Within Reason

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Thomas Metzinger is a German philosopher and Professor Emeritus of theoretical philosophy at the University of Mainz. His primary research areas include philosophy of mind, philosophy of neuroscience, and applied ethics, particularly focusing on neurotechnology, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.
Get The Elephant and the Blind: The Experience of Pure Consciousness: Philosophy, Science, and 500+ Experiential Reports
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - The Minimal Phenomenal Experience Project
11:34 - Is MPE New Age Meditation?
17:07 - Collecting Reports of Pure Consciousness
25:48 - Lucid Deep Sleep - Thomas’ Experience
32:19 - Does Consciousness Require Complexity?
39:29 - The Power of Meditation
45:32 - Is Meditation Always a Positive Experience?
53:13 - Is a MPE Actually an Experience?
01:11:21 - Your Brain is Not Telling You the Truth
01:20:08 - Analysing Minimal Conscious Experiences
01:27:26 - Is Meditative Enlightenment Unethical?
01:32:37 - Western Ignorance of Eastern Tradition
01:40:13 - “Coming Home”
01:44:29 - The Political Implications of MPE
01:52:40 - Should Ketamine Be Legalised?

Matthew Cobb is a British zoologist and Emeritus professor of zoology at the University of Manchester.
Get his book, The Idea of the Brain: A HistoryCloser to Truth's Map of Consciousness: loc.closertotruth.com/mapTIMESTAMPS:0:00 The Heart or the Head?4:13 Medicine in the Ancient World12:25 Why Don’t We Accept Evidence?18:34 From Ancient to Modern Understanding29:29 When Did We Reach a Consensus on the Brain?37:41 Electricity in the Brain39:58 Our Metaphors for the Brain44:15 Is the Brain Segmented or Whole?01:05:20 Why is Speech Governed by the Left Hemisphere?01:18:55 Why is the Brain Split Into Two Hemispheres?01:23:06 Where in the Brain Does Consciousness Originate?01:32:46 The Ladybug Robot01:35:08 Back to Consciousness01:45:27 What is a Neuron?01:56:04 Why is Smell Connected to Memory So Strongly?02:02:14 Do London Cab Drivers Have Larger Hippocampi?02:10:11 The Limits of MRI and CT Scans02:19:24 Will We Ever Be Able to See Consciousness in the Brain?

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- VIDEO NOTES

Adam Aleksic, known online as Etymology Nerd, is an American linguist and content creator who produces videos exploring the origins of words. He began exploring word origins in 2016 through his blog. Aleksic studied at Harvard University, where he gained attention for his educational TikTok videos on linguistics and language in 2023. In 2025, he published Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language.

- LINKS

Buy "Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language": https://amzn.to/3NcOLpw

- TIMESTAMPS
0:00 – Will Social Media End Local Languages?
7:49 – Why Does Language Change?
15:11 – What Is Algospeak?
22:33 – We Worship Our Phones
27:36 – Upcoming Slang to Invest In
33:26 – Online Slang That Never Quite Caught On
38:48 – Introducing Adam to British Slang
47:13 – The Origins of Language
57:22 – Punctuation in Text Messaging
1:06:24 – The Latin Mass and Hocus Pocus
1:13:44 – The Message of Algospeak

- CONNECT

My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com

SOCIAL LINKS:
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Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic
Instagram:http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic
TikTok: @CosmicSkeptic
The Within Reason Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/within-reason/id1458675168

- CONTACT

Business email: [email protected] enquiries: [email protected]
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Sam Harris is a neuroscientist, philosopher, New York Times best-selling author, host of the Making Sense podcast, and creator of the Waking Up meditation app.

Buy the Waking Up book here.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Tour
00:32 – Is ‘Spirituality’ a Dirty Word?
04:26 – Why Take Reflective Knowledge Seriously?
29:11 – What Is the Self?
47:04 – Why Are There Distinct Selves?
1:01:22 – The Two Hemispheres of the Brain
1:06:47 – The Problem of Emergence
1:18:41 – What’s the Minimal Amount of Consciousness?
1:34:09 – Is AI Lying to Us About Consciousness?
1:39:15 – What Is the Present?

Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).
Come to my UK tour: https://www.livenation.co.uk/alex-o-connor-tickets-adp1641612.
For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com.
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Swami Sarvapriyananda is a Hindu monk belonging to the Ramakrishna Order. He is the current resident Swami and Minister in Charge, of the Vedanta Society of New York.
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TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Tour
00:32 – An Intro to Hinduism and Advaita Vedanta
14:31 – What Are the Upanishads
22:08 – Where Do the Vedas (Scripture) Come From?
29:02 – What Does “Upanishad” Mean?
34:36 – What Do the Upanishads Teach Us?
47:07 – What Is Brahman, or Ultimate Existence?
1:02:52 – What Is the True Nature of Consciousness?
1:08:15 – Non-Dualism in Advaita Vedanta
1:18:34 – Why Isn’t There Just One Big Consciousness?
1:29:06 – What Is the Self?
1:36:30 – Are Brahman and Atman the Same Thing?
1:45:25 – What Does ‘God’ Mean in Hinduism?
1:49:07 – Does Hinduism Believe Other Religions Are Incorrect?