As one of the most famous atheist sceptics on the planet, Sam Harris positions himself as someone with a low tolerance for nonsense. The spirituality sector is certainly one of the subject areas most popularly accused of verging into hogwash, and so it was perhaps surprising to many when Harris published Waking Up: a Guide to Spirituality Without Religion in 2015.
Harris is a firm proponent of meditation, believing it can provide both psychological welfare and philosophical tinder. He believes the self is an illusion, that there is no free will, and that spirituality does not require faith-based belief systems.
He joins me in this episode to discuss the nature of consciousness and what spirituality is for an atheist.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Is ‘Spirituality’ a Dirty Word?
3:54 - Why Take Reflective Knowledge Seriously?
27:26 - What Is The Self?
45:19 - Why Are There Distinct Selves?
59:37 - The Two Hemispheres of the Brain
1:05:02 - The Problem of Emergence
01:16:56 - What’s The Minimal Amount of Consciousness?
01:32:24 - Is AI Lying to Us About Consciousness?
01:37:30 - What is the Present?
