Tag: philosophy

Itzhak Bentov – Cosmic to Consciousness

Who Was Itzhak Bentov?
Itzhak “Ben” Bentov (1923–1979) was an Israeli-American inventor, engineer, scientist, mystic, and author best known for his pioneering work in consciousness studies. His insights blended physics, medicine, and metaphysics, aiming to understand human consciousness and its connection to the universe. Though largely self-taught in many fields, he had a remarkable ability to conceptualize complex ideas, making contributions to both science and spirituality.

Inventions and Scientific Contributions
Bentov was a prolific inventor with multiple patents to his name. Some of his key inventions include:

Cardiac Catheter (Balloon-Tipped Catheter): One of his most well-known medical inventions, the balloon-tipped catheter, became a crucial tool in cardiovascular procedures.
Harmonic Oscillator Model of the Human Body: He proposed that the human body, especially the heart and brain, functions as a resonant system, influencing consciousness and altered states of awareness.
Helicopter Stabilization System: As an engineer, Bentov also worked on improving helicopter dynamics, designing stabilization technologies.
Vibrational Theories of Consciousness: He developed theories on how micro-vibrations in the body could influence brain function and perception, an idea that aligns with later research in neuroscience and meditation studies.
Government and Military Involvement
Bentov’s research attracted interest from the U.S. government, particularly in the areas of consciousness, brainwave synchronization, and altered states of perception.

CIA and Remote Viewing (Gateway Process): His work significantly influenced the Gateway Process, a classified program run by the U.S. Army and CIA to explore consciousness expansion and remote viewing (a form of psychic espionage). His vibrational theories and understanding of brain-wave entrainment were foundational to the techniques used in the Gateway Experience, a project later detailed in declassified CIA documents.
Collaboration with Monroe Institute: Bentov worked closely with Robert Monroe, a researcher famous for out-of-body experiences (OBEs). His scientific insights helped provide a framework for how Monroe’s Hemi-Sync technology worked in altering consciousness.
Possible Involvement in Advanced Research Programs: While not confirmed, given his knowledge of physiological and neurological interactions with consciousness, some speculate that Bentov’s ideas contributed to early mind-machine interface research pursued by military and intelligence agencies.
Philosophy and Legacy
Beyond his scientific contributions, Bentov was deeply interested in the nature of reality, consciousness, and spirituality. His book Stalking the Wild Pendulum: On the Mechanics of Consciousness (1977) is a classic in consciousness studies, offering a scientific approach to metaphysical concepts. He suggested that consciousness is a fundamental force of the universe, aligning with ideas found in quantum physics and Eastern mysticism.

Tragically, Bentov’s life was cut short in 1979 when he died in the crash of American Airlines Flight 191. Despite his untimely death, his work continues to influence researchers in neuroscience, spirituality, and consciousness studies, as well as those interested in the intersection of science and mysticism.

Physicist Stephen Wolfram PROVES Space-Time Is An ILLUSION | ChatGPT, Consciousness, & Time Travel

Stephen Wolfram is a British-American computer scientist, physicist, and businessman. He is known for his work in computer algebra and theoretical physics. In 2012, he was named a fellow of the American Mathematical Society.

Prof. Jeffrey Kripal On ‘Decolonizing’ Reality

Each week, the Essentia Foundation shares highlights from the most insightful moments of longer videos on this channel. In this video Prof. Jeffrey Kripal talks about the importance of metaphysical diversity in academia: instead of regarding other than Western ontologies as Foucauldian language games, we have to see them as valid claims on reality.

Watch the full interview: What If Science Took The Paranormal Seriously? | The Superhumanities | Prof. Jeffrey Kripal PhD

Essentia Foundation’s Hans Busstra interviews Prof. Jeffrey Kripal, PhD, who holds the J. Newton Rayzor Chair in Philosophy and Religious Thought at Rice University in Houston, on his new book: ‘The Superhumanities, Historical Precedents, Moral Objections, New Realities.’ What if the humanities would open their horizon to more metaphysical possibilities? Prof. Kripal has written a book about a future in which the humanities study the full human. In these superhumanities, the weird, the psi—in short, the impossible—is taken seriously metaphysically: anomalous phenomena are not only regarded as subjective truths, but also as objective claims about reality. In his book, Prof. Kripal clearly shows how the nineteenth century ontology of materialism reigns in almost all of the humanities, which limits our scientific understanding of who we are as humans: there is no transcendence, the individual is nothing but a social body in spacetime, shaped by society. As Prof. Kripal likes to quip: “if there is one dogma in the humanities, it is that the truth has to be depressing.” The humanities need to expand beyond this depressing view, not because it’s depressing, but because it’s simply a half truth. We are conditioned social animals and transcendent beings. We are human and superhuman, as he argues. Interestingly, the superhumanities can build on the same foundational thinkers as the humanities. When we read the full Friedrich Nietzsche, William James, or Jacques Derrida, for instance, we see that these thinkers very much acknowledged the super. It is only the postmodern reading of their texts in academia that filters out the ecstatic. When it comes to Nietzsche, Prof. Kripal convincingly argues that the ‘crazy’ Nietzsche was perhaps the real Nietzsche, at the pinnacle of his thought. But here’s the thing: did he think his way to the vision of the Übermensch—which later unjustly got contaminated by fascism—or did he somehow receive it as a vision? According to Prof. Kripal, Nietzsche’s vision should be taken much more literally than we now take it: he was talking about an actual superspecies, with superhuman capabilities. What if the humanities could scientifically investigate what happened when, for instance, Nikola Tesla had the visions that led to groundbreaking inventions? What happened when Einstein saw the principles of general relativity in a dream? Perhaps the key takeaway from Prof. Kripal’s book is that, if the humanities would only dare to turn into the superhumanities, they would again become relevant for the other disciplines in academia.

Beyond Metaphor: Is Our Universe Literally a Brain? | Full Documentary

What if the sprawling cosmic web of galaxies, spanning billions of light years, shares striking similarities with the neural circuitry in our heads? In this video, we delve deep into recent research showing that the “cosmic filaments” binding galaxy clusters might parallel the intricate networks of neurons and synapses in our brains. Join us as we unpack how these two vastly different scales—microscopic neural tissue and a universe-sized lattice of galaxies—can exhibit comparable statistical patterns, structural motifs, and even “self-organizing” behaviors. We begin by exploring why the universe looks “networked,” discussing how gravitational interactions form cosmic filaments linking superclusters. We then compare this to neural connectivity, where billions of neurons form complex circuits of short- and long-range synapses. Along the way, we examine tools like high-resolution imaging, cosmological simulations, and graph theory—methods that let us treat both the human brain and the universe as interconnected networks. We’ll see how “nodes and bridges” are crucial in each system: neurons form local clusters bridged by long axons, just as galaxies clump into clusters connected by filaments. Next, we tackle the concept of self-organization: in the brain, synaptic plasticity continually reshapes circuits based on use, while in the cosmos, gravitational collapse sculpts voids and filaments from early quantum fluctuations. We also discuss information theory, where the brain balances order and entropy during perception and learning, while the cosmos develops “local pockets of order” (galaxy clusters) in a largely expanding universe. Finally, we address the hotly debated notion of “cosmic consciousness”—whether the universe “thinks” as a brain does or whether these parallels simply highlight universal design principles in nature, rather than any form of cosmic mind. If you’re curious about how cutting-edge simulations, entropy analyses, and network science bridge neuroscience and astrophysics, this video is for you. Get ready to see both the cosmos and your own brain in a whole new light! Don’t forget to like and subscribe for more deep dives into the science connecting our minds to the mysteries of the universe.

Information vs. Meaning: Top Biologist & Neuroscientist Explain | Michael Levin Λ Karl Friston

Curt Jaimungal is joined by Michael Levin and Karl Friston. This conversation incorporates insights from physics and information theory, particularly regarding self-organization and the significance of entropy and free energy.

Consciousness and psychedelics | Peter Sjostedt-H | TEDxTruro

Philosopher of mind Peter Sjöstedt-H discusses the hidden impact psychedelics have had on philosophy and asks if such extreme, altered modes of mind could help give us answers to some of the big questions facing the philosophers and scientists of today. Peter is an Anglo-Scandinavian philosopher of mind and author. He lives in West Cornwall and is engaged in his PhD with the University of Exeter, where he also teaches philosophy modules and writing skills. Peter is the inspiration behind the inhuman philosopher Marvel Superhero, Karnak. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx

Joscha Bach – Why Your Thoughts Aren’t Yours.

Dr. Joscha Bach discusses advanced AI, consciousness, and cognitive modeling. He presents consciousness as a virtual property emerging from self-organizing software patterns, challenging panpsychism and materialism. Bach introduces “Cyberanima,” reinterpreting animism through information processing, viewing spirits as self-organizing software agents. He addresses limitations of current large language models and advocates for smaller, more efficient AI models capable of reasoning from first principles. Bach describes his work with Liquid AI on novel neural network architectures for improved expressiveness and efficiency. The interview covers AI’s societal implications, including regulation challenges and impact on innovation. Bach argues for balancing oversight with technological progress, warning against overly restrictive regulations. Throughout, Bach frames consciousness, intelligence, and agency as emergent properties of complex information processing systems, proposing a computational framework for cognitive phenomena and reality.

What Came Before the Big Bang? | Theory of Embedded Intelligence, Bill Mensch & Bernardo Kastrup

Could it be a coincidence that two founding fathers of modern day computing, independently from each other, are both coming with theories of consciousness that are idealist in nature? Or does a deep understanding of what computation is—and what it is not—inevitably lead away from physicalist ideas on consciousness? Previously Essentia Foundation presented the work of Federico Faggin, and now a legendary contemporary of his, computer engineer Bill Mensch, presents his Theory of Embedded Intelligence (TEI) to us. Mensch was a major contributor to the Motorola 6800 and became famous for his work on the MOS Technology 6502 CPU, a chip that, because of it’s efficiency, completely revolutionized computing in the 80’s. From Arcade halls to the Apple II and Nintendo 8 bit consoles, 6502s could be found everywhere. Even to this day the chip is still used in children’s toys and even in pacemakers and satellites. Looking back at his career, Mensch realizes that building computer chips is in essence a form of ‘embedding’ intelligence in technology, just as nature has embedded intelligence in biological systems, like humans. In his TEI model intelligence is fundamental. This raises the philosophical question of how consciousness relates to intelligence, and for this reason Bernardo Kastrup joined in on the conversation Mensch and Hans Busstra had. The value of a theory like Mensch’s is perhaps exactly that it is not philosophically fine-tuned to the terminology commonly used in philosophy of mind. By not taking the human mind and phenomenal consciousness as its departure point, but intelligence instead, Mensch arrives at a position in which the distinction between living beings and abiotic systems is less distinct. Mensch’s slides can be downloaded here: https://www.essentiafoundation.o…

Will AI produce a state of deep utopia? (w/ Nick Bostrom, Future of Humanity Institute)

In his new book “Deep Utopia: Life and Meaning in a Solved World,” philosopher Nick Bostrom ponders what life could be like in a “solved world” – a world where everything works and works better than if human hands got in the way. “What then?” asks Bostrom, is the reason to work? “Is it to earn extra income or because working is an intrinsically valued activity?” Bostrom is the head of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford and a philosopher with a background in theoretical physics, computational neuroscience, logic, and artificial intelligence. He has been called the “Superintelligent Swede” because of the deep philosophical work he undertakes as he examines the trajectory of human life at the intersection of destruction and possibility. Bostrom says, “If artificial intelligence can be achieved, it would be an event of unparalleled consequence – perhaps even a rupture to the fabric of history” – a rupture, Bostrom says, “will change the course of human history but is it the end of human history?” We invited Nick Bostrom to join us for a Conversation That Matters about our flirtatious and tempestuous relationship with the evolution of intelligence.

https://a.co/d/12vzKD5