Susan Blackmore is a psychologist, lecturer and writer best known for her book The Meme Machine (1999) and the textbook Consciousness: An Introduction (4th Edition 2024 with her daughter Emily Troscianko). She is a Visiting Professor at the University of Plymouth, UK.
Her research interests includes memes, evolutionary theory, consciousness, NDEs, OBEs, free will, lucid dreams, sleep paralysis, drugs, psychedelics, spirituality and meditation. She has written more than sixty academic papers, a hundred contributions to books, and her work has been translated into twenty other languages. She has practiced Zen for forty years and plays in a samba band.
Susan Blackmore shares her journey into the exploration of consciousness, beginning with a profound experience in her youth. She discusses her evolving thoughts on memes as a crucial element of human consciousness, the impact of technology on cultural evolution, and the implications of AI as a new replicator. Blackmore emphasizes the importance of contemplative practices in understanding the illusion of self and explores predictive processing theory as a potential framework for consciousness. The conversation also touches on her writing process and the challenges of articulating complex ideas.
Chapters
08:56 The Journey into Consciousness
12:45 Exploring Memes and Cultural Evolution
20:19 The Impact of Technology on Memes
25:59 AI and Its Implications for Humanity
32:00 The Importance of Stillness in a Fast-Paced World
32:53 Exploring the Illusion of Self
40:12 Predictive Processing Theory and Consciousness
50:49 Consciousness in Simple Systems
55:47 The Writing Process and Inspiration
01:03:37 ryan exit no music - 10:24:25, 2.28 PM.mp3
01:03:51 083 Reality.mp3
https://www.susanblackmore.uk/
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Keywords
consciousness, memes, AI, predictive processing, self, meditation, cultural evolution, digital replicators, philosophy, Susan Blackmore, Genes, Evolutionary psychology, mindfulness, zen, psychedelics, psychedelic science, Neuroscience, depth psychology,
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