The Philosophy of Panpsychism with Christian de Quincey

Christian de Quincey, PhD, is dean of consciousness studies at the University of Philosophical Research. He is a faculty member at John F. Kennedy University and Sophia University. He is founder and director of the Wisdom Academy. He is author of Radical Nature: The Soul of Matter, Radical Knowing: Understanding Consciousness Through Relationship, Consciousness From Zombies to Angels: The Shadow and the Light of Knowing Who You Are, Deep Spirit: Cracking the Noetic Code, and Blindspots: 21 Good Reasons to Think Before You Talk.

Panpsychism is the view that every whole entity in the universe, from the largest to the very smallest, possesses a measure of consciousness. Here he contrasts panpsychism with materialism, dualism, and idealism. Each of these philosophical positions is an ontology or description of reality. De Quincey points out that panpsychism seems to resolve logical problems associated with the other three major viewpoints. Furthermore, he postulates that panpsychism is consistent with the data of parapsychology and psychical research. He also distinguishes between panpsychism and other similar perspectives including animism and pantheism. When asked whether a rock could be conscious, he makes a fascinating differentiation between “heaps” and “wholes.”

New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in "parapsychology" ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980). His master's degree is in criminology. He serves as dean of transformational psychology at the University of Philosophical Research. He teaches parapsychology for ministers in training with the Centers for Spiritual Living through the Holmes Institute. He has served as vice-president of the Association for Humanistic Psychology, and is the recipient of its Pathfinder Award for outstanding contributions to the field of human consciousness. He is also past-president of the non-profit Intuition Network, an organization dedicated to creating a world in which all people are encouraged to cultivate and apply their inner, intuitive abilities. His American Indian name, chosen at age eight, is Soaring Eagle.

(Recorded on August 22, 2015)

[sylviafoster]

I have been a panpsychist for a very long time and I think this discussion was very informative and will look more into Christian's work. Thanks for sharing this!

[farceadentus]

22 years ago at the age of 13, I was sitting in my physics class at school listening to my physics teacher talk about how inanimate atoms formed all things.
Even at that young tender age I realised the ridiculousness of the idea that conscious living beings are composed, fundamentally out of inanimate, non living, non conscious things.
I realised all those years ago that ofcourse all things are imbued with various levels of Conscious awareness.
I've held that point of view for all these years.
Today I discover that philosophers and some scientists think the same now and call it panpsychism!

[jessicahoskins]

Thank you Jeffrey Mishlove for this interview about Panpsychism with Christian de Quincey. I first came across this video in January 2021 and have since gone on to read all of the his books featured in this video. Very fascinating way to view the world that has given me a lot to think and wonder about. Subscribed. Hope you have a good day!

[Paddyllfixit]

*New Thinking Allowed*~ Where the nitty-gritty is discussed. Great talk.

[twophlaggargleblap]

It's great that this show is going again. Great interview, and I look forward to seeing more from Thinking Allowed.

[kimcollie]

I loved Christian's "Ahhh!" when Jeffrey mentioned the NDE. Though they didn't get into that too much, I really enjoyed the discussion of the sense of consciousness inherent in every thing. My mom named all her cars & dumbfounded my father several times by finally getting a car started by patting the dashboard familiarly & gently asking the auto to start after he had tried a number of his 'tricks.'

[ProjectMoff]

An absolutely wonderful discussion, really enjoyed it!

[williamshapiro]

I read "radical knowing" i was at the Seattle library and saw it . Some how it caught my attention. Then i read radical nature. Then read becoming animal. Before i read radical knowing i read philosophy in the flesh by george lacoff.de quincy is among one of my favorite contemporary philosophers. My other include John gray-nassim talib. Exc....

[profaneecstasis]

that was very enlightening. thank you both.

[sidecars]

What a thoughtful and illuminating discussion. Thank you!

[placebo]

Excellent presentation and discussion. My compliments.

[elgreatestweight]

i would assert that Whitehead represents a Panentheistic perspective, very similar to his Indian contemporary, Sri Aurobindo. The issue hinges on the view of temporality - Whitehead's God includes a primordial pole which is timeless out outside of time, paralleling Aurobindo's "transcendent poise" (both have a triune concept of God: transcendent, universal, supramental/individual, or; primordial, consequent, superjective). David Lawrence (1999, "Rediscovering God with Transcendental Argument") makes a similar case for Whitehead as panentheistic (and parallel to the Kasmiri Saiva darsana of pratyabhijna philosophy)

[cosmicdustparticle]

Christian de Quincey is really a delight, I would like to hear more... Jason Silva is currently making waves through social media with his short philosophical videos. It would be incredible to have him on the show. :)

[goodsirknight]

Jeffrey great to have you back! You're a great man

[marcoborge]

Many thanks to you Jeffrey, you are a lovely human being

[Chicken_Little_Syndrome]

Thank you for this very insightful interview.

[summondadrummin]

Great work Jeffery and Christian thank you!

[JasonManning]

I really enjoy your questions, and also their responses!

[FirstRisingSouI]

I'm leaning toward panpsychism, but I think of it as empirically identical to materialism. I am not convinced that things like OBEs or synchronicity are anything more than illusions, because you would expect illusions like that to happen in a materialist universe. I think matter is what "stuff that exists" looks like from the outside, and consciousness is what it looks like from the inside. I also think that for consciousness to be recognizable in the way that we know it in ourselves, there needs to be a system of integrated information, like the neural network of the brain.

[Sam_Utah]

Current evidence points to consciousness as an essential characteristic of this universe. Edgar Mitchell has pointed out even the smallest parts of matter exchange information and exhibit pre-conscious elements. It seems to me that consciousness, life and spirit are all related in that consciousness grows in the evolutionary processes and spiritual reality is a by-product of highly developed consciousness of individuals and species. Chardin points out that hominization was accompanied by reflective consciousness, generating individual consciousness and now we are on the cusp of super personalization where each individual is deeply connected to the "Noosphere" - probably structured quantum holography where the whole history of everything resides according to Mitchell. Of course, Chardin being a Jesuit, believes this Omega point of super personalization will allow each to see into the heart of another, or heart of the matter, as the mystics and early adopters, or first fruits, like Jesus could do.