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A New Theory Explains How Consciousness Evolved

By Michael Graziano — 2016

Theories of consciousness come from religion, from philosophy, from cognitive science, but not so much from evolutionary biology. Maybe that’s why so few theories have been able to tackle basic questions such as: What is the adaptive value of consciousness? When did it evolve and what animals have it? The Attention Schema Theory (AST) may be able to answer those questions.

Read on www.theatlantic.com

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The Feeling of Life Itself: Why Consciousness Is Widespread but Can't Be Computed (The MIT Press)

In The Feeling of Life Itself, Christof Koch offers a straightforward definition of consciousness as any subjective experience, from the most mundane to the most exalted—the feeling of being alive. Koch argues that programmable computers will not have consciousness.

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Christof Koch
2025
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Where Buddhism Meets Neuroscience: Conversations with the Dalai Lama on the Spiritual and Scientific Views of Our Minds

Is the mind an ephemeral side effect of the brain’s physical processes? Are there forms of consciousness so subtle that science has not yet identified them? How does consciousness happen? Organized by the Mind and Life Institute, this discussion addresses some of the most troublesome questions...

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The Dalai Lama, Zara Houshmand (editor), Robert B. Livingston (editor), B. Alan Wallace (editor)
2018
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The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind

The Future of the Mind brings a topic that once belonged solely to the province of science fiction into a startling new reality.

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Michio Kaku
2015
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The Consciousness Revolution

Three pioneers at the cutting edge of Western thought reflect on the chances of peace in the world, on how society is changing, and on the changes we can make ourselves.

Book
Ervin László, Stanislav Grof, Peter Russell, Ken Wilber (foreword)
2003
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Consciousness Explained

Consciousness Explained is a full-scale exploration of human consciousness.

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Daniel C. Dennett
1992
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Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

This book is about pleasure. It’s also about pain. Most important, it’s about how to find the delicate balance between the two, and why now more than ever finding balance is essential.

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Anna Lembke
2025
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14:13

How Language Shapes the Way We Think | Lera Boroditsky

There are about 7,000 languages spoken around the world—and they all have different sounds, vocabularies and structures.

Video
2018
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The Organized Mind: Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload

The information age is drowning us with an unprecedented deluge of data. At the same time, we’re expected to make more—and faster—decisions about our lives than ever before.

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Daniel Levitin
2025
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Understanding the Brain: From Cells to Behavior to Cognition

An examination of what makes us human and unique among all creatures―our brains. No reader curious about our “little grey cells” will want to pass up Harvard neuroscientist John E. Dowling’s brief introduction to the brain.

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John E. Dowling
2025
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05:24

How Psychedelics Work: Fire the Conductor, Let the Orchestra Play | Michael Pollan | Big Think

If your ego had a "location" in the brain, it would be the default mode network, where much of your self-critical mind chatter happens. Taking psychedelics down-regulates this brain network.

Video
2019
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Consciousness