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#805: Philip Goff — Exploring Consciousness and Non-Ordinary Religion, Galileo's Error, Panpsychism, Heretical Ideas, and Therapeutic Belief

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Apr 9, 2025

Guest

Philip Goff

Philip Goff, a philosophy professor at Durham University, dives deep into consciousness and panpsychism, arguing that awareness is a fundamental aspect of reality. He explores the definition of consciousness, suggesting even simple organisms possess it. The conversation also delves into the complexities of belief, spirituality, and the tension between modern understanding and traditional beliefs. Goff promotes mindfulness and joy in everyday life, advocating for compassion and a deeper understanding of our spiritual connections beyond established religious identities.

02:16:13

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Episode notes

Integrated Information Theory

Integrated Information Theory (IIT) proposes that consciousness arises from integrated information.
A system becomes conscious when the whole has more integrated information than its parts.

Consciousness: Emergent or Fundamental?

Standard science views consciousness as emergent from complex physical systems, like brains.
Panpsychism, conversely, posits consciousness is fundamental, with physical reality emerging from it.

Galileo's Error

Physical science, since Galileo, has excluded consciousness, focusing on the quantifiable.
To understand consciousness scientifically, we must rethink this exclusion, integrating what Galileo separated.

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Philip Goff is a professor of philosophy at Durham University. His main research focus is consciousness, but he is interested in many questions about the nature of reality. He is most known for defending panpsychism, the view that consciousness is a fundamental and ubiquitous feature of the physical world. He is the author of Galileo's Error: Foundations for a New Science of Consciousness and Why? The Purpose of the Universe.

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Connect with Philip Goff:

https://philipgoffphilosophy.com/

https://x.com/Philip_Goff/

https://bsky.app/profile/philipgoff.bsky.social

Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Start.

[00:06:24] What is panpsychism?

[00:11:19] Common misunderstandings about panpsychism.

[00:16:08] Roger Penrose and quantum consciousness.

[00:17:26] Gödel’s incompleteness theorem.

[00:19:22] The challenges of scientific consensus on consciousness.

[00:21:35] Integrated Information Theory (IIT).

[00:27:17] What early quantum pioneers like Max Planck and Niels Bohr thought about consciousness.

[00:33:15] Defining consciousness and qualia.

[00:35:41] Galileo’s Error: How science removed consciousness from study.

[00:41:03] Materialist vs. panpsychist.

[00:43:30] The neuroanatomical seat of consciousness debate.

[00:45:41] Scientific challenges around the public observation of consciousness.

[00:50:35] Exploring potential payoffs and ethical considerations of figuring out consciousness.

[00:57:01] How virtual reality reminded Philip to appreciate ordinary reality.

[01:00:31] Bertrand Russell and William James as philosophical heroes.

[01:02:05] Science seems mum on the matter of matter.

[01:06:53] William James and mystical experiences.

[01:09:20] Philip’s journey as a “heretical Christian.”

[01:19:23] Why Philip left Christianity at age 14.

[01:20:20] Rediscovering mystical traditions within Christianity.

[01:31:41] Karen Armstrong on the modern corruption of religious belief.

[01:33:56] Is true belief a prerequisite for building a community through religion and enjoying its therapeutic benefits?

[01:48:40] Psychedelics and numinous experiences.

[01:51:36] Sufism and mystical poetry.

[01:56:10] Renaming traditional religious terms for broader accessibility.

[02:01:09] The potential resurgence of religion and new spiritual movements.

[02:05:42] Philip’s billboard.

[02:08:36] Parting thoughts.

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