What If Consciousness Is Fundamental?: A Conversation with Annaka Harris (Episode #404)
March 25, 2025
139,827
2,549
784
2.38%
Search the Record
IndexedEvery word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
Sam Harris Episodes Around March 25, 2025
See what was published immediately before and after this episode.
2:20:36Now PlayingWhat If Consciousness Is Fundamental?: A Conversation with Annaka Harris (Episode #404)
YouTube Description
as posted by the channelSam Harris speaks with his wife, Annaka Harris, about LIGHTS ON, her ten-part audio documentary exploring the perplexities of consciousness and the cosmos. They discuss the hard problem of consciousness, whether consciousness is fundamental, what split-brain patients can teach us about consciousness, what consciousness being fundamental could mean for the world of physics, and other topics.
After Annaka’s conversation with Sam, we present an excerpt from LIGHTS ON.
Chapter 8: Space and Time features author and science writer George Musser, as well as physicists Lee Smolin and Carlo Rovelli. Annaka draws on their noted expertise to explore some of the most mystifying conclusions in quantum theory, how they may validate certain meditative insights, and the ways in which they challenge our basic understanding of reality.
Everyday experience tells us that space fills the universe; that causes have effects across time; that the future exists only as potential; that consciousness is confined to intelligent creatures, rather than fundamental to the very structure of being. These bedrock assumptions, when examined through both modern physics and contemplative practices, prove surprisingly fragile—and the fabric of existence profoundly counterintuitive.
Annaka Harris is the New York Times bestselling author of CONSCIOUS: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind and writer and producer of the audio documentary series, LIGHTS ON. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Nautilus Magazine, the Journal of Consciousness Studies, and IAI Magazine. She is also an editor and consultant for science writers, specializing in neuroscience and physics. Annaka is the author of the children’s book I Wonder, coauthor of the Mindful Games Activity Cards, and a volunteer mindfulness teacher for the organization Inner Kids.
X: @annakaharris
Episode References:
A Solution to the Combination Problem and the Future of Panpsychism by Annaka Harris
Consciousness Isn’t SelfCentered by Annaka Harris
March 25, 2025
SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all fulllength episodes of the podcast at OR become a channel member to access episodes on YouTube. For those who can't afford the full subscription price, we offer full and partial scholarships
Subscribe to the YT channel
Follow Making Sense on Twitter
Follow Sam on Facebook
Follow Sam on Instagram
For more information about Sam Harris
Guests & Subjects Covered
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.