Thomas Metzinger is a professor of theoretical philosophy, consciousness researcher, and author of The Ego Tunnel, Being No One and The Elephant and the Blind — some of the most radical books on the nature of the self and reality ever written.Download a FREE copy of The Elephant And The Blind HERE: https://thomasmetzinger.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Metzinger_MIT_Press_2024-1.pdfHe’s spent decades exploring the hardest questions in neuroscience and philosophy: What is consciousness? Is the self an illusion? Could AI ever suffer? And what happens when our models of reality — including ourselves — break down?Expect to learn why your “self” is just a transparent model your brain mistakes for reality, how out-of-body experiences (and virtual reality) reveal the fragility of personal identity, why conscious AI might be the greatest ethical threat of the next century, how meditation and psychedelics dissolve the illusion of “I”, why freedom of mind is under attack from attention-hacking technology, what it means to have a contentless conscious experience, why Metzinger believes we should ban synthetic consciousness — and what happens when you try to visit your girlfriend 85 kilometers away… without your body.Timestamps:00:02:50 Transformative Experiences and Their Impact00:05:38 Exploring Out-of-Body Experiences00:08:57 The Nature of the Self00:11:43 Phenomenology of Consciousness00:14:38 The Role of Mental Imagery00:17:35 Ketamine and Consciousness00:20:30 Therapeutic Aspects of Out-of-Body Experiences00:23:24 Understanding the Self and Consciousness00:26:38 The Complexity of Selfhood00:29:27 Phenomenal Representations and Their Transparency00:32:21 Cognitive Agency and Mathematical Operations00:45:46 Mathematics and Psychoactive Substances00:49:15 Exploring Inner Experience and Phenomenology00:52:05 Suffering and Experience Sampling00:58:25 The Eternal Playlist Thought Experiment01:03:21 Reflections on Past Generations and Happiness01:10:32 The Impact of Social Media on Connection01:17:56 AI Companionship and Future Relationships01:18:48 Cognitive Offloading and AI's Impact on Development01:20:10 Teaching AI Philosophy: A Historical Perspective01:21:34 The Influence of Industry on AI Regulation01:22:57 The Attention Economy and Emerging Intimacy01:23:28 Philosophical Discoveries Through AI Interactions01:25:18 Social Hallucinations and AI's Role in Perception01:28:55 Virtual Reality and the Blurring of Reality01:31:08 The Future of Social Media and AI Avatars01:33:34 Global Regulation Challenges in AI Development01:35:55 The Risks of AI and Human Manipulation01:39:15 The Uncertain Future of Humanity and AI01:41:15 Finding Meaning in a Declining World...📚 RECOMMENDED READINGThe Ego Tunnel: The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self: https://amzn.to/3UEcS0ABeing No One: The Self-Model Theory of Subjectivity: https://amzn.to/41i7X9k…Neuroscience Products I Swear By (Supports the Channel)Sentia Spirits: https://sentiaspirits.com/mcgloughlin4209355084Manta Sleep Mask: Get the Comfiest Sleep Mask on the Planet (Use Code GIANTSMANTA10 https://bit.ly/4ilzfBL )Brain.FM: Music Entrainment for Focused Deep Work (30 Day Free Trial: https://www.brain.fm/giantsshoulder)Consensus.AI: https://get.consensus.app/we00d2cmjpqeFollow My Neuroscience Podcast - The Giants Shoulder Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5m3Gta5MtIYdk59pb2GJ7M?si=b33232eae67b4126Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/brief-enquiry-to-the-brain/id1752486249