When Even Awareness Stops: New Meditation Research | Ruben Laukkonen PhD
Can we turn off our awareness (i.e., conscious metacognition) in meditation and then stay in that state for days without water, food, or going to the bathroom? A recent study by Dr. Ruben Laukkonen on the cessation of awareness in advanced meditation practitioners confirms this. In this interview, Natalia Vorontsova talks with Ruben about his research and its implications for our understanding of the nature of reality. This is a deep, yet light-hearted, conversation about mind, consciousness, time, AI, and the future of science, especially since Ruben is also an experienced meditation practitioner.
You can find out more about work of Dr. Laukkonen here:
https://rubenlaukkonen.com/
https://twitter.com/RubenLaukkonen
https://substack.com/@rubenlaukkonen
00:00:00 Interview and guest intro
00:01:56 Common passions in life.
00:03:40 On meditation: does it include introspection, and everything related to mind and self?
00:09:38 Mind, self, and non-duality.
00:19:03 Research on the cessation of consciousness in advanced meditation practitioners.
00:29:00 Meditation: the cessation of consciousness vs. ‘tukdam’ state. Other research findings.
00:35:43 Is there a story to tell after consciousness turns on?
00:39:09 Groundlessness of mind and freedom: the most important discovery.
00:44:16 The reality model: mind, interdependence, and emptiness.
00:49:47 God and suffering according to non-Eastern traditions vs. insights from meditation.
00:54:02 Why did life emerge and become conscious?
01:02:01 Our evolution: merging with AI – intelligent, conscious or even enlightened? Are we also a ‘simulation’?
01:19:59 Co-creation of reality: conscious vs. unconscious self.
01:27:33 The ‘here and now’: what is the present moment? The nature of time.
01:37:08 What is consciousness? A new paper: “An active inference theory of consciousness”.
01:58:34 The role of insight and subjective experience in inner transformation. Cognitive deconstruction and construction practices.
02:07:50 Metaphysical aspects of research findings: reductionist materialism and mind vs. matter.
02:13:06 Ruben’s own meditation experience and fundamental shifts.
02:19:05 The future of science: bridging the scientific method and the wisdom traditions.
02:22:45 Online resources and references. Closing remarks.
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