The Blind Spot in Perception: Cognitive Science, Asian Philosophy, and Mystical Insight

Evan Thompson is a philosopher and author, specializing in the integration of cognitive science, philosophy of mind, and Asian philosophical traditions. Based at the University of British Columbia, his work, including his recent book 'The Blind Spot', examines the intersections of consciousness, experience, and reality through a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach.

Can cognitive science, philosophy, and mysticism hold the keys to resolving our modern meaning crisis?

Join John Vervaeke and Evan Thompson in a captivating exploration of how these disciplines converge to address this pressing issue. The conversation showcases Thompson's interdisciplinary approach, drawing from his work on 'The Blind Spot' and his extensive background in Asian philosophy and phenomenology. Gain fresh perspectives on the essence of lived experience, the power of relevance realization, and the nature of reality as the discussion unfolds. Prepare for an intellectual journey that promises to deepen our understanding of truth, goodness, and beauty and bridge the gaps between diverse intellectual traditions.

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Immerse yourself in the groundbreaking insights of Evan Thompson's thoughtprovoking book, "The Blind SpotWhy Science Cannot Ignore Human Experience.”

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“"The blind spot is the inability to see, or to recognize, or to acknowledge that lived experience is the source of science. And so if you undercut the source of science by occluding lived experience, you're actually damaging science." - Evan Thompson [00:19:34]

"The process of formalization of translating things into a formal system is always an ill-defined problem that requires relevance realization." - John Vervaeke [00:30:52]

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Idea, Authors, and Works Mentioned in this Episode

The Blind Spot: Why Science Cannot Ignore Human Experience - book co-authored by Evan Thompson, Adam Frank, and Marcelo Gleiser

Waking, Dreaming, Being: Self and Consciousness in Neuroscience, Meditation, and Philosophy - book by Evan Thompson

Why I Am Not a Buddhist - book by Evan Thompson

Contact with Reality - book by Esther Lightcap Meek

The Nothingness Beyond God - book by Robert Edgar Carter

Maurice Merleau-Ponty

Edmund Husserl

Martin Heidegger

William James

Galileo Galilei

Nishida Kitaro

Alfred North Whitehead

Nancy Cartwright

René Descartes

Robert Kreese

Paul Tillich

Michael Polanyi

Michael Schellenberger

Susan Wolf

Ursula Goodenough

Immanuel Kant

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