427 - Dr. Iain McGilchrist - Artificial Intelligence, Possession, and Mental Illness

In this conversation, I speak with British psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and author Dr. Iain McGilchrist about intelligence, mental illness, and AI.<br /><br />Original YouTube version: <a href="https://youtu.be/DRtpKyKJcss" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/DRtpKyKJcss</a><br />Get Dr. McGilchrist’s books: <a href="https://channelmcgilchrist.com/home/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">https://channelmcgilchrist.com/home/</a> <br /><br />APPLICATIONS OPEN: Ralston seeks 25 students with the curiosity and courage to find light in the darkness. Our one-year MA in the Humanities begins with two months learning Ancient and Modern Greek in Greece, before moving to beautiful Savannah, GA. Full and partial scholarships are available. The deadline for priority consideration is December 18, 2025. Visit <a href="https://www.ralston.ac/humanities-ma" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">https://www.ralston.ac/humanities-ma</a><br /><br />NEW COURSE: The Quest for the Holy Grail with Dr. Martin Shaw<br />In the dark heart of January, when the nights are long and the world draws close, Dr. Martin Shaw returns to Symbolic World Courses for an intensive week-long journey to tell one of the greatest stories of the Medieval imagination: Parzival and the Holy Grail.<br />Catch the early bird sale of 15% off if you register before midnight December 19: <a href="https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-quest-for-the-holy-grail" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">https://www.thesymbolicworld.com/courses/the-quest-for-the-holy-grail </a><br />Cost: $160 USD<br />Dates of live course: January 12-16, 2026<br />Time: 12 PM-2 PM EST, except for Lecture 3 (January 14) which will be at 4PM-6PM EST<br /><br />Timestamps:<br />00:00 Coming up<br />00:43 Intro music<br />01:07 Introduction to Ralston College and Its Mission<br />10:57 The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Society<br />21:02 Intelligence and Consciousness<br />30:57 The Dangers of Alien Intelligence<br />39:17 Understanding Addiction and Mental Illness<br />46:04 Possession and Mental Health: A New Perspective<br />52:11 The Left Hemisphere and Its Malign Influence<br />01:03:37 AI: The Modern Sorcerer's Apprentice<br />01:11:11 All We Can Do<br /><br />💻 Website and blog: http://www.thesymbolicworld.com<br />🔗 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jonathanpageau <br />🔒 BECOME A PATRON: https://thesymbolicworld.com/subscribe <br />Our website designers: https://www.resonancehq.io/ <br />My intro was arranged and recorded by Matthew Wilkinson: https://matthewwilkinson.net/