1 00:00:17,350 --> 00:00:23,330 the science delusion is the belief that 2 00:00:20,809 --> 00:00:26,269 science already understands the nature 3 00:00:23,329 --> 00:00:32,028 of reality and principle leaving only 4 00:00:26,269 --> 00:00:35,060 the details to be filled in this is very 5 00:00:32,029 --> 00:00:38,079 widely believed by people in our society 6 00:00:35,060 --> 00:00:44,239 in fact it's the universal default 7 00:00:38,079 --> 00:00:46,600 worldview of educated people and science 8 00:00:44,238 --> 00:00:51,039 is of course extremely prestigious 9 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:54,500 because it works so well all of us 10 00:00:51,039 --> 00:00:58,189 depend on science and technology every 11 00:00:54,500 --> 00:01:01,399 day of our lives through the 12 00:00:58,189 --> 00:01:06,349 technologies in which we live and also 13 00:01:01,399 --> 00:01:10,640 through modern medicine but there's now 14 00:01:06,349 --> 00:01:13,969 a conflict between science as a 15 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:19,420 worldview and science as a method of 16 00:01:13,969 --> 00:01:22,789 inquiry the scientific method is 17 00:01:19,420 --> 00:01:24,950 enquiring through hypothesis and 18 00:01:22,789 --> 00:01:28,849 experimental evidence and critical 19 00:01:24,950 --> 00:01:31,670 discussion and it's a liberating way of 20 00:01:28,849 --> 00:01:35,959 inquiring into nature that's why science 21 00:01:31,670 --> 00:01:39,140 as a progressive system of discovery but 22 00:01:35,959 --> 00:01:41,718 science has also become a worldview a 23 00:01:39,140 --> 00:01:46,280 way of seeing the world which has become 24 00:01:41,718 --> 00:01:48,468 increasingly dogmatic since the 19th 25 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:51,409 century the so-called scientific 26 00:01:48,468 --> 00:01:55,280 worldview has been dominated by the 27 00:01:51,409 --> 00:01:57,319 philosophy of materialism the doctrine 28 00:01:55,280 --> 00:02:01,909 that the only reality is matter or 29 00:01:57,319 --> 00:02:05,269 physical reality and this has now become 30 00:02:01,909 --> 00:02:08,599 a restrictive framework for scientific 31 00:02:05,269 --> 00:02:10,818 inquiry increasingly constricting what 32 00:02:08,599 --> 00:02:17,329 questions can be asked and what research 33 00:02:10,818 --> 00:02:20,229 can be done in think-tanks in London and 34 00:02:17,330 --> 00:02:23,569 in Washington and elsewhere in the world 35 00:02:20,229 --> 00:02:28,238 policymakers are now very concerned with 36 00:02:23,568 --> 00:02:28,238 a problem that they call the innovation 37 00:02:28,490 --> 00:02:33,990 their argument is that the West can only 38 00:02:31,379 --> 00:02:37,919 compete with the rising Eastern 39 00:02:33,990 --> 00:02:40,080 economies by being more innovative but 40 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:42,389 in science and technology we're not 41 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:45,000 being very innovative there have been 42 00:02:42,389 --> 00:02:48,299 almost no breakthroughs in the last 20 43 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:51,449 or 30 years there's been incremental 44 00:02:48,300 --> 00:02:55,680 improvement gradual improvement but our 45 00:02:51,449 --> 00:02:59,099 present research system is not friendly 46 00:02:55,680 --> 00:03:01,849 towards radical change it's extremely 47 00:02:59,099 --> 00:03:06,000 conservative and this has led to this 48 00:03:01,849 --> 00:03:08,489 innovation deficit this is now a matter 49 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:11,849 of serious concern to politicians and 50 00:03:08,489 --> 00:03:14,159 policymakers part of the reason for it 51 00:03:11,849 --> 00:03:18,469 is the institutional framework of 52 00:03:14,159 --> 00:03:23,639 science which deters originality and 53 00:03:18,469 --> 00:03:26,639 heresy but part of it is the restrictive 54 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:28,589 framework of thought that the philosophy 55 00:03:26,639 --> 00:03:36,449 of materialism has imposed on the 56 00:03:28,590 --> 00:03:40,890 sciences in my book what I don't need to 57 00:03:36,449 --> 00:03:45,599 hold it okay in my book the science 58 00:03:40,889 --> 00:03:48,629 delusion what I do is take the ten basic 59 00:03:45,599 --> 00:03:52,560 dogmas of materialism and turn them into 60 00:03:48,629 --> 00:03:54,780 questions and I examine these dogmas not 61 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:56,449 as if they're truths but as if they're 62 00:03:54,780 --> 00:03:59,069 hypotheses that can be tested 63 00:03:56,449 --> 00:04:03,238 scientifically and I asked what is the 64 00:03:59,069 --> 00:04:06,269 evidence usually these dogmas are simply 65 00:04:03,239 --> 00:04:08,759 taken for granted people think that 66 00:04:06,269 --> 00:04:10,860 they're simply the truth most 67 00:04:08,759 --> 00:04:13,769 materialists don't realize that their 68 00:04:10,860 --> 00:04:15,780 belief system is a belief system they 69 00:04:13,769 --> 00:04:20,639 think other people have belief systems 70 00:04:15,780 --> 00:04:22,850 but they know the truth and say what I'm 71 00:04:20,639 --> 00:04:26,370 doing is taking these ten dogmas and 72 00:04:22,850 --> 00:04:32,430 looking at them scientifically this is a 73 00:04:26,370 --> 00:04:35,668 purely scientific exercise so first I'm 74 00:04:32,430 --> 00:04:37,590 going to summarize the ten dogmas then I 75 00:04:35,668 --> 00:04:38,839 shall look at two or three of them this 76 00:04:37,589 --> 00:04:43,369 morning and the 77 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:46,269 afternoon look at some more of them the 78 00:04:43,370 --> 00:04:50,810 first Dogma is that nature is mechanical 79 00:04:46,269 --> 00:04:53,478 machine like the only valid metaphor for 80 00:04:50,810 --> 00:04:55,910 looking at nature is the machine the 81 00:04:53,478 --> 00:04:58,909 universe's are machine animals and 82 00:04:55,910 --> 00:05:00,520 machines plants and machines we are 83 00:04:58,910 --> 00:05:04,130 machines 84 00:05:00,519 --> 00:05:06,469 according to Richard Dawkins we are 85 00:05:04,129 --> 00:05:08,689 lumbering robots 86 00:05:06,470 --> 00:05:10,430 we're simply machines and our brains are 87 00:05:08,689 --> 00:05:15,019 nothing but genetically programmed 88 00:05:10,430 --> 00:05:18,259 computers the second Dogma is that 89 00:05:15,019 --> 00:05:20,120 matter is unconscious the whole universe 90 00:05:18,259 --> 00:05:22,579 is made of matter and matters 91 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:24,728 unconscious the stars the planets the 92 00:05:22,579 --> 00:05:27,050 entire universe has come into being 93 00:05:24,728 --> 00:05:30,168 completely without consciousness and 94 00:05:27,050 --> 00:05:33,379 then on this earth at some stage in the 95 00:05:30,168 --> 00:05:35,329 past for reasons uh turley unknown the 96 00:05:33,379 --> 00:05:37,668 lightbulb of consciousness was switched 97 00:05:35,329 --> 00:05:39,680 on in human brains maybe in animal 98 00:05:37,668 --> 00:05:44,120 brains but the rest of the universe is 99 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:47,720 totally unconscious the third Dogma is 100 00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:50,449 that the laws of nature are fixed all 101 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:52,580 the laws of nature were established at 102 00:05:50,449 --> 00:05:56,360 the moment of the Big Bang exactly as 103 00:05:52,579 --> 00:05:59,598 they are today and they're rather like a 104 00:05:56,360 --> 00:06:02,449 kind of cosmic Napoleonic Code that was 105 00:05:59,598 --> 00:06:04,870 fixed right from the outset and will 106 00:06:02,449 --> 00:06:07,699 remain the same forever 107 00:06:04,870 --> 00:06:10,189 the fourth Dogma is that the total 108 00:06:07,699 --> 00:06:12,288 amount of matter and energy is always 109 00:06:10,189 --> 00:06:14,660 the same this is the principle of 110 00:06:12,288 --> 00:06:17,810 conservation of matter and energy all of 111 00:06:14,660 --> 00:06:19,729 us learned it at school and if the total 112 00:06:17,810 --> 00:06:22,250 amount of matter and energy is always at 113 00:06:19,728 --> 00:06:24,199 the same except at the moment of the Big 114 00:06:22,250 --> 00:06:28,370 Bang when all the mass and energy 115 00:06:24,199 --> 00:06:30,949 suddenly appeared as my friend Terence 116 00:06:28,370 --> 00:06:33,410 Mckenna used to say modern science is 117 00:06:30,949 --> 00:06:36,310 based on the principle give us one free 118 00:06:33,410 --> 00:06:38,960 miracle and we'll explain the rest and 119 00:06:36,310 --> 00:06:40,459 the one free miracle is the appearance 120 00:06:38,959 --> 00:06:42,560 of all the matter and energy in the 121 00:06:40,459 --> 00:06:47,478 universe and all the laws that govern it 122 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:50,519 from nothing in a single instant the 123 00:06:47,478 --> 00:06:53,279 fifth Dogma is that nature is purpose 124 00:06:50,519 --> 00:06:56,219 there are no purposes in nature animals 125 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:57,679 and plants are not teleological they're 126 00:06:56,220 --> 00:07:01,050 just brought come about by chance 127 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:03,569 mutations and evolution has no purpose 128 00:07:01,050 --> 00:07:08,670 or direction the entire universe is 129 00:07:03,569 --> 00:07:12,949 blindly going nowhere the sixth Dogma is 130 00:07:08,670 --> 00:07:15,569 that biological inheritance is material 131 00:07:12,949 --> 00:07:19,430 everything you inherit biologically is 132 00:07:15,569 --> 00:07:22,310 inherited in chemical genes DNA in 133 00:07:19,430 --> 00:07:25,290 epigenetic modifications of the genes 134 00:07:22,310 --> 00:07:29,850 chemical changes associated with the 135 00:07:25,290 --> 00:07:35,040 genes or in cytoplasmic inheritance but 136 00:07:29,850 --> 00:07:37,860 it's all material dogma 7 is that 137 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:40,860 memories are stored materially inside 138 00:07:37,860 --> 00:07:45,210 your brains everything we can remember 139 00:07:40,860 --> 00:07:47,939 is inside our head no one knows how it 140 00:07:45,209 --> 00:07:50,389 works but it's assumed that it must be 141 00:07:47,939 --> 00:07:53,250 because of phosphorylated proteins 142 00:07:50,389 --> 00:07:58,050 modified nerve endings or some other 143 00:07:53,250 --> 00:08:00,509 material changes in the brain number 144 00:07:58,050 --> 00:08:03,569 eight is that your mind is nothing but 145 00:08:00,509 --> 00:08:06,509 the activity of your brain your mind is 146 00:08:03,569 --> 00:08:08,790 inside your head the mind is entirely 147 00:08:06,509 --> 00:08:13,680 concerned concidered confined to the 148 00:08:08,790 --> 00:08:16,370 inside of the skull Dogma 9 is a 149 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:19,680 consequence of Dogma 8 it says that 150 00:08:16,370 --> 00:08:23,819 psychic phenomena like telepathy are 151 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:25,530 illusory they may appear to happen but 152 00:08:23,819 --> 00:08:28,560 they can't really happen because they're 153 00:08:25,529 --> 00:08:30,359 impossible your mind is totally confined 154 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:33,019 to the inside of your head so it can't 155 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:35,580 possibly have any effects at a distance 156 00:08:33,019 --> 00:08:38,009 so even though there may be some 157 00:08:35,580 --> 00:08:39,780 evidence for telepathy we know in 158 00:08:38,009 --> 00:08:42,418 advance that that evidence must be 159 00:08:39,779 --> 00:08:46,559 either flawed or fraudulent because it's 160 00:08:42,418 --> 00:08:48,659 simply impossible and Dogma 10 is that 161 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:51,839 mechanistic medicine is the only kind 162 00:08:48,659 --> 00:08:54,120 that really works complementary and 163 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:56,340 alternative medicines may appear to work 164 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:58,830 but that's just because people would 165 00:08:56,340 --> 00:09:01,440 have got better anyway or it's nothing 166 00:08:58,830 --> 00:09:02,910 but the placebo effect the only kind 167 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:05,010 that really works 168 00:09:02,909 --> 00:09:06,689 we're medicine that works on machinery 169 00:09:05,009 --> 00:09:09,299 of the body the body is of 170 00:09:06,690 --> 00:09:11,070 physico-chemical machine so the only 171 00:09:09,299 --> 00:09:14,000 kind of medicine that can really work is 172 00:09:11,070 --> 00:09:16,650 physical or chemical surgery or drugs 173 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:20,970 and of course surgery and drugs do work 174 00:09:16,649 --> 00:09:22,559 for many conditions but the the there 175 00:09:20,970 --> 00:09:25,860 are many other forms of therapy that 176 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:28,229 indeed do seem to work as well but 177 00:09:25,860 --> 00:09:29,759 because the dogma that mechanistic 178 00:09:28,230 --> 00:09:32,190 medicine is the only kind that really 179 00:09:29,759 --> 00:09:34,319 works it means that most government 180 00:09:32,190 --> 00:09:36,390 health funding and most research funding 181 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:39,390 for medicine in some countries almost 182 00:09:36,389 --> 00:09:41,399 all of it is devoted only to mechanistic 183 00:09:39,389 --> 00:09:44,850 medicine and all other forms of therapy 184 00:09:41,399 --> 00:09:46,470 are ignored they're not ignored by 185 00:09:44,850 --> 00:09:48,149 ordinary people of course there are 186 00:09:46,470 --> 00:09:51,029 millions and hundreds of millions of 187 00:09:48,149 --> 00:09:53,039 people who go to alternative therapists 188 00:09:51,029 --> 00:09:57,089 of one kind or another but they're 189 00:09:53,039 --> 00:09:59,599 ignored by the official worldview now 190 00:09:57,090 --> 00:10:02,240 these ten dogmas constitute the default 191 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:05,149 worldview which is the standard 192 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:08,519 orthodoxy of politics business 193 00:10:05,149 --> 00:10:10,709 government and education all of us have 194 00:10:08,519 --> 00:10:15,449 been brought up within that framework of 195 00:10:10,710 --> 00:10:18,629 thought of course not all scientists are 196 00:10:15,450 --> 00:10:21,660 totally convinced by this in every area 197 00:10:18,629 --> 00:10:24,539 of science there are dissidents radicals 198 00:10:21,659 --> 00:10:28,589 heretics who are questioning these 199 00:10:24,539 --> 00:10:30,929 dogmas but this basic materialist 200 00:10:28,590 --> 00:10:33,990 worldview is still the default standard 201 00:10:30,929 --> 00:10:38,449 worldview against the background of 202 00:10:33,990 --> 00:10:38,450 which any deviation is treated as heresy 203 00:10:38,929 --> 00:10:45,689 but science itself has now undermined 204 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:48,600 indeed overthrown every one of these 205 00:10:45,690 --> 00:10:52,050 dogmas not one of them stands up to 206 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:54,269 serious scientific scrutiny and what I'm 207 00:10:52,049 --> 00:10:57,419 going to do today I haven't time to talk 208 00:10:54,269 --> 00:11:01,649 about all ten of them but I'm going to 209 00:10:57,419 --> 00:11:03,870 start with nature being mechanical this 210 00:11:01,649 --> 00:11:05,490 is familiar so I shall do it briefly and 211 00:11:03,870 --> 00:11:08,970 then I'll go on to the dogma that 212 00:11:05,490 --> 00:11:13,039 matters unconscious and I'll speak more 213 00:11:08,970 --> 00:11:13,040 about consciousness this morning 214 00:11:13,299 --> 00:11:17,979 the doubler that nature is mechanical 215 00:11:15,549 --> 00:11:21,490 was the foundational step that gave rise 216 00:11:17,980 --> 00:11:23,470 to modern science in the 17th century 217 00:11:21,490 --> 00:11:26,500 the Scientific Revolution was a 218 00:11:23,470 --> 00:11:28,570 revolution because it overthrew the 219 00:11:26,500 --> 00:11:30,669 older view of nature which was taught in 220 00:11:28,570 --> 00:11:33,820 all the unit European universities and 221 00:11:30,669 --> 00:11:35,709 monasteries in the Middle Ages the 222 00:11:33,820 --> 00:11:39,370 medieval view of nature based on 223 00:11:35,710 --> 00:11:42,610 Aristotle and st. Thomas Aquinas was 224 00:11:39,370 --> 00:11:44,919 that nature is organic the universe is a 225 00:11:42,610 --> 00:11:48,399 living universe the earth is Mother 226 00:11:44,919 --> 00:11:52,750 Earth and animals and plants are truly 227 00:11:48,399 --> 00:11:55,509 alive plants have souls the soul of the 228 00:11:52,750 --> 00:11:58,600 plant gives form or shape to the plant 229 00:11:55,509 --> 00:12:00,519 it's the form of the body and what 230 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:03,220 Aristotle and st. Thomas called the 231 00:12:00,519 --> 00:12:07,360 vegetative soul is what shapes each 232 00:12:03,220 --> 00:12:10,240 plant species the oak tree has a soul 233 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:13,000 that gives form or shape to the tree the 234 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:15,310 seedling the a acorn germinates and 235 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:17,620 gives a seedling and the seedling is 236 00:12:15,309 --> 00:12:22,750 attracted towards the mature form of the 237 00:12:17,620 --> 00:12:25,899 oak by the soul of the oak animals also 238 00:12:22,750 --> 00:12:29,019 have vegetative souls that shape the 239 00:12:25,899 --> 00:12:31,449 body and in addition they have animal 240 00:12:29,019 --> 00:12:34,500 souls that give rise to the instincts 241 00:12:31,450 --> 00:12:37,390 coordinate sensations and movements and 242 00:12:34,500 --> 00:12:39,220 of course the English word animal comes 243 00:12:37,389 --> 00:12:44,529 from the latin word anima which means 244 00:12:39,220 --> 00:12:47,470 soul humans on this medieval view have a 245 00:12:44,529 --> 00:12:49,750 vegetative soul that shapes the body an 246 00:12:47,470 --> 00:12:52,690 animal soul that gives us our animal 247 00:12:49,750 --> 00:12:55,779 nature largely unconscious but in 248 00:12:52,690 --> 00:12:58,090 addition the rational or intellectual 249 00:12:55,779 --> 00:13:03,870 soul which underlies rational thought 250 00:12:58,090 --> 00:13:07,450 reason language mathematics and so on 251 00:13:03,870 --> 00:13:09,129 this was the medieval view and this was 252 00:13:07,450 --> 00:13:13,180 exactly the view that the scientific 253 00:13:09,129 --> 00:13:16,720 revolution overthrew it abolished the 254 00:13:13,179 --> 00:13:19,389 idea of souls in nature nature was made 255 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:22,690 up not of organisms which have their own 256 00:13:19,389 --> 00:13:25,269 purposes and are self-organizing instead 257 00:13:22,690 --> 00:13:28,370 nature was made of machine 258 00:13:25,269 --> 00:13:30,198 machines and like organisms in that they 259 00:13:28,370 --> 00:13:33,828 have parts that work together 260 00:13:30,198 --> 00:13:35,688 but unlike organisms they don't organize 261 00:13:33,828 --> 00:13:38,659 themselves they don't form themselves 262 00:13:35,688 --> 00:13:41,269 that's why we need factories to make 263 00:13:38,659 --> 00:13:43,639 them and they don't design themselves 264 00:13:41,269 --> 00:13:47,419 they need engineers and designers to 265 00:13:43,639 --> 00:13:49,490 design them in the 17th century the 266 00:13:47,419 --> 00:13:51,889 founding fathers of modern science were 267 00:13:49,490 --> 00:13:54,318 devout Christians and they thought that 268 00:13:51,889 --> 00:13:56,480 by creating a mechanistic theory of 269 00:13:54,318 --> 00:13:58,240 nature they could create a new kind of 270 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:01,009 theology which they did create 271 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:03,379 mechanistic theology where God was 272 00:14:01,009 --> 00:14:06,499 conceived of as a machine maker an 273 00:14:03,379 --> 00:14:08,509 engineer and a mathematician so all the 274 00:14:06,499 --> 00:14:11,120 designs of animals and plants were not 275 00:14:08,509 --> 00:14:12,499 designed by nature they they were not 276 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:14,870 designed by the animals and plants 277 00:14:12,499 --> 00:14:17,509 themselves the purposes were not 278 00:14:14,870 --> 00:14:20,870 inherent in nature as they were before 279 00:14:17,509 --> 00:14:23,480 instead all designs purposes ideas were 280 00:14:20,870 --> 00:14:25,730 in God so they thought they were 281 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:28,188 increasing the importance and role of 282 00:14:25,730 --> 00:14:34,370 God and diminishing the importance of 283 00:14:28,188 --> 00:14:38,328 nature so this led to a mechanical 284 00:14:34,370 --> 00:14:42,230 worldview it also meant that Nature had 285 00:14:38,328 --> 00:14:44,979 no purposes of its own that's why in 286 00:14:42,230 --> 00:14:47,959 nineteenth-century evolutionary thought 287 00:14:44,980 --> 00:14:50,420 evolution has no purpose the universe is 288 00:14:47,958 --> 00:14:54,169 a machine a machine has no purpose of 289 00:14:50,419 --> 00:14:57,229 its own you can see the difference if 290 00:14:54,169 --> 00:14:59,328 you think of a car you get into a car 291 00:14:57,230 --> 00:15:01,220 and if as long as the cars working it 292 00:14:59,328 --> 00:15:03,109 will go wherever you want it to go it 293 00:15:01,220 --> 00:15:06,740 doesn't have any desire or purpose of 294 00:15:03,110 --> 00:15:08,839 its own if you get onto a horse it might 295 00:15:06,740 --> 00:15:11,509 be a very different story the horse 296 00:15:08,839 --> 00:15:13,399 might easily have ideas of its own about 297 00:15:11,509 --> 00:15:17,178 what it wants to do that's because it's 298 00:15:13,399 --> 00:15:19,730 an organism not a machine so this idea 299 00:15:17,178 --> 00:15:22,458 that nature's a machine is stripped-out 300 00:15:19,730 --> 00:15:25,209 purpose from nature dogma v nature is 301 00:15:22,458 --> 00:15:27,649 purposeless is nothing but our 302 00:15:25,208 --> 00:15:29,659 consequence of dogma one nature is 303 00:15:27,649 --> 00:15:33,919 mechanical it's simply part of the 304 00:15:29,659 --> 00:15:37,169 metaphor but this is not a testable 305 00:15:33,919 --> 00:15:40,128 scientific theory it's only a metaphor 306 00:15:37,169 --> 00:15:43,229 it's not something you can prove with 307 00:15:40,129 --> 00:15:45,269 too many places of decimals by precise 308 00:15:43,230 --> 00:15:47,489 experiments it's simply a way of 309 00:15:45,269 --> 00:15:50,249 thinking and there's no reason whatever 310 00:15:47,489 --> 00:15:53,160 that we have to adopt only one metaphor 311 00:15:50,249 --> 00:15:57,089 one size fits all for the whole universe 312 00:15:53,159 --> 00:15:59,129 and everything within it I think that 313 00:15:57,089 --> 00:16:00,689 what we can easily do is adopt the 314 00:15:59,129 --> 00:16:03,749 radical point-of-view that living 315 00:16:00,688 --> 00:16:06,868 organisms are organisms that the 316 00:16:03,749 --> 00:16:09,389 universe is an organism in fact the 317 00:16:06,869 --> 00:16:11,369 universe it's now conceived we're 318 00:16:09,389 --> 00:16:13,259 starting with the Big Bang which is 319 00:16:11,369 --> 00:16:16,528 rather like the hatching of the cosmic 320 00:16:13,259 --> 00:16:20,449 egg and then growing and cooling and 321 00:16:16,528 --> 00:16:23,730 expanding and as it grows and cools the 322 00:16:20,448 --> 00:16:25,678 structure within universe increases that 323 00:16:23,730 --> 00:16:28,970 is much more like a developing organism 324 00:16:25,678 --> 00:16:28,970 than like a machine 325 00:16:34,169 --> 00:16:41,169 well one consequence of this way of 326 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:43,720 thinking it is that matters unconscious 327 00:16:41,169 --> 00:16:47,919 and this is the second Dogma which I'm 328 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:50,649 now coming on to this was simply a 329 00:16:47,919 --> 00:16:54,360 definition in the 17th century by a 330 00:16:50,649 --> 00:16:57,549 Frenchman rené Descartes and Descartes 331 00:16:54,360 --> 00:17:00,159 separated matter and mind he got rid of 332 00:16:57,549 --> 00:17:03,958 soul from nature and that left any 333 00:17:00,159 --> 00:17:06,789 rational minds and inanimate matter and 334 00:17:03,958 --> 00:17:11,139 so he created the famous car to Z 335 00:17:06,789 --> 00:17:13,299 Cartesian dualism matter was defined as 336 00:17:11,140 --> 00:17:16,150 unconscious he didn't prove it by 337 00:17:13,299 --> 00:17:19,659 experiment he simply assumed that all 338 00:17:16,150 --> 00:17:23,679 matter is unconscious and mechanical 339 00:17:19,660 --> 00:17:25,630 including human bodies then minds are 340 00:17:23,679 --> 00:17:27,519 something completely different they're 341 00:17:25,630 --> 00:17:30,330 not in space they're not in time 342 00:17:27,519 --> 00:17:33,009 they're immaterial they're eternal and 343 00:17:30,329 --> 00:17:35,949 minds are confined to human beings 344 00:17:33,009 --> 00:17:40,058 the spirit of human beings human beings 345 00:17:35,950 --> 00:17:42,759 angels and God so this creates an 346 00:17:40,058 --> 00:17:45,970 extreme dualism in humans between mind 347 00:17:42,759 --> 00:17:48,549 and body the mind is immaterial the 348 00:17:45,970 --> 00:17:51,069 body's material and the to interact 349 00:17:48,549 --> 00:17:54,639 according to Descartes in a small region 350 00:17:51,069 --> 00:17:56,799 of the brain the pineal gland modern 351 00:17:54,640 --> 00:17:58,690 theories of dualism are similar except 352 00:17:56,799 --> 00:18:01,509 the supposed seat of interaction has 353 00:17:58,690 --> 00:18:06,429 moved three or four centimeters into the 354 00:18:01,509 --> 00:18:07,839 cerebral cortex and so at this 355 00:18:06,429 --> 00:18:10,030 conception of the body is completely 356 00:18:07,839 --> 00:18:13,119 mechanical is the basis of modern 357 00:18:10,029 --> 00:18:15,779 medicine as I said there's also a 358 00:18:13,119 --> 00:18:18,519 duality between humans and animals 359 00:18:15,779 --> 00:18:21,009 animals don't have rational minds 360 00:18:18,519 --> 00:18:23,289 they're just machines that's why it's 361 00:18:21,009 --> 00:18:25,799 alright to vivisect animals Descartes 362 00:18:23,289 --> 00:18:28,178 himself practice vivisection on dogs 363 00:18:25,799 --> 00:18:30,190 because they're just machines they can't 364 00:18:28,179 --> 00:18:32,550 feel pain they can't think they don't 365 00:18:30,190 --> 00:18:35,350 have emotions they're just machines and 366 00:18:32,549 --> 00:18:38,349 that's the basis of modern industrial 367 00:18:35,349 --> 00:18:40,959 agriculture and factory farming animals 368 00:18:38,349 --> 00:18:45,789 are just machines our whole modern 369 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:47,298 economy is based on this assumption it 370 00:18:45,789 --> 00:18:50,089 also creates a separ 371 00:18:47,298 --> 00:18:53,628 raishin between religion and science and 372 00:18:50,089 --> 00:18:57,199 God and nature because religion in this 373 00:18:53,628 --> 00:19:00,918 division got human morality human souls 374 00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:03,259 angels and God science got the whole of 375 00:19:00,919 --> 00:19:07,669 the universe all of nature and the human 376 00:19:03,259 --> 00:19:09,769 body and by separating these realms for 377 00:19:07,669 --> 00:19:12,710 most of the history of science 378 00:19:09,769 --> 00:19:15,470 religion and science were kept separate 379 00:19:12,710 --> 00:19:18,139 people could be devout Christians or 380 00:19:15,470 --> 00:19:20,538 Jews and practicing mechanistic 381 00:19:18,138 --> 00:19:21,918 scientists without any conflict because 382 00:19:20,538 --> 00:19:27,288 they were set kept in separate 383 00:19:21,919 --> 00:19:30,859 compartments but by the 19th century 384 00:19:27,288 --> 00:19:34,999 many people came to dislike this extreme 385 00:19:30,858 --> 00:19:38,358 dualism most people don't like dual isms 386 00:19:34,999 --> 00:19:41,989 and so the question was what to do about 387 00:19:38,358 --> 00:19:44,628 it well one way of dealing with the 388 00:19:41,989 --> 00:19:47,298 dualism is to say that two is too few 389 00:19:44,628 --> 00:19:49,849 and we need to move to an understanding 390 00:19:47,298 --> 00:19:52,819 that has at least three aspects to it a 391 00:19:49,849 --> 00:19:54,408 Trinitarian understanding that I think 392 00:19:52,819 --> 00:19:56,298 is the best way of going that the 393 00:19:54,409 --> 00:19:59,440 ultimate reality has a triple or 394 00:19:56,298 --> 00:20:02,298 threefold at least a three-fold nature 395 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:05,239 but most people in the 19th century 396 00:20:02,298 --> 00:20:07,220 thought that too was too many and that 397 00:20:05,239 --> 00:20:09,999 we should go down to one basic principle 398 00:20:07,220 --> 00:20:13,460 and there were two ways of dealing with 399 00:20:09,999 --> 00:20:15,858 Cartesian dualism one was to say matter 400 00:20:13,460 --> 00:20:18,440 doesn't exist the only thing that exists 401 00:20:15,858 --> 00:20:21,739 is spirit or mind and that's the 402 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:23,808 philosophy of idealism spirit is the 403 00:20:21,739 --> 00:20:26,389 only reality consciousness is the only 404 00:20:23,808 --> 00:20:31,249 reality matter is kind of dumbed down 405 00:20:26,388 --> 00:20:34,519 mind but most people in the 19th century 406 00:20:31,249 --> 00:20:37,339 went the other way the dominant ethos of 407 00:20:34,519 --> 00:20:40,519 19th century intellectual shifted to 408 00:20:37,339 --> 00:20:44,058 materialism spirit doesn't exist matters 409 00:20:40,519 --> 00:20:46,548 the only reality one reason that they 410 00:20:44,058 --> 00:20:49,069 took this step was not because of 411 00:20:46,548 --> 00:20:51,079 scientific data it was because many 412 00:20:49,069 --> 00:20:53,509 intellectuals were alienated from the 413 00:20:51,079 --> 00:20:56,778 Christian tradition the Enlightenment in 414 00:20:53,509 --> 00:20:58,970 France and elsewhere in Europe was 415 00:20:56,778 --> 00:21:01,779 profoundly anti-christian 416 00:20:58,970 --> 00:21:03,620 and it was associated with 417 00:21:01,779 --> 00:21:07,460 anti-clericalism and the growth of 418 00:21:03,619 --> 00:21:09,918 atheism communism early socialism were 419 00:21:07,460 --> 00:21:12,110 essentially atheistic and for the 420 00:21:09,919 --> 00:21:14,630 reasons of polemics against the church 421 00:21:12,109 --> 00:21:17,479 and the liberation of secular society 422 00:21:14,630 --> 00:21:21,169 from religious control materialism was a 423 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:23,870 very attractive dogma it gave all the 424 00:21:21,169 --> 00:21:26,330 prestige of science to this new view it 425 00:21:23,869 --> 00:21:28,219 enabled propagandists to say science 426 00:21:26,329 --> 00:21:30,109 represents the future and progress 427 00:21:28,220 --> 00:21:31,460 religion holds people back it's 428 00:21:30,109 --> 00:21:34,038 superstition 429 00:21:31,460 --> 00:21:36,769 people are dominated by priests and so 430 00:21:34,038 --> 00:21:39,558 on so for various reasons to do with 431 00:21:36,769 --> 00:21:42,500 anti religious polemic materialism 432 00:21:39,558 --> 00:21:45,319 became the preferred philosophy of many 433 00:21:42,500 --> 00:21:47,298 intellectuals and it gave an enormous 434 00:21:45,319 --> 00:21:49,308 authority to science which now became 435 00:21:47,298 --> 00:21:53,029 like the new religion and scientists the 436 00:21:49,308 --> 00:21:55,158 new priests anyway for a variety of this 437 00:21:53,029 --> 00:21:57,079 is a complex social pattern that went on 438 00:21:55,159 --> 00:21:59,270 in the nineteenth century but by the end 439 00:21:57,079 --> 00:22:03,079 of the 19th century the default 440 00:21:59,269 --> 00:22:06,200 worldview was materialism matters the 441 00:22:03,079 --> 00:22:08,750 only reality at one stroke the whole 442 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:11,600 world of spirit is removed angels and 443 00:22:08,750 --> 00:22:15,140 God are abolished immediately so you get 444 00:22:11,599 --> 00:22:17,569 instant atheism and and you then have 445 00:22:15,140 --> 00:22:21,320 the idea that the human mind is nothing 446 00:22:17,569 --> 00:22:24,379 but the activity of the brain that of 447 00:22:21,319 --> 00:22:26,869 course is a problem because according to 448 00:22:24,380 --> 00:22:30,020 the materialist doctrine matters the 449 00:22:26,869 --> 00:22:32,329 only reality and matters unconscious yet 450 00:22:30,019 --> 00:22:34,490 human beings are conscious it's hardly 451 00:22:32,329 --> 00:22:36,970 possible to not deny that we are 452 00:22:34,490 --> 00:22:40,038 conscious and yet we ought not to be 453 00:22:36,970 --> 00:22:43,909 this is the most fundamental problem for 454 00:22:40,038 --> 00:22:46,690 materialism in the 20th century in the 455 00:22:43,909 --> 00:22:49,580 english-speaking world the majority of 456 00:22:46,690 --> 00:22:51,620 psychologists in universities belong to 457 00:22:49,579 --> 00:22:54,288 the behaviorist school which said that 458 00:22:51,619 --> 00:22:56,869 the only valid scientific objective 459 00:22:54,288 --> 00:22:59,089 reality is measurable behavior the 460 00:22:56,869 --> 00:23:02,629 movements of muscles and the secretions 461 00:22:59,089 --> 00:23:05,538 of glands and that consciousness is 462 00:23:02,630 --> 00:23:08,299 nothing but an illusory concept designed 463 00:23:05,538 --> 00:23:10,029 to confuse people that it's subjective 464 00:23:08,298 --> 00:23:12,408 it's therefore it doesn't exist 465 00:23:10,029 --> 00:23:12,740 objective reality is the only thing that 466 00:23:12,409 --> 00:23:15,080 sign 467 00:23:12,740 --> 00:23:16,730 Vivek and therefore psychology should 468 00:23:15,079 --> 00:23:19,669 proceed with no reference to 469 00:23:16,730 --> 00:23:23,000 consciousness in the British 470 00:23:19,670 --> 00:23:26,660 Psychological Society about 15 years ago 471 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:29,029 a radical branch set up a minority group 472 00:23:26,660 --> 00:23:30,650 within the psychological city called the 473 00:23:29,029 --> 00:23:33,859 conscious a consciousness studies 474 00:23:30,650 --> 00:23:35,750 research group and this was considered 475 00:23:33,859 --> 00:23:37,129 heretical and radical at the time that 476 00:23:35,750 --> 00:23:42,589 psychologists should discuss 477 00:23:37,130 --> 00:23:44,929 consciousness and so philosophers of 478 00:23:42,589 --> 00:23:47,720 mind in the english-speaking world were 479 00:23:44,929 --> 00:23:49,940 and still are mainly materialists so 480 00:23:47,720 --> 00:23:51,319 their job is to prove that the mind is 481 00:23:49,940 --> 00:23:54,860 nothing but the brain and that 482 00:23:51,319 --> 00:23:57,619 consciousness is an illusion I went to a 483 00:23:54,859 --> 00:23:59,899 debate only three weeks ago in London 484 00:23:57,619 --> 00:24:01,759 between Daniel Dennett a leading 485 00:23:59,900 --> 00:24:04,220 materialist philosopher and Nicolas 486 00:24:01,759 --> 00:24:06,710 Humphrey a leading materialist 487 00:24:04,220 --> 00:24:09,950 psychologists about the nature of the 488 00:24:06,710 --> 00:24:11,569 mind then it said the mind is a pure 489 00:24:09,950 --> 00:24:13,779 illusion does nothing but nervous 490 00:24:11,569 --> 00:24:16,879 activity all the way through the brain 491 00:24:13,779 --> 00:24:18,230 and so then of course the question is 492 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:20,559 how do you explain the fact we're 493 00:24:18,230 --> 00:24:22,910 conscious well it's just an illusion 494 00:24:20,558 --> 00:24:24,829 Humphrey put forward a different theory 495 00:24:22,910 --> 00:24:28,130 he said it's not just an illusion it's 496 00:24:24,829 --> 00:24:29,990 the appearance of an illusion and so 497 00:24:28,130 --> 00:24:32,000 they argued for the whole of this debate 498 00:24:29,990 --> 00:24:35,179 about whether it was an illusion or the 499 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:37,130 appearance of an illusion but of course 500 00:24:35,179 --> 00:24:39,650 neither of this really answers the 501 00:24:37,130 --> 00:24:42,710 question because illusion is itself a 502 00:24:39,650 --> 00:24:45,769 mode of consciousness it presupposes 503 00:24:42,710 --> 00:24:48,319 rather than explains consciousness now 504 00:24:45,769 --> 00:24:50,029 it's amazing that grown men for 505 00:24:48,319 --> 00:24:51,769 generations could spend their time 506 00:24:50,029 --> 00:24:53,750 trying to disprove the fact that they 507 00:24:51,769 --> 00:24:56,450 themselves are conscious all that they 508 00:24:53,750 --> 00:24:58,640 have free choice because they after all 509 00:24:56,450 --> 00:25:00,789 try to persuade you of materialism on 510 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:03,800 the basis of science reason and evidence 511 00:25:00,789 --> 00:25:05,659 but actually the only way you can be a 512 00:25:03,799 --> 00:25:07,159 materialist from the materialist point 513 00:25:05,660 --> 00:25:09,558 of view is because your brain makes you 514 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:12,890 do it and you don't really have any 515 00:25:09,558 --> 00:25:14,889 choice in the matter so there's all 516 00:25:12,890 --> 00:25:17,780 these inconsistencies 517 00:25:14,890 --> 00:25:20,420 they've become intolerable to some 518 00:25:17,779 --> 00:25:23,539 philosophers and in the english-speaking 519 00:25:20,420 --> 00:25:26,058 world does now a movement against 520 00:25:23,539 --> 00:25:28,219 materialism or at least going beyond it 521 00:25:26,058 --> 00:25:31,098 Galen Strawson is one of our leading 522 00:25:28,219 --> 00:25:32,929 British philosophers and he came out a 523 00:25:31,098 --> 00:25:34,878 few years ago by saying that the only 524 00:25:32,929 --> 00:25:37,219 way consciousness could be explained is 525 00:25:34,878 --> 00:25:40,248 by assuming that matter even at the 526 00:25:37,219 --> 00:25:42,830 electron or atomic level has some kind 527 00:25:40,249 --> 00:25:45,169 of mental activity in other words he's 528 00:25:42,829 --> 00:25:47,148 adopting a form of Pan psychism the 529 00:25:45,169 --> 00:25:49,489 doctrine that there's a kind of psyche 530 00:25:47,148 --> 00:25:51,798 or mind throughout the material world 531 00:25:49,489 --> 00:25:56,028 not just in human brains or animal 532 00:25:51,798 --> 00:25:57,798 brains a few months ago Thomas Nagel one 533 00:25:56,028 --> 00:26:01,868 of the leading American philosophers of 534 00:25:57,798 --> 00:26:05,710 mind wrote a book called mind and cosmos 535 00:26:01,868 --> 00:26:09,288 why the materialist neo-darwinian 536 00:26:05,710 --> 00:26:12,858 conception of nature is almost certainly 537 00:26:09,288 --> 00:26:15,710 false this book caused a tremendous stir 538 00:26:12,858 --> 00:26:18,798 in intellectual circles in America and 539 00:26:15,710 --> 00:26:21,889 in Britain and was denounced as heresy 540 00:26:18,798 --> 00:26:25,278 by some of the leading materialists but 541 00:26:21,888 --> 00:26:29,088 Nagel like strossen is now advocating a 542 00:26:25,278 --> 00:26:31,519 form of Pan psychism of course Pan 543 00:26:29,088 --> 00:26:33,319 psychism is not a new philosophy it's 544 00:26:31,519 --> 00:26:37,519 what most people believed in the Middle 545 00:26:33,319 --> 00:26:39,710 Ages and in the 17th century after 546 00:26:37,519 --> 00:26:43,069 Descartes put forward his extreme 547 00:26:39,710 --> 00:26:45,739 dualism two major philosophers in Europe 548 00:26:43,069 --> 00:26:48,439 came out with Penn cyclist views one was 549 00:26:45,739 --> 00:26:51,798 light nets and light nets argued that 550 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:55,159 every self-organizing unit or monad has 551 00:26:51,798 --> 00:26:57,259 both a body and a mind and each monad 552 00:26:55,159 --> 00:27:00,710 reflects the universe from its own point 553 00:26:57,259 --> 00:27:02,598 of view just like in this room each one 554 00:27:00,710 --> 00:27:04,819 of us is in a different place where each 555 00:27:02,598 --> 00:27:07,069 seeing this room from our own point of 556 00:27:04,819 --> 00:27:08,509 view none of us is seeing it from the 557 00:27:07,069 --> 00:27:10,338 same point of view as anyone else 558 00:27:08,509 --> 00:27:12,288 because by definition that were in 559 00:27:10,338 --> 00:27:14,329 different places being in bodies which 560 00:27:12,288 --> 00:27:18,138 can't occupy the same place at the same 561 00:27:14,329 --> 00:27:20,298 time and he argued that monads including 562 00:27:18,138 --> 00:27:22,248 non biological monads throughout all 563 00:27:20,298 --> 00:27:26,418 nature reflect the whole universe from 564 00:27:22,249 --> 00:27:28,700 their end point of view Spinoza took the 565 00:27:26,419 --> 00:27:31,549 view that nature the material world is 566 00:27:28,700 --> 00:27:34,129 the body of God God is the mind of 567 00:27:31,548 --> 00:27:36,138 nature and that nature and God are the 568 00:27:34,128 --> 00:27:39,089 body and mind of an intrinsic 569 00:27:36,138 --> 00:27:42,178 fundamental unity 570 00:27:39,089 --> 00:27:44,849 in the 20th century the most interesting 571 00:27:42,179 --> 00:27:48,298 pants I kissed philosopher in my opinion 572 00:27:44,849 --> 00:27:49,849 was Alfred North Whitehead a British 573 00:27:48,298 --> 00:27:53,038 philosopher 574 00:27:49,849 --> 00:27:55,079 Whitehead was a mathematician as well as 575 00:27:53,038 --> 00:27:56,700 a philosopher and he was the first 576 00:27:55,079 --> 00:27:58,918 philosopher to appreciate the 577 00:27:56,700 --> 00:28:03,600 significance of quantum theory in the 578 00:27:58,919 --> 00:28:05,460 1920s Whitehead realized that quantum 579 00:28:03,599 --> 00:28:08,699 theory meant that matter could no longer 580 00:28:05,460 --> 00:28:11,879 be seen as just stuff solid stuff like 581 00:28:08,700 --> 00:28:15,749 little billiard balls matter was 582 00:28:11,878 --> 00:28:18,689 wave-like matter meant that this meant 583 00:28:15,749 --> 00:28:22,558 that all material objects are processes 584 00:28:18,690 --> 00:28:26,759 not things and processes take time a 585 00:28:22,558 --> 00:28:29,099 wave takes time to wave you can't have 586 00:28:26,759 --> 00:28:31,679 an instantaneous wave because it takes 587 00:28:29,099 --> 00:28:34,439 time for its wave nature to be expressed 588 00:28:31,679 --> 00:28:36,869 and it can't be confined to a single 589 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:39,929 point because waves are spread out in 590 00:28:36,868 --> 00:28:41,368 space this is ultimately the reason for 591 00:28:39,929 --> 00:28:44,879 the uncertainty principle in quantum 592 00:28:41,368 --> 00:28:48,990 physics that waves are spread out in 593 00:28:44,878 --> 00:28:53,009 space and time even an electron is 594 00:28:48,990 --> 00:28:55,859 spread out in time whitehead pointed out 595 00:28:53,009 --> 00:28:58,139 that this means that in all bodies in 596 00:28:55,859 --> 00:29:01,798 all material systems including electrons 597 00:28:58,138 --> 00:29:05,638 there's a polarity in time between past 598 00:29:01,798 --> 00:29:09,690 and future that there's a polarity in 599 00:29:05,638 --> 00:29:11,699 all processes there has to be and he 600 00:29:09,690 --> 00:29:13,499 took a very interesting approach to the 601 00:29:11,700 --> 00:29:17,460 question of the relation of mind and 602 00:29:13,499 --> 00:29:19,499 body all of us are familiar with the 603 00:29:17,460 --> 00:29:21,840 conventional way of thinking about the 604 00:29:19,499 --> 00:29:24,960 relation of mind and body that uses a 605 00:29:21,839 --> 00:29:27,509 spatial metaphor the mind is inside the 606 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:30,569 bodies outside we have our inner life 607 00:29:27,509 --> 00:29:32,849 and that's the outer world we're used to 608 00:29:30,569 --> 00:29:35,819 this kind of spatial metaphor inner and 609 00:29:32,849 --> 00:29:37,648 outer but whitehead thought a much 610 00:29:35,819 --> 00:29:41,428 better way of thinking about it was in 611 00:29:37,648 --> 00:29:43,859 terms of time that every process in time 612 00:29:41,429 --> 00:29:47,038 has a polarity between past and future 613 00:29:43,859 --> 00:29:50,878 and the future Pole is the mental pole 614 00:29:47,038 --> 00:29:52,859 the past pole is the physical pole if 615 00:29:50,878 --> 00:29:54,990 you think of an electron 616 00:29:52,859 --> 00:29:57,298 the future of an electron as it's moving 617 00:29:54,990 --> 00:29:59,609 is given by the Schrodinger wave 618 00:29:57,298 --> 00:30:01,440 equation it's an equation which tells 619 00:29:59,609 --> 00:30:04,229 you all the possible things that 620 00:30:01,440 --> 00:30:06,450 electron could do none of them are 621 00:30:04,230 --> 00:30:08,849 physically real yet because they haven't 622 00:30:06,450 --> 00:30:11,159 happened they're just possibilities or 623 00:30:08,849 --> 00:30:14,069 probabilities which don't have a 624 00:30:11,159 --> 00:30:16,140 physical reality but they exist in some 625 00:30:14,069 --> 00:30:18,269 other realm a realm of possibility as 626 00:30:16,140 --> 00:30:20,159 soon as the electron interacts with 627 00:30:18,269 --> 00:30:23,450 something one of those possibilities 628 00:30:20,159 --> 00:30:25,769 comes true and the others disappear 629 00:30:23,450 --> 00:30:29,220 sometimes this is called the collapse of 630 00:30:25,769 --> 00:30:31,769 the wavefunction as soon as it's 631 00:30:29,220 --> 00:30:33,960 happened it's in the past it's a 632 00:30:31,769 --> 00:30:36,210 physical fact it's observable but it's 633 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:39,028 in the past and immediately a new wave 634 00:30:36,210 --> 00:30:41,038 of possibilities opens up which is that 635 00:30:39,028 --> 00:30:45,089 as it were the mental pole of the 636 00:30:41,038 --> 00:30:47,579 electron in a similar way in our own 637 00:30:45,089 --> 00:30:51,119 being our minds our conscious minds are 638 00:30:47,579 --> 00:30:52,769 concerned with possibilities many of the 639 00:30:51,119 --> 00:30:55,288 things that happen in our minds are 640 00:30:52,769 --> 00:30:57,419 going through different possible actions 641 00:30:55,288 --> 00:31:00,720 and our minds help us choose between 642 00:30:57,419 --> 00:31:04,940 them the possibilities are to do with 643 00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:08,009 future actions future possibilities 644 00:31:04,940 --> 00:31:09,630 they're not measurable physically 645 00:31:08,009 --> 00:31:12,388 because their possibilities they don't 646 00:31:09,630 --> 00:31:13,980 have a physical observable objective 647 00:31:12,388 --> 00:31:16,678 existence possibilities are of a 648 00:31:13,980 --> 00:31:18,778 different order of thing but as soon as 649 00:31:16,679 --> 00:31:20,759 we make a decision and do something that 650 00:31:18,778 --> 00:31:23,480 becomes an observable fact and it's 651 00:31:20,759 --> 00:31:26,158 immediately in the past for example 652 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:29,130 every one of us is in this room today 653 00:31:26,159 --> 00:31:31,100 because we decided to come here we could 654 00:31:29,130 --> 00:31:34,409 have done many other things this morning 655 00:31:31,099 --> 00:31:37,709 all of us had alternative possibilities 656 00:31:34,409 --> 00:31:39,600 but when we decided to come here out of 657 00:31:37,710 --> 00:31:41,940 the many possibilities we decided on 658 00:31:39,599 --> 00:31:44,189 this particular possibility and when we 659 00:31:41,940 --> 00:31:46,200 push it into action and arrive here it's 660 00:31:44,190 --> 00:31:48,179 an observable fact that we're in this 661 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:50,340 room we can be photographed we can move 662 00:31:48,179 --> 00:31:52,470 weighed measured it's a physical fact 663 00:31:50,339 --> 00:31:54,898 but when it was at the realm of 664 00:31:52,470 --> 00:31:57,778 possibility it was about a choice among 665 00:31:54,898 --> 00:32:00,898 virtual futures which weren't physical 666 00:31:57,778 --> 00:32:03,200 facts so this polarity of past and 667 00:32:00,898 --> 00:32:05,879 future I think is particularly 668 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:08,640 interesting as a way of thinking 669 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:11,510 of the relation of body and mind it 670 00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:14,310 implies a two-way flow of causation 671 00:32:11,509 --> 00:32:15,150 physical causation moves from the past 672 00:32:14,309 --> 00:32:19,319 to the present 673 00:32:15,150 --> 00:32:22,950 it pushes from the past mental causation 674 00:32:19,319 --> 00:32:25,919 pulls from the future and these two 675 00:32:22,950 --> 00:32:27,930 overlap in the present one is pulling 676 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:30,330 towards the future the others pushing 677 00:32:27,930 --> 00:32:32,130 from the past another way you can think 678 00:32:30,329 --> 00:32:34,559 of it is the causal influence of the 679 00:32:32,130 --> 00:32:37,020 mind works backwards from future towards 680 00:32:34,559 --> 00:32:40,950 the past physical causation works from 681 00:32:37,019 --> 00:32:42,509 past towards the future so this I think 682 00:32:40,950 --> 00:32:48,559 provides us with a new way of thinking 683 00:32:42,509 --> 00:32:52,789 about the relation of mind and body and 684 00:32:48,559 --> 00:32:55,529 it goes beyond the problem that regular 685 00:32:52,789 --> 00:32:57,180 materialist philosophy has of the nature 686 00:32:55,529 --> 00:32:59,730 of consciousness which is usually called 687 00:32:57,180 --> 00:33:02,400 the hard problem because it simply can't 688 00:32:59,730 --> 00:33:05,130 be solved by materialism but if we have 689 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:08,490 a more pan psychist approach then it's 690 00:33:05,130 --> 00:33:10,170 not really materialism anymore some pan 691 00:33:08,490 --> 00:33:12,059 cyclists today call themselves 692 00:33:10,170 --> 00:33:17,279 materialist but it goes way beyond 693 00:33:12,059 --> 00:33:19,980 old-style materialism most of the debate 694 00:33:17,279 --> 00:33:25,680 about pan psychism focuses on electrons 695 00:33:19,980 --> 00:33:27,299 and on atoms now it's a bit hard for us 696 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:29,640 to imagine the consciousness of an 697 00:33:27,299 --> 00:33:31,379 electron or an atom and indeed it may 698 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:33,870 not be conscious it may be mental 699 00:33:31,380 --> 00:33:36,060 without being conscious for most of the 700 00:33:33,869 --> 00:33:38,459 time most of our n mental activity is 701 00:33:36,059 --> 00:33:40,730 unconscious we don't need to assume that 702 00:33:38,460 --> 00:33:43,200 all mental activity is conscious 703 00:33:40,730 --> 00:33:46,410 ninety-five percent of RN is not it's 704 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:47,730 unconscious but it's still mental and so 705 00:33:46,410 --> 00:33:49,470 there's a question as to how much 706 00:33:47,730 --> 00:33:55,140 consciousness would actually be present 707 00:33:49,470 --> 00:33:57,120 in an atom but the whole of this 708 00:33:55,140 --> 00:33:59,250 discussion becomes more interesting when 709 00:33:57,119 --> 00:34:01,339 we think about big things instead of 710 00:33:59,250 --> 00:34:03,960 little things there are many 711 00:34:01,339 --> 00:34:05,639 self-organizing systems in nature and 712 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:09,648 some of them are very obvious like the 713 00:34:05,640 --> 00:34:12,300 Sun the Sun organizes itself it 714 00:34:09,648 --> 00:34:14,519 coordinates the entire solar system the 715 00:34:12,300 --> 00:34:16,780 solar system is in a sense its body it's 716 00:34:14,519 --> 00:34:19,000 included within the solar wind 717 00:34:16,780 --> 00:34:20,800 into the solar electromagnetic field and 718 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:23,289 all around the edge of the solar system 719 00:34:20,800 --> 00:34:25,659 is something called the helio pause like 720 00:34:23,289 --> 00:34:27,820 a kind of membrane that separates off 721 00:34:25,659 --> 00:34:28,510 the entire solar system from the rest of 722 00:34:27,820 --> 00:34:31,330 the galaxy 723 00:34:28,510 --> 00:34:32,280 this in a sense is the body of the solar 724 00:34:31,329 --> 00:34:35,369 system 725 00:34:32,280 --> 00:34:37,929 now if material bodies that are 726 00:34:35,369 --> 00:34:41,168 self-organizing can have minds or 727 00:34:37,929 --> 00:34:44,289 consciousness what about the Sun could 728 00:34:41,168 --> 00:34:47,829 the Sun be conscious well personally I 729 00:34:44,289 --> 00:34:49,679 think it probably is and if the sun's 730 00:34:47,829 --> 00:34:53,230 conscious what about the other stars 731 00:34:49,679 --> 00:34:54,970 well why not and if the stars are 732 00:34:53,230 --> 00:34:57,940 conscious what about the entire galaxy 733 00:34:54,969 --> 00:35:00,009 which is a huge organism containing many 734 00:34:57,940 --> 00:35:02,590 stars which are like the cells in the 735 00:35:00,010 --> 00:35:05,710 body of the galaxy could there be a 736 00:35:02,590 --> 00:35:10,960 galactic mind I think that probably is 737 00:35:05,710 --> 00:35:12,579 and and again why not but all of you 738 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:15,010 realized that as soon as you ask the 739 00:35:12,579 --> 00:35:17,409 question can the Sun think is the Sun 740 00:35:15,010 --> 00:35:19,690 conscious this question is not allowed 741 00:35:17,409 --> 00:35:23,319 by the materialist philosophy it's 742 00:35:19,690 --> 00:35:25,240 completely taboo the fact is that most 743 00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:28,300 people in most cultures think the Sun is 744 00:35:25,239 --> 00:35:32,199 conscious in India Surya the Sun Goddess 745 00:35:28,300 --> 00:35:34,480 consciousness Gary is the subject of the 746 00:35:32,199 --> 00:35:36,369 Gayatri mantra a fundamental mantra of 747 00:35:34,480 --> 00:35:38,349 Hinduism where the Sun is asked to 748 00:35:36,369 --> 00:35:42,849 illuminate our meditation this great 749 00:35:38,349 --> 00:35:47,019 mind of the Sun the in Japan the Sun is 750 00:35:42,849 --> 00:35:50,579 a goddess in many parts of the world the 751 00:35:47,019 --> 00:35:54,699 Sun is an animate being a god or goddess 752 00:35:50,579 --> 00:35:56,920 or a living being for children in our 753 00:35:54,699 --> 00:35:59,939 culture the Sun is alive when they draw 754 00:35:56,920 --> 00:36:03,220 the Sun they have a smiley face on it 755 00:35:59,940 --> 00:36:05,260 but precisely because almost all of 756 00:36:03,219 --> 00:36:07,209 humanity has thought the sun's alive and 757 00:36:05,260 --> 00:36:09,100 conscious and that children think so 758 00:36:07,210 --> 00:36:11,530 this is the exact reason why 759 00:36:09,099 --> 00:36:13,029 materialists feel that they're smarter 760 00:36:11,530 --> 00:36:16,200 and cleverer than everyone else in 761 00:36:13,030 --> 00:36:19,750 saying it's not conscious it's childish 762 00:36:16,199 --> 00:36:21,699 superstitious primitive and stupid to 763 00:36:19,750 --> 00:36:23,679 think that the sun's conscious whereas 764 00:36:21,699 --> 00:36:26,349 people used to think the Sun is 765 00:36:23,679 --> 00:36:28,940 conscious but we now know it's nothing 766 00:36:26,349 --> 00:36:31,639 but a giant hydrogen bomb 767 00:36:28,940 --> 00:36:33,349 now that's the common attitude of the 768 00:36:31,639 --> 00:36:36,589 materialism we've risen above these 769 00:36:33,349 --> 00:36:38,779 other ways of thinking but there's no 770 00:36:36,590 --> 00:36:40,640 evidence for that at all it's simply an 771 00:36:38,780 --> 00:36:44,480 assumption that follows from the machine 772 00:36:40,639 --> 00:36:46,279 doctrine of nature so I think we can 773 00:36:44,480 --> 00:36:48,530 entertain the idea that the Sun is 774 00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:51,019 conscious I think it's a completely open 775 00:36:48,530 --> 00:36:52,970 question and if the Sun and the stars 776 00:36:51,019 --> 00:36:55,070 and the galaxies are conscious we can 777 00:36:52,969 --> 00:36:58,459 regain a sense that the whole universe 778 00:36:55,070 --> 00:37:00,950 is alive not just alive but has a 779 00:36:58,460 --> 00:37:04,099 conscious life now of course we don't 780 00:37:00,949 --> 00:37:06,859 know what the Sun thinks about I imagine 781 00:37:04,099 --> 00:37:09,079 that if it thinks it probably thinks a 782 00:37:06,860 --> 00:37:10,970 lot about its body the solar system and 783 00:37:09,079 --> 00:37:13,489 of course it can modulate the solar 784 00:37:10,969 --> 00:37:16,399 system through solar flares coronal mass 785 00:37:13,489 --> 00:37:18,889 ejections it's constantly affecting the 786 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:21,170 whole solar system it probably also 787 00:37:18,889 --> 00:37:26,000 thinks about its peer group the other 788 00:37:21,170 --> 00:37:29,000 stars and so these things I think are 789 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:31,159 possible now I can't prove that the Sun 790 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:34,639 is conscious but you can't prove that 791 00:37:31,159 --> 00:37:37,579 it's not conscious and it's I think an 792 00:37:34,639 --> 00:37:41,299 open question but it's not permissible 793 00:37:37,579 --> 00:37:43,069 within dogmatic materialism if we raise 794 00:37:41,300 --> 00:37:46,519 the good as soon as we question the 795 00:37:43,070 --> 00:37:49,070 doctrine that matters unconscious we 796 00:37:46,519 --> 00:37:52,400 arrive at first at Pan psychism then 797 00:37:49,070 --> 00:37:54,830 that extends to considering large as 798 00:37:52,400 --> 00:38:00,050 well as small material objects including 799 00:37:54,829 --> 00:38:02,900 stars and galaxies I want to turn now to 800 00:38:00,050 --> 00:38:04,640 the dogma that the mind is nothing but 801 00:38:02,900 --> 00:38:11,090 the activity of the brain it's all 802 00:38:04,639 --> 00:38:12,650 inside the head and the mind is supposed 803 00:38:11,090 --> 00:38:15,200 to be nothing but the activity of the 804 00:38:12,650 --> 00:38:19,220 brain because mental activity is just a 805 00:38:15,199 --> 00:38:21,589 product of nervous activity that means 806 00:38:19,219 --> 00:38:24,889 that all of your mind is inside your 807 00:38:21,590 --> 00:38:27,100 head now for dualists the mind is 808 00:38:24,889 --> 00:38:30,170 completely separable from the brain 809 00:38:27,099 --> 00:38:32,389 old-style dualism sees the mind working 810 00:38:30,170 --> 00:38:35,269 on and and interacting with the brain 811 00:38:32,389 --> 00:38:38,509 but being completely separate in nature 812 00:38:35,269 --> 00:38:40,940 and we've had this dialogue in the West 813 00:38:38,510 --> 00:38:41,660 for the last 300 years dear Liz and 814 00:38:40,940 --> 00:38:44,900 versus 815 00:38:41,659 --> 00:38:46,460 realism but I think there's a way 816 00:38:44,900 --> 00:38:47,930 forward which is neither of those 817 00:38:46,460 --> 00:38:50,838 familiar positions 818 00:38:47,929 --> 00:38:54,529 I think our minds are extended in space 819 00:38:50,838 --> 00:38:58,489 through fields we're familiar with 820 00:38:54,530 --> 00:39:00,380 fields from magnets magnets have fields 821 00:38:58,489 --> 00:39:02,989 within them and around them magnetic 822 00:39:00,380 --> 00:39:06,470 fields the magnetic field is a region of 823 00:39:02,989 --> 00:39:11,659 influence around the magnet that can 824 00:39:06,469 --> 00:39:13,159 affect other magnetic objects somewhere 825 00:39:11,659 --> 00:39:16,129 away from the magnet the earth has a 826 00:39:13,159 --> 00:39:18,409 magnetic field the earth also has a 827 00:39:16,130 --> 00:39:18,798 gravitational field it's inside the 828 00:39:18,409 --> 00:39:21,019 earth 829 00:39:18,798 --> 00:39:24,068 it stretches far beyond it it keeps the 830 00:39:21,019 --> 00:39:27,349 moon in its orbit your mobile telephone 831 00:39:24,068 --> 00:39:29,659 has a magnetic field and electromagnetic 832 00:39:27,349 --> 00:39:31,670 field it's inside the telephone and it 833 00:39:29,659 --> 00:39:34,818 stretches invisibly beyond it which is 834 00:39:31,670 --> 00:39:38,000 why the telephone works and I think our 835 00:39:34,818 --> 00:39:40,460 minds are based on fields that are in 836 00:39:38,000 --> 00:39:44,929 our brains at least most of the time and 837 00:39:40,460 --> 00:39:47,210 that also stretch out beyond them so I 838 00:39:44,929 --> 00:39:50,419 think our minds are much more extensive 839 00:39:47,210 --> 00:39:53,900 than our brains or than our bodies they 840 00:39:50,420 --> 00:39:55,909 stretch out far beyond them the easiest 841 00:39:53,900 --> 00:39:59,329 way to understand this is by thinking 842 00:39:55,909 --> 00:40:03,318 about the nature of vision what happens 843 00:39:59,329 --> 00:40:05,420 when you see something surprisingly no 844 00:40:03,318 --> 00:40:07,608 one really knows this is now a very 845 00:40:05,420 --> 00:40:10,369 active topic of debate within the field 846 00:40:07,608 --> 00:40:12,739 of consciousness studies but you all 847 00:40:10,369 --> 00:40:15,920 know the familiar conventional answer 848 00:40:12,739 --> 00:40:18,108 when you see me standing here now what 849 00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:19,970 happens is light is reflected from me it 850 00:40:18,108 --> 00:40:22,730 goes through the electromagnetic field 851 00:40:19,969 --> 00:40:25,419 enters your eyes inverted images on your 852 00:40:22,730 --> 00:40:28,548 retinas changes in the cone cells 853 00:40:25,420 --> 00:40:32,720 impulses up the optic nerves and changes 854 00:40:28,548 --> 00:40:36,139 in various regions of the brain that's 855 00:40:32,719 --> 00:40:39,288 familiar and we know more detail than we 856 00:40:36,139 --> 00:40:41,598 ever did before because the details of 857 00:40:39,289 --> 00:40:44,000 changes in the brain have been worked 858 00:40:41,599 --> 00:40:46,880 out through brain scanning in more 859 00:40:44,000 --> 00:40:50,630 detail than ever before but does it 860 00:40:46,880 --> 00:40:53,860 explain vision no it simply describes 861 00:40:50,630 --> 00:40:55,450 what happens inside the brain 862 00:40:53,860 --> 00:40:57,370 the first problem is that you're 863 00:40:55,449 --> 00:41:00,009 conscious of what you see there's no 864 00:40:57,369 --> 00:41:04,960 explanation for that in neuroscience or 865 00:41:00,010 --> 00:41:06,910 in materialist physiology none at all 866 00:41:04,960 --> 00:41:09,070 that's another example of the hard 867 00:41:06,909 --> 00:41:12,129 problem the factual conscious has no 868 00:41:09,070 --> 00:41:14,320 explanation but the point that I'm more 869 00:41:12,130 --> 00:41:17,740 interested in here is the question of 870 00:41:14,320 --> 00:41:20,350 where your vision is occurring it's all 871 00:41:17,739 --> 00:41:23,109 inside your brain that's what the theory 872 00:41:20,349 --> 00:41:25,569 says that means that right now is you 873 00:41:23,110 --> 00:41:27,820 see me there must be a little Rupert 874 00:41:25,570 --> 00:41:30,610 somewhere inside your head and the rest 875 00:41:27,820 --> 00:41:32,769 of this room is somehow inside your head 876 00:41:30,610 --> 00:41:36,090 your experience of a three-dimensional 877 00:41:32,769 --> 00:41:39,190 colored world is all inside your head 878 00:41:36,090 --> 00:41:42,039 this debate has been thrown into sharp 879 00:41:39,190 --> 00:41:45,190 relief by a recent paper in the journal 880 00:41:42,039 --> 00:41:50,110 of consciousness studies and that was 881 00:41:45,190 --> 00:41:52,450 called is your skull beyond the sky the 882 00:41:50,110 --> 00:41:54,970 author of the paper whose a materialist 883 00:41:52,449 --> 00:41:57,789 philosopher said everything you see is 884 00:41:54,969 --> 00:42:01,289 inside your brain your brain produces a 885 00:41:57,789 --> 00:42:04,090 mysterious Virtual Reality Display of 886 00:42:01,289 --> 00:42:06,489 everything you're experiencing when you 887 00:42:04,090 --> 00:42:09,430 look at the sky your image of the sky is 888 00:42:06,489 --> 00:42:11,889 inside your head your skull is therefore 889 00:42:09,429 --> 00:42:14,559 beyond the sky this is only a virtual 890 00:42:11,889 --> 00:42:16,809 skull produced as part of your virtual 891 00:42:14,559 --> 00:42:21,070 reality display your real skull is 892 00:42:16,809 --> 00:42:24,029 outside all your experience this is the 893 00:42:21,070 --> 00:42:26,650 official view radical there it is and 894 00:42:24,030 --> 00:42:30,280 absurd though it seems when you think it 895 00:42:26,650 --> 00:42:32,769 through but there's an alternative and 896 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:35,370 the alternative is much simpler in fact 897 00:42:32,769 --> 00:42:38,829 it's so simple it's hard to understand 898 00:42:35,369 --> 00:42:41,949 that is that your image of me is inside 899 00:42:38,829 --> 00:42:45,299 your mind but it's not inside your brain 900 00:42:41,949 --> 00:42:47,649 it's here exactly where it seems to be 901 00:42:45,300 --> 00:42:49,960 that everything you're looking at the 902 00:42:47,650 --> 00:42:54,090 images are outside your brain where they 903 00:42:49,960 --> 00:42:56,800 seem to be in a spatially extended world 904 00:42:54,090 --> 00:42:59,200 what I'm suggesting is vision involves a 905 00:42:56,800 --> 00:43:01,120 two-way process light comes in changes 906 00:42:59,199 --> 00:43:04,049 happen in the brain and the images are 907 00:43:01,119 --> 00:43:06,219 projected out to where they seem to be 908 00:43:04,050 --> 00:43:07,420 sometimes they're projected to where 909 00:43:06,219 --> 00:43:09,639 they're not 910 00:43:07,420 --> 00:43:12,909 where things aren't and that's an 911 00:43:09,639 --> 00:43:15,308 illusion or a hallucination or a mirror 912 00:43:12,909 --> 00:43:17,230 image when you project when you look at 913 00:43:15,309 --> 00:43:19,059 something in a mirror your projections 914 00:43:17,230 --> 00:43:20,679 are not bent by the glass because 915 00:43:19,059 --> 00:43:22,839 they're not made of light they're not 916 00:43:20,679 --> 00:43:24,969 physical in that same sense they go 917 00:43:22,838 --> 00:43:29,048 straight through it producing virtual 918 00:43:24,969 --> 00:43:31,959 images behind the mirror this is all 919 00:43:29,048 --> 00:43:34,389 projective it's our mind projecting it's 920 00:43:31,960 --> 00:43:36,250 these images out normally they project 921 00:43:34,389 --> 00:43:37,539 out to the correct place which is why 922 00:43:36,250 --> 00:43:42,250 we're able to move around without 923 00:43:37,539 --> 00:43:43,808 bumping into things this is not a new 924 00:43:42,250 --> 00:43:46,179 theory of vision it's the theory that 925 00:43:43,809 --> 00:43:47,950 Plato and Euclid had is the theory 926 00:43:46,179 --> 00:43:50,108 believed in by traditional people all 927 00:43:47,949 --> 00:43:52,960 over the world taught by Buddhist and 928 00:43:50,108 --> 00:43:55,239 Hindu philosophers and it's also the 929 00:43:52,960 --> 00:43:59,289 theory believed by European children up 930 00:43:55,239 --> 00:44:01,899 to the age of 10 or 11 the developmental 931 00:43:59,289 --> 00:44:04,630 psychologist Jean Piaget found that 932 00:44:01,900 --> 00:44:07,740 European children believed that vision 933 00:44:04,630 --> 00:44:10,809 involves an outward projection of images 934 00:44:07,739 --> 00:44:15,039 that's why Superman comics show Ray's 935 00:44:10,809 --> 00:44:17,019 coming out of his eyes and but he said 936 00:44:15,039 --> 00:44:19,329 by the age of 10 or 11 the average 937 00:44:17,019 --> 00:44:21,789 European child learns the correct view 938 00:44:19,329 --> 00:44:24,839 which is that thoughts and images are 939 00:44:21,789 --> 00:44:26,798 invisible things located inside the head 940 00:44:24,838 --> 00:44:29,318 we've all been brought up to believe 941 00:44:26,798 --> 00:44:31,358 that we take it on trust when we're 10 942 00:44:29,318 --> 00:44:33,699 or 11 all these grown-ups must know what 943 00:44:31,358 --> 00:44:36,009 they're talking about but no one's ever 944 00:44:33,699 --> 00:44:38,649 seen a thought or an image inside a head 945 00:44:36,010 --> 00:44:40,809 it's an astonishing hallucination I 946 00:44:38,650 --> 00:44:43,329 think that our entire civilizations been 947 00:44:40,809 --> 00:44:45,250 under for a long time now that it's all 948 00:44:43,329 --> 00:44:49,000 inside the head it goes against our most 949 00:44:45,250 --> 00:44:50,710 immediate experience but of course to 950 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:54,369 question this is highly controversial 951 00:44:50,710 --> 00:44:56,889 and I myself am a scientist not a 952 00:44:54,369 --> 00:45:00,519 philosopher so I'm interested in looking 953 00:44:56,889 --> 00:45:02,980 for evidence if my mind reaches out to 954 00:45:00,519 --> 00:45:05,130 touch what I'm looking at perhaps I can 955 00:45:02,980 --> 00:45:08,650 affect something just by looking at it 956 00:45:05,130 --> 00:45:09,760 if I look at you from behind and you 957 00:45:08,650 --> 00:45:12,039 don't know I'm there 958 00:45:09,760 --> 00:45:15,190 perhaps I can affect you by looking at 959 00:45:12,039 --> 00:45:18,940 you could you feel when you're being 960 00:45:15,190 --> 00:45:20,780 looked at by somebody behind you as soon 961 00:45:18,940 --> 00:45:23,210 as you ask that you see this is a common 962 00:45:20,780 --> 00:45:26,030 experience surveys show that more than 963 00:45:23,210 --> 00:45:27,860 90% of the population have had that 964 00:45:26,030 --> 00:45:29,750 experience you feel you're being looked 965 00:45:27,860 --> 00:45:32,570 at you turn around and someone's staring 966 00:45:29,750 --> 00:45:35,119 at you or you stare at someone and they 967 00:45:32,570 --> 00:45:37,850 turn around there's a slight sex 968 00:45:35,119 --> 00:45:40,549 difference more men and women have made 969 00:45:37,849 --> 00:45:42,949 people turn around by staring at them 970 00:45:40,550 --> 00:45:47,420 and more women than men have experienced 971 00:45:42,949 --> 00:45:49,460 being stared at and but the majority of 972 00:45:47,420 --> 00:45:51,019 both sexes and I'm sure the majority of 973 00:45:49,460 --> 00:45:55,130 people in this room have had this 974 00:45:51,019 --> 00:45:56,599 experience themselves until 1985 there 975 00:45:55,130 --> 00:45:58,460 was virtually no scientific 976 00:45:56,599 --> 00:46:00,319 investigation of this subject there were 977 00:45:58,460 --> 00:46:02,420 four published papers in the previous 978 00:46:00,320 --> 00:46:05,000 hundred years because it's completely 979 00:46:02,420 --> 00:46:07,700 taboo even though it's such a common 980 00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:09,920 experience it was simply not allowed to 981 00:46:07,699 --> 00:46:12,379 be discussed within science totally 982 00:46:09,920 --> 00:46:14,389 taboo because it ought not to happen so 983 00:46:12,380 --> 00:46:16,430 the materialists say it's just too 984 00:46:14,389 --> 00:46:18,079 coincidence you just forget all the 985 00:46:16,429 --> 00:46:19,369 times you turn around and there's no one 986 00:46:18,079 --> 00:46:21,139 looking at you it's just 987 00:46:19,369 --> 00:46:26,179 selective memory and coincidences 988 00:46:21,139 --> 00:46:28,339 nothing to it it's superstition but now 989 00:46:26,179 --> 00:46:30,859 research has been done on this now for 990 00:46:28,340 --> 00:46:34,430 the last twenty years and it turns out 991 00:46:30,860 --> 00:46:35,780 that in simple tests people really can 992 00:46:34,429 --> 00:46:37,969 tell when they're being looked at from 993 00:46:35,780 --> 00:46:41,180 behind not every time but very 994 00:46:37,969 --> 00:46:42,529 significantly above chance a simple 995 00:46:41,179 --> 00:46:44,750 version of this experiment has been 996 00:46:42,530 --> 00:46:47,450 running in the Amsterdam Science Museum 997 00:46:44,750 --> 00:46:49,610 the name-o Center for the last 20 years 998 00:46:47,449 --> 00:46:51,919 and the results it's one of the biggest 999 00:46:49,610 --> 00:46:53,450 experiments ever conducted the results 1000 00:46:51,920 --> 00:46:55,700 are overwhelmingly significant 1001 00:46:53,449 --> 00:46:57,859 statistically the most sensitive 1002 00:46:55,699 --> 00:46:59,989 subjects are children under the age of 9 1003 00:46:57,860 --> 00:47:03,680 it's interesting that children are 1004 00:46:59,989 --> 00:47:05,209 particularly sensitive to this it even 1005 00:47:03,679 --> 00:47:07,369 seems to work through closed-circuit 1006 00:47:05,210 --> 00:47:09,740 television many experiments have now 1007 00:47:07,369 --> 00:47:12,109 shown that people are physiologically 1008 00:47:09,739 --> 00:47:13,939 affected their skin resistance changes 1009 00:47:12,110 --> 00:47:15,200 when they're being watched by someone in 1010 00:47:13,940 --> 00:47:18,320 another room on a closed-circuit 1011 00:47:15,199 --> 00:47:19,730 television screen even though they don't 1012 00:47:18,320 --> 00:47:25,670 know they're being watched it's an 1013 00:47:19,730 --> 00:47:27,139 unconscious physiological response it 1014 00:47:25,670 --> 00:47:29,059 turns out that animals are also 1015 00:47:27,139 --> 00:47:31,670 sensitive to being looked at many 1016 00:47:29,059 --> 00:47:33,739 animals can tell when they're looked at 1017 00:47:31,670 --> 00:47:34,090 by people and people can tell when they 1018 00:47:33,739 --> 00:47:37,389 look 1019 00:47:34,090 --> 00:47:39,550 by animals and probably animals can tell 1020 00:47:37,389 --> 00:47:42,519 when they looked at by other animals 1021 00:47:39,550 --> 00:47:44,789 I think this ability probably evolved a 1022 00:47:42,519 --> 00:47:48,130 very long time ago in the context of 1023 00:47:44,789 --> 00:47:50,019 predator-prey relationships any prey 1024 00:47:48,130 --> 00:47:52,630 animal that could tell when a predator 1025 00:47:50,019 --> 00:47:54,519 was watching it would escape better than 1026 00:47:52,630 --> 00:47:56,470 one that couldn't tell so I think 1027 00:47:54,519 --> 00:47:57,880 natural selection would have favored 1028 00:47:56,469 --> 00:48:00,730 disability and I think it's probably 1029 00:47:57,880 --> 00:48:01,750 very widespread in the animal kingdom we 1030 00:48:00,730 --> 00:48:03,880 have this ability 1031 00:48:01,750 --> 00:48:06,039 not because it's supernatural or 1032 00:48:03,880 --> 00:48:08,349 paranormal we have it because it's 1033 00:48:06,039 --> 00:48:10,449 natural and normal and it's something we 1034 00:48:08,349 --> 00:48:13,179 share with many many other animal 1035 00:48:10,449 --> 00:48:15,399 species I think all animals with 1036 00:48:13,179 --> 00:48:18,339 image-forming eyes are projecting out a 1037 00:48:15,400 --> 00:48:21,280 visual world the world we're in is full 1038 00:48:18,340 --> 00:48:24,100 of invisible perceptual projections from 1039 00:48:21,280 --> 00:48:26,230 countless animals just as it's full of 1040 00:48:24,099 --> 00:48:30,429 invisible radio and television and 1041 00:48:26,230 --> 00:48:32,590 mobile phone transmissions and so I 1042 00:48:30,429 --> 00:48:35,230 think our minds are extended far beyond 1043 00:48:32,590 --> 00:48:38,079 our bodies in every act of perception if 1044 00:48:35,230 --> 00:48:40,869 we look at a star I think our minds 1045 00:48:38,079 --> 00:48:43,719 stretch out over literally astronomical 1046 00:48:40,869 --> 00:48:45,609 distances to touch that star our minds 1047 00:48:43,719 --> 00:48:48,609 can stretch out right into the universe 1048 00:48:45,610 --> 00:48:51,150 and now through telescopes we've 1049 00:48:48,610 --> 00:48:53,800 discovered galaxies beyond our own 1050 00:48:51,150 --> 00:48:56,320 modern astronomy has opened up a vast 1051 00:48:53,800 --> 00:48:59,019 new vision of the cosmos I think our 1052 00:48:56,320 --> 00:49:01,120 minds are now stretching out into vast 1053 00:48:59,019 --> 00:49:03,550 regions of space that were not even 1054 00:49:01,119 --> 00:49:06,219 imagined by people until the 20th 1055 00:49:03,550 --> 00:49:10,350 century of which no one was aware but 1056 00:49:06,219 --> 00:49:10,349 our minds are now filling the cosmos 1057 00:49:10,769 --> 00:49:17,250 well these I've only had time this 1058 00:49:14,769 --> 00:49:19,780 morning to discuss two of the dogmas 1059 00:49:17,250 --> 00:49:22,090 they well three of them that nature's 1060 00:49:19,780 --> 00:49:23,740 mechanical that matters unconscious and 1061 00:49:22,090 --> 00:49:26,410 that our minds are confined to the 1062 00:49:23,739 --> 00:49:28,239 insides of our brains and as you see 1063 00:49:26,409 --> 00:49:31,659 when you turn these dogmas into 1064 00:49:28,239 --> 00:49:34,689 questions is nature mechanical is matter 1065 00:49:31,659 --> 00:49:38,349 unconscious our our minds confined the 1066 00:49:34,690 --> 00:49:40,269 insides of our brains and then when you 1067 00:49:38,349 --> 00:49:42,699 turn them into questions the evidence 1068 00:49:40,269 --> 00:49:44,750 doesn't support these dogmas in fact it 1069 00:49:42,699 --> 00:49:47,149 opens up a whole new set of question 1070 00:49:44,750 --> 00:49:49,909 new sets of possibilities new kinds of 1071 00:49:47,150 --> 00:49:52,010 science become possible the same is true 1072 00:49:49,909 --> 00:49:54,349 of all the other dogmas on which 1073 00:49:52,010 --> 00:49:57,080 materialism is based and I'm going to 1074 00:49:54,349 --> 00:49:59,569 come back this afternoon to discuss some 1075 00:49:57,079 --> 00:50:02,259 of the others but that's enough for now 1076 00:49:59,570 --> 00:50:02,260 thank you 1077 00:50:09,519 --> 00:50:11,579 you