Dean Radin - Is Consciousness Irreducible?

Why is consciousness so contentious? Neuroscience can increasingly explain many facets of consciousness, but what about conscious awareness itself? Some philosophers claim that although facets of consciousness—such as how we see edges or colors—can be explained, we have no possibility of explaining, in purely physical terms, the experience of consciousness.

Dean Radin is a researcher and author in the field of parapsychology.

Closer to Truth, hosted by Robert Lawrence Kuhn and directed by Peter Getzels, presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.

[flowerytrailsfarm]

Dean communicates his thoughts so clearly and in such a humble manner. Would love to hear more from him.

[longcastle]

When the guest said there are peer reviewed papers showing proof of ESP, I would love if Robert had said, _"Oh good, can we discuss one...?"_ Because that probably would have been an embarrassing for the guest...

Beginning back in the sixties tons of ESP research was conducted -- showing not an ittle or a tittle of support for the subject.

[duytdl]

My thoughts and prayers are with my thoughts and prayers.

[quantumkath]

Dean Radin said, "we should be mindful of our thoughts"...but we should not ACT on bad, random thoughts (which are out of our control and yes, we all have them) that can cause harm.

[gwilwilliams]

Excellent. There is a universal pool of mind matter (consciousness). We must be careful where we dip the brushes that paint our thoughts.

[SRAVALM]

What is traditional thinking ?
Noetic of modern man today is antithesis to ancient man; there is no paradox. Tradition today isn't based on principles; it's conformity to the consensus - you dare not question the "clergy" or the "educational" advisors, or else you won't cut it.
People to a degree find their bearrings from observing those around them(as a measurement) and never to he whom is of another facet; likewise, the person next to you does this with yourself, your sentiment etc. And lo, here we have the problem. No longer is God the measure, but a little man with a little sentiment. Just because the majority go the wrong way doesn't make it right.

What is tradition?

[ItsEverythingElse]

"Ignore the lack of proof and results, just buy my books and employ me in the quack field of parapsychology!" - every parapsychologist

Always follow the money, that will usually tell you what someone's motives and "beliefs" are, especially when it contradicts real science.

[buzz-es]

"Mindful" of our "thoughts",

[paddydiddles]

Semantic confusion will forever plague discussions of consciousness if people insist on using a word with multiple definitions

[rickwyant]

If the universe existed before consciousness and will exist long after any conscious beings do, how can consciousness possibly be necessary?

[natmirmira]

I think he went too far with psychokinesis!

[mickeybrumfield]

Is he warning us to be careful of where we let our minds wander?

[abhirama]

You got to give it to the Westerners. Taking the 5-6 thousand year old Advaita tradition from India and repackaging it as pan-psychism or whatever is astounding intellectual theft. I don't care how many articles they write or how many interviews they give, just acknowledge that the original ideas were espoused in the Upanishads thousands of years ago.

[marktomasetti]

"There is evidence that intention affects the physical world." No examples asked for, or provided.

[maxwellsimoes]

When conscieness afted in reality it shows evidence. When reality links conscieness it NEVER true evidence . Unpredicted conscieness not picture reality as well as conscieness does. Guys concern conscieness no sense and baseless not show convence true evidence conscieness are real.

[tedgrant]

Consciousness is like the hum of a machine.
It can be switched off.

[stevecoley]

X-Files
Humans vs. Alien Vampires

Humans (love) and consciousness
Transforming frowns into smiles is smarter than turning lead into gold. And transforming heaven (peace) into hell (war) is more ignorant (dead) than turning gold into lead.

Vampires (greed) and unconsciousness
Working in the dark to suck the "vital forces" (health, wealth, welfare, social security, future and joy) out of humans is what qualifies as brilliance to the hostile alien vampires (greed) that rule US.

Investing into these "vital forces"is not part of the vampire narrative.

Vampires (greed) are blind and cannot see the ignorance of transforming heaven (peace) into hell (war). The capitalist counting corpses are also blind and cannot see the ignorance of destroying the planet.

Vampires (greed) who suck the joy out of life have joined the zombies who eat the futures of their children.

Zombie Apocalypse is here and happening now.

[ItsEverythingElse]

The last 15 seconds of this video.... wow. The only way your thoughts can make an impact on ANYTHING is if you physically act on those thoughts, even subconsciously. Still waiting for proof there is anything more to it than that.

Good grief.

[eksffa]

Which experimental evidences he refers to? I’ve always read the opposite, the experiments never showed results which are not compatible to “chance”.

[TheTroofSayer]

0:36 "panpsychism seems to be right." Let's define terms. Strong panpsychism as agency (subatomic "agents" making choices)? Weak panpsychism as undefined possibility-space seeking definition according to context? Rock panpsychism where rocks, spoons & thermostats are somehow "conscious" (yes, some credentialed persons do say this)? And ESP? ESP as entanglement of selves? ESP as direct reading of thoughts? I'm inclined to QM-friendly interpretations, such as strong or weak panpsychism & ESP as entanglement. The astonishingly complex interactions taking place at inter/intra-cellular levels, such as across neural synapses, will need some manner of strong/weak panpsychism to account for them, imho.