To Be or Not To Be: The Self as Illusion
Moderated by Krista Tippett, MDiv
Creator and Host of Public Radio's Being
Speakers:
Pim van Lommel, MD, Hospital Rijnstate, The Netherlands
Thomas Metzinger, PhD, University of Mainz, Germany
Evan Thompson, PhD, University of Toronto
Evidence from studies of the brain and mind point to a construct of the Self resulting from complex neurobiological processes interacting with the environment. If distinct neurobiological correlates of consciousness do in fact exist, does that necessarily imply that the Self is an epiphenomenon and illusion? Furthermore, how do these characterizations of the Self affect the way we represent ourselves, our responsibilities, and our actions in the world?
Renowned philosophers Thomas Metzinger and Evan Thompson will join cardiologist and expert on near-death experiences, Pim van Lommel, to examine recent developments in neuroscience and philosophy that shed light on whether our conscious experience of a unified Self is reality or illusion.
Near-death experiences by Pim van Lommel
Reception to Follow
7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich Street, 40th Floor
