and synagogues and 832 00:43:27,609 --> 00:43:23,779 that sort of thing in mosques they we 833 00:43:30,699 --> 00:43:27,619 found that they declined slower and we 834 00:43:32,949 --> 00:43:30,709 submitted that to one of the best widely 835 00:43:35,859 --> 00:43:32,959 read journals in neurology of the world 836 00:43:39,640 --> 00:43:35,869 neurology right and it was accepted so 837 00:43:42,489 --> 00:43:39,650 there you know that reluctance when it 838 00:43:44,979 --> 00:43:42,499 was back in 2007 and we're now trying to 839 00:43:47,169 --> 00:43:44,989 replicate this study yeah in a different 840 00:43:50,799 --> 00:43:47,179 population but certainly in that 841 00:43:54,459 --> 00:43:50,809 neurology Journal that was well I really 842 00:43:57,609 --> 00:43:54,469 appreciate that I am an executive editor 843 00:44:01,209 --> 00:43:57,619 of a medical journal and we encourage 844 00:44:04,509 --> 00:44:01,219 submissions like that and I think the 845 00:44:06,669 --> 00:44:04,519 the tide is turning in in medical 846 00:44:09,249 --> 00:44:06,679 journalism I've had the opportunity to 847 00:44:13,209 --> 00:44:09,259 talk to groups of Harvard physicians 848 00:44:15,909 --> 00:44:13,219 about this weird stuff barbecue miss 849 00:44:18,399 --> 00:44:15,919 keys healing and all that and I recall 850 00:44:19,899 --> 00:44:18,409 one talk I gave to them you know 851 00:44:21,370 --> 00:44:19,909 sometimes it during a talk you think 852 00:44:23,049 --> 00:44:21,380 this is going terribly they're never 853 00:44:26,620 --> 00:44:23,059 going to invite me back and it's all 854 00:44:29,529 --> 00:44:26,630 going to heck but after I made a fool of 855 00:44:32,169 --> 00:44:29,539 myself describing my experiences with 856 00:44:35,769 --> 00:44:32,179 these extraordinary healings in the Q&A 857 00:44:38,409 --> 00:44:35,779 session they begin to share their 858 00:44:40,569 --> 00:44:38,419 experiences with me and so I'm convinced 859 00:44:42,850 --> 00:44:40,579 that you're right below the surface I 860 00:44:45,910 --> 00:44:42,860 think there is a need and a hyung 861 00:44:47,410 --> 00:44:45,920 for physicians to open up and to share 862 00:44:51,220 --> 00:44:47,420 things that they've never told anybody 863 00:44:53,110 --> 00:44:51,230 before almost all of these doctors would 864 00:44:55,270 --> 00:44:53,120 begin their revelations with the same 865 00:44:57,910 --> 00:44:55,280 comment look I've never spoken about 866 00:44:59,830 --> 00:44:57,920 this to anybody but this is what 867 00:45:03,400 --> 00:44:59,840 happened to me and this is what I saw I 868 00:45:06,160 --> 00:45:03,410 think we're we're getting there and I 869 00:45:09,760 --> 00:45:06,170 think part of the reason is because of 870 00:45:15,370 --> 00:45:09,770 organizations like this thank you thank 871 00:45:17,530 --> 00:45:15,380 you thank you for that introduction to 872 00:45:19,810 --> 00:45:17,540 play the devil's advocate a bit it seems 873 00:45:23,470 --> 00:45:19,820 like Concilium is an eval you 874 00:45:25,480 --> 00:45:23,480 competition with another value that most 875 00:45:28,030 --> 00:45:25,490 of us here are operating under and that 876 00:45:30,330 --> 00:45:28,040 the SSC has always operated under and 877 00:45:33,610 --> 00:45:30,340 that is the value of the uncollapse 878 00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:33,620 wavefunction of ambiguity and not 879 00:45:38,860 --> 00:45:36,770 allowing things to rigidify into any 880 00:45:40,990 --> 00:45:38,870 kind of an orthodoxy or any kind of an 881 00:45:45,720 --> 00:45:41,000 ideology however inclusive and diverse 882 00:45:49,810 --> 00:45:45,730 and open and so you know as you said 883 00:45:51,690 --> 00:45:49,820 ambiguity is the way of life and he also 884 00:45:54,550 --> 00:45:51,700 said I'm glad I'm young and not a union 885 00:45:56,440 --> 00:45:54,560 the idea of skeptic of the of the 886 00:45:57,850 --> 00:45:56,450 skeptics where were Greek philosophers 887 00:45:59,380 --> 00:45:57,860 and believed that their powers of 888 00:46:01,720 --> 00:45:59,390 observation and thinking would be 889 00:46:06,460 --> 00:46:01,730 diminished by reaching conclusions and 890 00:46:09,340 --> 00:46:06,470 so if we form akin science which is very 891 00:46:12,730 --> 00:46:09,350 unlikely aren't there great dangers that 892 00:46:15,160 --> 00:46:12,740 the way in which the SSE and that many 893 00:46:17,740 --> 00:46:15,170 of us have conducted our lives could be 894 00:46:20,560 --> 00:46:17,750 diminished by reaching any kind of a 895 00:46:23,800 --> 00:46:20,570 premature consensus oh I'm you agree 896 00:46:25,540 --> 00:46:23,810 totally as far as the SNC is concerned I 897 00:46:27,840 --> 00:46:25,550 have no fears that we're all going to 898 00:46:31,180 --> 00:46:27,850 wind up thinking the same thing 899 00:46:33,070 --> 00:46:31,190 thank you for your comment Thank You