The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett Top Psychologist & Scientist (Donald Hoffman): Science Has the Answer to Why Seeing True Reality Would Kill You!
Jul 31, 2025
02:03:19
WARNING: Nothing you see is real, and your brain evolved to hide the truth?! Top psychologist Donald Hoffman reveals the mathematical proof we’re living in a virtual illusion, how space-time is just a headset, and why consciousness is the real code.
Donald Hoffman is an award-winning cognitive scientist and professor at the University of California, Irvine. He is best known for his groundbreaking research into perception and consciousness, and is also the author of the book ‘The Case Against Reality’.
He explains:
Why seeing true reality would kill us
How evolution hides reality to help us survive
What’s really behind the space-time illusion
How your brain acts like a VR headset
How consciousness builds the universe
Why space, gravity, and nuclear forces don’t actually fit together
00:00 Intro
02:30 Do We Understand What We're Seeing?
02:35 Rhonda's Mission, Drive, and the Problems She Wants to Solve
03:03 Space-Time
05:39 Are We in a Virtual Reality World?
07:50 Darwin’s Theory Suggests Our World Isn’t Real
13:06 What Would Reality Be Without Our Senses?
18:07 Simulations That Prove This Isn’t Real
23:28 What This Means for Living a Better Life
33:43 Understand Who You Are
38:24 Simulation Theories
43:18 What’s the Meaning of Life in This Reality?
44:56 Did Someone or Something Create Consciousness?
46:59 Where Does God Fit in This Reality?
48:24 Was Jesus Divine Beyond Any of Us?
52:56 Near-Death Experience and What Happens When We Die
01:02:05 Grief and Love
01:05:14 Light and Tunnel in Near-Death Experiences
01:07:25 Why Do We Suffer?
01:18:49 What Is Your Theory of Consciousness Proving?
01:24:55 Biggest Discovery: We Can Engineer Time
01:28:59 The Consequences of Your Findings
01:38:26 Mental Health and Illusions
01:45:36 How This Reality Helps You Deal with Life
01:52:24 The Nature of Reality and AI
01:57:54 What Would You Do If You Knew You Could Not Fail?
Follow Professor Donald:
X - https://bit.ly/4obiFIj
Instagram - https://bit.ly/478nUT3
UC Irvine - https://bit.ly/3ITwVFC
You can purchase Professor Donald’s book, ‘The Case Against Reality’, here: https://amzn.to/4ocB7k3
The Diary Of A CEO:
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⬜️Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://smarturl.it/DOACbook
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Sponsors:
Shopify - https://shopify.com/bartlett
Justworks - http://Justworks.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theexperienceplus.substack.com
Donald Hoffman is an award-winning cognitive scientist and professor at the University of California, Irvine. He is best known for his groundbreaking research into perception and consciousness, and is also the author of the book ‘The Case Against Reality’.
He explains:
Why seeing true reality would kill us
How evolution hides reality to help us survive
What’s really behind the space-time illusion
How your brain acts like a VR headset
How consciousness builds the universe
Why space, gravity, and nuclear forces don’t actually fit together
00:00 Intro
02:30 Do We Understand What We're Seeing?
02:35 Rhonda's Mission, Drive, and the Problems She Wants to Solve
03:03 Space-Time
05:39 Are We in a Virtual Reality World?
07:50 Darwin’s Theory Suggests Our World Isn’t Real
13:06 What Would Reality Be Without Our Senses?
18:07 Simulations That Prove This Isn’t Real
23:28 What This Means for Living a Better Life
33:43 Understand Who You Are
38:24 Simulation Theories
43:18 What’s the Meaning of Life in This Reality?
44:56 Did Someone or Something Create Consciousness?
46:59 Where Does God Fit in This Reality?
48:24 Was Jesus Divine Beyond Any of Us?
52:56 Near-Death Experience and What Happens When We Die
01:02:05 Grief and Love
01:05:14 Light and Tunnel in Near-Death Experiences
01:07:25 Why Do We Suffer?
01:18:49 What Is Your Theory of Consciousness Proving?
01:24:55 Biggest Discovery: We Can Engineer Time
01:28:59 The Consequences of Your Findings
01:38:26 Mental Health and Illusions
01:45:36 How This Reality Helps You Deal with Life
01:52:24 The Nature of Reality and AI
01:57:54 What Would You Do If You Knew You Could Not Fail?
Follow Professor Donald:
X - https://bit.ly/4obiFIj
Instagram - https://bit.ly/478nUT3
UC Irvine - https://bit.ly/3ITwVFC
You can purchase Professor Donald’s book, ‘The Case Against Reality’, here: https://amzn.to/4ocB7k3
The Diary Of A CEO:
⬜️Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/
⬜️Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://smarturl.it/DOACbook
⬜️The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt
⬜️The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb
⬜️Get email updates - https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt
⬜️Follow Steven - https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb
Sponsors:
Shopify - https://shopify.com/bartlett
Justworks - http://Justworks.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theexperienceplus.substack.com