<p dir="ltr">How to think about consciousness without breaking your brain.</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://annakaharris.com/">Annaka Harris</a> is the New York Times bestselling author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Conscious-Brief-Guide-Fundamental-Mystery/dp/0062906712"> CONSCIOUS: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind</a> and writer and producer of the audio documentary series, <a href="https://annakaharris.com/lights-on/">LIGHTS ON</a>. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Nautilus Magazine, the Journal of Consciousness Studies, and IAI Magazine, and she is also an editor and consultant for science writers, specializing in neuroscience and physics. </p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">In this episode we talk about:</p> <ul> <li dir="ltr">What consciousness is—and why we should care about it</li> <li dir="ltr">The question of whether or not consciousness is a fundamental aspect of the universe (so literally—is consciousness embedded in the chair I'm sitting in?)</li> <li dir="ltr">Why thinking about this mystery can create a sense of awe (a reliable antidote to suffering)</li> <li dir="ltr">Meditation techniques for exploring consciousness</li> <li dir="ltr">The illusion of the self </li> <li dir="ltr">The importance of challenging our intuitions</li> <li dir="ltr">And much more</li> </ul> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Related Episodes: </p> <ul> <li dir="ltr"><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fundamental-mystery-of-the-mind-annaka-harris/id1087147821?i=1000468718797"> The Fundamental Mystery of the Mind | Annaka Harris</a></li> <li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.danharris.com/p/susan-kaiser-greenland-and-annaka-8f2"> Susan Kaiser Greenland and Annaka Harris, Teaching Mindfulness to Kids</a></li> <li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/anil-seth-469">#469. A Mystery That Matters | Anil Seth</a></li> <li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.meditatehappier.com/podcast/tph/jennifer-egan">Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novelist Jennifer Egan On: Panic, Awe, Fetishizing Authenticity, and Our Possible AI Futures</a></li> </ul> <p dir="ltr"> </p> <p dir="ltr">Sign up for Dan's newsletter <a href="http://www.danharris.com">here</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Follow Dan on social: <a href="https://bit.ly/3tGigG5">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://bit.ly/3FOA84J">TikTok</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Ten Percent Happier online <a href="https://bit.ly/46TZglY">bookstore</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Subscribe to our <a href="https://bit.ly/3FybRzD">YouTube Channel</a></p> <p dir="ltr">Our favorite playlists on: <a href="https://spoti.fi/3Qa8kMT">Anxiety</a>, <a href="https://spoti.fi/3MjtMxF">Sleep</a>, <a href="https://spoti.fi/3QvyA5J">Relationships</a>, <a href="https://spoti.fi/3QxZASc">Most Popular Episodes</a></p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Additional Resources: </p> <ul> <li dir="ltr"><a href="http://wakingup.com/tenpercent">wakingup.com/tenpercent</a></li> <li dir="ltr"><a href="https://read.macmillan.com/lights-on-9781250396778/?utm_source=Podcasts&utm_medium=&utm_term=Authorinterviews&utm_content=-other-listen-buynow&utm_campaign=9781250396778"> LIGHTS ON</a></li> <li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Candy-House-Novel-Visit-Squad/dp/1476716765"> The Candy House</a></li> <li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Case-Against-Reality-Evolution-Truth/dp/0393254690"> The Case Against Reality</a> </li> <li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Having-No-Head-Rediscovery-Obvious/dp/1878019198"> On Having No Head: Zen and the Rediscovery of the Obvious</a> </li> <li dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ten-Zen-Questions-Susan-Blackmore/dp/1851686428"> Ten Zen Questions: Susan Blackmore</a></li> </ul> <p> </p>
Actionable Insights
1. Attend a Meditation Retreat
Commit to a multi-day meditation retreat, as these sustained periods of practice can lead to significant, lasting shifts and insights in your understanding and experience, potentially due to physical changes in the brain.
2. Practice “On Having No Head”
Try the practice of imagining you have no head, as described in Harding’s book, which can be an instantaneous and transformative experiential practice for dissolving the illusion of self.
3. Practice “Floating in Outer Space”
Sit in a quiet space with closed eyes and imagine floating in outer space, coming into being for the first time, dropping all concepts of body or self and focusing purely on raw perceptions and sensations to dissolve the sense of a physical body and self.
4. Practice “Who is Knowing?” Meditation
During meditation, especially walking meditation with eyes open, use the passive voice (e.g., “seeing is being known”) and then ask “by what?” to explore the nature of the “knower” and experience the illusion of a fixed self.
5. Embrace the Truth of Oneness
Realize that science and meditation both point to the universe as one interconnected system, which can be an antidote to human suffering that often stems from feelings of separation.
6. Perceive Self as an Ocean Wave
Understand that your experience of self is a continually changing phenomenon, like an ocean wave, rather than a static, separate entity, which helps to dispel the illusion of a fixed self.
7. Practice “Lights On” Thought Experiment
Engage in a thought experiment where you intuitively acknowledge the conscious experiences of all beings around you, from people to animals, and then extend this to plants and the Earth itself, fostering a profound sense of interconnectedness and awe.
8. Meditate to Break Evolved Intuitions
Employ meditation as a tool to challenge and break through deeply ingrained, evolved intuitions that may obscure a clearer understanding of reality, fostering creativity and new perspectives.
9. Balance Wisdom and Worldly Engagement
Strive to find a balance between gaining wisdom from insights into the nature of reality and remaining engaged in the world, using that wisdom to alleviate suffering rather than withdrawing completely.
10. Challenge Intuitions Wisely
Be open to the possibility that what feels true may have a different reality upon closer inspection, challenging your certainties and biases, but also recognize and honor intuitions that serve a survival function or provide useful information.
11. Practice Meditation with Curiosity
Approach meditation from a place of intense curiosity rather than goal-seeking, exploring the raw, amorphous nature of sensations and emotions to understand your experience better.
12. Approach Insight Practices Gently
When exploring practices like dissolving the self, approach them gently without forcing or expecting dramatic experiences; the insights are often subtle and obvious, not grand or flashy.
13. Contemplate Consciousness for Perspective
Engage with the mystery of consciousness to gain perspective on your problems and potentially transform your experience of being alive.
14. Perceive All as Conscious Experiences
Regularly consider that everything you perceive, from people to inanimate objects, is a representation of conscious experiences, which can profoundly change your perspective on life and ethics.
Become a paid subscriber at danharris.com to access cheat sheets, transcripts, live Ask Me Anything sessions, and connect with a community of like-minded individuals.
16. Use Annika’s Waking Up Meditations
Access Annika Harris’s guided meditations, including those for children and loving-kindness practices, on the Waking Up app to support your meditation practice.
17. Sign Up for Waking Up App
Support the podcast by signing up for the Waking Up app through wakingup.com/10percent for a traditional meditation app experience that complements the podcast’s themes.