Consciousness, Purpose, and Values - Dr. Iain McGilchrist

In a previous two-hour lecture for TWU, I argued for the nature of consciousness as a foundational element in the cosmos, not derivative from anything else.  In this talk, I will not attempt to repeat that argument, but start from where I left off.  In a new book, The Matter with Things: Our Brains, Our Delusions and the Unmaking of the World (Perspectiva Press, November 2021), I ask how we come to know anything at all, and move on to consider what we can say about the irreducible ‘building blocks’ of reality: time, space, matter, consciousness, values, purpose and the sense of the sacred.  I take value and purpose to be implied by the very nature of consciousness itself; constitutive of reality, not ‘invented’ (though obviously particular values and particular purposes may be); that although science is popularly thought to contradict such a view it does not, rightly understood, do so at all; and that reason and evidence strongly supports such a conclusion.  I hold that our failure to understand this lies at the heart of our global predicament.

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Dr Iain McGilchrist is a Psychiatrist and Writer, who lives on the Isle of Skye, off the coast of North West Scotland. He is committed to the idea that the mind and brain can be understood only by seeing them in the broadest possible context, that of the whole of our physical and spiritual existence, and of the wider human culture in which they arise – the culture which helps to mould, and in turn is moulded by, our minds and brains. He was formerly a Consultant Psychiatrist of the Bethlem Royal and Maudsley NHS Trust in London, where he was Clinical Director of their southern sector Acute Mental Health Services.

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[MusicalBasics]

The absolutely greatest thinker of our time.

[memeful]

Mcgilchrist's is not just life-changing, but literally, life-saving to me. He's rekindled my desire to seek the sacred. His profound compassion for humanity, is simply beyond comprehension. The fact that as a reader as he is, he's prepared to still, spend his precious time with... well, us mere mortals.
He supplies the "suppressed" ( like he touched in the end), with linguistic armoury, who seek to fight this losing battle of ideologies. We shall aim to at least, familiarise ourselves, to utter some coherence with the new language.

Nietzsche would have been comforted had he known about his "becoming". ; )

[canoedoc]

The father of modern psychology, William James, is quoted as saying that "religion consists in the belief in an unseen order to the universe, and that our supreme wellbeing comes from aligning ourselves to it".

[annieok]

Dr. McGilchrist, thank you for clarifying and explaining what I have been seeing and experiencing for 45 years. You have opened up a world of understanding, and introduced me to a spirituality that will probably save my life. I have your books and will be absorbing them as I do your talks. You have done do much for me, please accept my profound appreciation.

[frankbarry]

I dont care what people believe about God/Gods on their own, its the ‘collective’ suffering they cause when they impose their dogma on others.

[divalivingston]

I have heard Gilchrist mentioned in other talks along these lines but I am pleased to finally hear him here. I was able to follow him based on what I know up to this point, until toward the end, which was a little complex. Highly valuable (❤) content. Thank you all!

[charlesohear]

I wish I had paid more attention to Dr McGilchrist a few months ago .

[glenliesegang]

We scoff at the sacred at the peril of desecrating the world.

[newparadigmfish]

I am a set of a’ priori modes, not a body of limbs and organs. We need to move beyond the notion of “We” Human is a loose notion at best. In essence, the body conduit has no fixed predicate in the abstract lens so the premise is incorrect. What is it of us, that knows this?
Until we know more, we are a set of a’ priori modes trying to stabilise our line in an ocean of dissipating variables. We should define ourselves in this manner. We are a set of modes that allow for systematic alignment. A set synthesised with realities structures and stresses. Understanding this is the next step. Everything else is tied up in a field of inverted axioms and that path is a dead end.

If you want to understand the modes - YouTube - new paradigm fish by Yap. Stripping it right back.

Alternatively- read my work for free on medium. New paradigm fish Yap.

[LawrenceMabel-yy]

Lewis Robert Johnson Angela Hernandez Jeffrey

[frankschmitt]

What is beauty, if not the power to delight ... ?

[iamshango]

There's no purpose if everyone is everybody . And there is no death ..

[waltershumer]

What an intelligent person. By the way does anyone have the answer to the inherent suffering of animals in the natural world in the context of a benevolent to my mind whatever the metaphysical and God is has to reflect the material world somehow or And this world is inherently So what does that mean?
Any ideas?
Karma?
The fruit of the knowledge of Good and evil in the garden?
🤷

[harryanderson]

It seems as though McGilchrist here is suffering from an extreme case of as yet undiagnosed Stage 4 Platonism. Whether the condition itself is terminal remains to be seen, but, given what I'm hearing here, the prognosis does not look good.

[ThomasDoubting]

Stop looking for purpose and meaning, and breath

[BernhardSchwarz-xskp]

Another dude from Scotland, - full of wisdom - and the natureal resources of Scotland. When listinening to his lecturing - all about himself and how important he is to this world - make sure you got yourself a bottle of fine Scotch next to. This way - youhave at least one thing in common with him.

[cuttingthrough]

There are no things. Nothing has intrinsic value or purpose. Truth is just a concept. Belief is imagination. What is, does not depend on belief or thought, so imagination and conceptualisation does not lead one towards what is, but leads one away from it.

[anthonyjohnson]

What THE F' are you talking about? The universe may be "orderly" but this talk is a RANDOM MESS!!!

[goodmorning]

No, consciousness does not "permeate" the universe. Consciousness a bloom of the earth. You would do well to get off your high horse and check out Joseph Campbell and Christopher Hitchens.

[goodmorning]

No, consciousness does not "permeate" the universe. Consciousness is a bloom of the earth. You would do well to get off your high horse and check out Joseph Campbell and Christopher Hitchens.