Conscious Reality: Unraveling the Mind with Swami Sarvapriyananda and Donald Hoffman

#consciousness #cognitivescience #philosophy #physics #neuroscience #advaita #vedanta #vedas #spirituality #metaphysics

In Philosophy Babble - The Great Minds Series
In this series;
We are honoured to have Prof. Donald Hoffman, a distinguished cognitive psychologist and professor at the University of California, Irvine, renowned for his pioneering work on consciousness, visual perception, and evolutionary psychology. Alongside him, we have the insightful Resident Swami and head off the Vedanta Society of New York, Swami Sarvapriyananda, known for imparting the profound wisdom of Vedanta to audiences worldwide.

Details:
Swami Sarvapriyananda's

Summary:
In "The Great Minds Series: Conscious Reality," we navigate an enlightening dialogue where Prof. Hoffman and Swami Ji merge the profound teachings of Advaita with the frontiers of modern science. They begin by sharing personal journeys that have shaped their views on philosophy and consciousness, emphasizing the need for mathematical precision in understanding consciousness and the philosophical depth of the Vedas. Discussions range from skepticism about our sensory 'Headset' to interpreting non-duality and the symbolism of perception in Advaita. Prof. Hoffman reveals transformative experiences that have redefined his theories, while the conversation also tackles the differentiation between reality and perception, the intersection of spirituality and science, and the completeness of inquiries into reality. Incorporating Isaac Asimov's narratives and debates on physicality versus illusion, the episode culminates in a rich discourse on foundational philosophical issues and the nuances of Emergence, Complexity, and wave function collapse. Join us as we unravel these intricate topics, each moment delving deeper into the essence of being.

Timecodes

00:00 - Intro
01:58 - Both reveal how their individual experiences and contemplative insights have guided them to their present views in philosophy and science.
07:36 - Interpreting consciousness necessitates mathematical precision.
11:52 - The range of ideas and philosophies contained within the Vedas.
24:05 - A candid moment where Don expresses polite skepticism
33:08 - Swami Ji could see the 'Headset' as a symbol for how the mind filters reality, akin to Advaita's view of perception.
37:29 - Pointers merely indicate; they aren't the reality itself.
50:12 - Our 'Headset' is extremely dull!
01:00:39 - There are various pointers, and non-duality is one such pointer.
01:11:50 - Your body is merely your avatar.
01:33:22 - Prof. Hoffman has experienced reflective moments leading him to re-evaluate his perspectives on consciousness, which have influenced the evolution of his theories.
01:36:05 - How do you differentiate between what’s objectively ‘real’ and out perceptions of reality?
01:44:33 - Where do the paths of spirituality and science intersect?
01:46:18 - When does an inquiry reach its conclusion?
01:47:58 - The discussion turns to the concept of incompleteness in understanding reality.
01:51:14 - A brief explanation of Stationary Markov Chains in context.
01:54:03 - Swami Ji retell Isaac Asimov's "The Last Question" by weaving it into a narrative that aligns with our conversation.
01:55:02 - A debate on the implications of bodily harm in the context of illusion and reality.
02:02:58 - Vinod suggests addressing foundational issues in philosophy to build a robust argument.
02:06:57 - Andy offers a counterpoint on the ideas of Emergence and Complexity.
02:14:57 - Unpacking the concept of Two Levels of Truth.
02:20:25 - Exploring arguments for wave function collapse and possible philosophical interpretations.

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[anjaligangoli]

Finally at 1:09:18 Don asks the right question. Who am I 🙂. Swamiji's deep understanding of the Ultimate Reality leads him to this point. Bravo 👏👏

[AdvaiticOneness]

I wish more scientists were like Donald. I'm amazed by his patience, enthusiasm, and joy in learning from Swami. This is one of the rarest conversations where a scientist and a religious monk come together to discuss both sides of the human experience. Hindus have always been seekers, not just believers. It's an absolutely fantastic conversation!

[mindfulkayaker]

A great Scientist with a Spiritual Heart in conversation with a great Spiritual teacher with a scientific mind.

[calisthenicsindia]

There are Dons and there are Swamis but the magic happens only when they meet ❤. Thank you so much.

[shettydarshan]

I cried after listening to this. These are the questions I've always asked in my brain, and seeing there are sciencetist who are now asking the same questions on fundamental reality, i feel very happy.

[RandyM]

Science of old, meets science of new. Seeking the Truth, not just believing. Aum Namah Shiviya

[billyranger]

Swami is so happy. Go swami go. Some of us saw the convergence with Schrödinger’s and Bohr’s observations when they were confronted with the results of the new science. Wheeler, Capra, Zukav, Heisenberg were all taken in with the interconnectedness and non local nature of entanglement. Brahman Is. Rest is not. Swami’s joy is lovely to watch. As for Donald, what can one say. Persistence pays off. How lovely. Don’t expect quick transformation. Western science has a lot invested in their methods and to accept the fact that a bunch of guys, turning their bodies and mind in to a laboratory had SEEN the truth of reality. Lets remember that Hindu word DARSHAN (philosophy) means to see. The seers of the day had SEEN through the veil of maya. Swami, knock ‘em dead

[davidbrooks]

Sri Paramahansa Yogananda said Science will prove religion. It will discover Spirit.❤💙🙏

[NehalRishi.]

"What an amazing talk! I've always wanted Donald Hoffman and Swami Sarvapriyananda to come together for a talk, and it finally happened!". Don I'm great fan of your work

[ashwinisarah]

When you posted the talk with Bernardo Kastrup and Swamiji, I'd expressed a desire to see Donald Hoffman in conversation with Swamiji!!! Thank you Philosophy Babble for this brilliant conversation!!

[sca]

I am so glad that Swamiji is conversing with other experts in tjeir fields. As wise as he is, juxtaposing Vedantic ideas with scientific ideas and testing them out against modern science is such an enlightening experience for listeners.

[calisthenicsindia]

The greatest video ever . Thank you so so much

[ashuraam]

Truth has been unveiled in many ages in different ways, and I am honoured to witness this moment in science and spirituality in this era. This is one of the most beautiful and sacred way to experience truth. Thankyou for having pure intentions while pursuing truth.

[PurpleBee]

Meaningful conversion between Don & the swamiji. They both give each other the space to have their views& opinion to be expressed . Happy to see that they respect each other . ❤ Beautiful dialogues between science and spirituality

[lieasebastian]

I have always hoped that there would be an interaction between the two of them. Thank you for facilitating this.

[NoThing-eckm]

*I am very very amazed by how intelligent Sir Donald is, Loved his insights a lot and as always I love insights from Swamiji as his intelligence too never fails to amaze me.*

[shavinhemlall]

i swear - i think i willed this conversation into existence. Thank you thank you thank you.

[alicearcturus]

That was great! Very inspirational. Gets the gears turning. Those two are at the top of any class.

[anjaligangoli]

Advaita Vedanta is a methodology given to us by our ancient rishis to help discover our true nature. That Space & time and this jagat all exist within Ishwara ( Consciousness +Maya) was known to our rishis thousands of years ago, brilliantly explained here by Swamiji.This truth is manifest in every aspect of the Hindu way of life. Now that the west has realised the fallibility of space & time, it might be worth its while to make a paradigm shift in the way the world is understood.

[Cheese-is-its-own-food-group]

This is fascinating! I’m into science and I’m also on the non dual path so every word was very much appreciated.