Consciousness Studies

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Consciousness Studies

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A painting of a man with a beard.
The Well
Is the universe conscious? Panpsychism, religion, and the modern search for meaning
Panpsychist philosopher Philip Goff, PhD on mysticism and the future of faith.
Philip Goff & Lee Helland
John Templeton Foundation
Abstract illustration featuring five circles with various designs connected by curved white lines on a purple and blue background, symbolizing science or interconnected concepts.
13.8
6 questions about consciousness with Annaka Harris
A conversation with Annaka Harris on shared perception, experimental science, and why our intuition about consciousness is wrong.
Adam Frank
A digital collage featuring a brain illustration, distorted human faces, signal towers, abstract waves, and scattered data points and text on a blue and gray background.
Neuropsych
Inside the search for a universal signature of unconsciousness
A universal signature could make surgeries safer — and help reveal what holds consciousness together.
Ross Pomeroy
Five books on consciousness and philosophy are displayed upright in a row against a pale background with abstract black lines.
Books
5 brilliant books on consciousness
These expert-recommended books try to answer the questions of consciousness, from its fundamental nature to its role in human experience and the natural world.
Kevin Dickinson
A digital illustration of a hermit crab with a shell resembling a human brain, shown in two square sections over the shell.
Mini Philosophy
Think like a crow, choose like a crab: The animals inside our minds
A conversation about intelligence and consciousness with philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith.
Jonny Thomson
Three circles show, from left to right, an oyster shell, a Vitruvian-style human figure, and a swirling spiral, linked together on a textured lavender background.
The Past
The philosophers who predicted “ultimate” forms of consciousness
Philosophers once prophesied that evolution would lead to minds far greater — and stranger — than our own.
Thomas Moynihan
Black and white close-up of an older man with glasses, a bushy mustache, and beard, resting his chin on his hand and looking directly at the camera.
Thinking
Daniel Dennett: Consciousness is no miracle. It’s a magic trick.
"For many people, the idea that consciousness is a set of tricks is offensive," the late philosopher told Big Think in 2012. "I think that's a prime mistake."
Jonny Thomson
Abstract illustration of a human figure with glowing neural-like lines and bright light concentrated around the head, set against a red and orange gradient background.
Thinking
A letter from the editor
Introducing Big Think's Consciousness Issue.
Stephen Johnson
A digital collage with overlapping purple-tinted images, including a traditional building and a sculpture, explores panpsychism under the title "The Nightcrawler" on a black grid background.
Business
On consciousness, AI, and panpsychism
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Eric Markowitz
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