Donald Hoffman

impossible at this point in neuroscience and in our path as human beings to actually be able to conclusively say because the only evidence we can get is through communication. As I said, I can't jump into another experience and have that experience myself. And this is actually very interesting.

impossible at this point in neuroscience and in our path as human beings to actually be able to conclusively say because the only evidence we can get is through communication. As I said, I can't jump into another experience and have that experience myself. And this is actually very interesting.

I've been thinking a lot lately as I've been working on my documentary series about how important communication is for our ability really to talk about any experience at all. And we can't communicate if we don't share the same experiences. And so there's this limit. If I were talking to someone who were born blind and I was trying to explain something about my experience of seeing,

I've been thinking a lot lately as I've been working on my documentary series about how important communication is for our ability really to talk about any experience at all. And we can't communicate if we don't share the same experiences. And so there's this limit. If I were talking to someone who were born blind and I was trying to explain something about my experience of seeing,

I've been thinking a lot lately as I've been working on my documentary series about how important communication is for our ability really to talk about any experience at all. And we can't communicate if we don't share the same experiences. And so there's this limit. If I were talking to someone who were born blind and I was trying to explain something about my experience of seeing,

it's extremely limiting. I mean, I could give some analogies, but there would be no way for me to explain to someone who doesn't have vision what my world of sights is like. The more different an organism is from us, the less ability we have to communicate. And so it's easier for us to kind of assume we have evidence from organisms that are similar to us. It gets much more difficult

it's extremely limiting. I mean, I could give some analogies, but there would be no way for me to explain to someone who doesn't have vision what my world of sights is like. The more different an organism is from us, the less ability we have to communicate. And so it's easier for us to kind of assume we have evidence from organisms that are similar to us. It gets much more difficult

it's extremely limiting. I mean, I could give some analogies, but there would be no way for me to explain to someone who doesn't have vision what my world of sights is like. The more different an organism is from us, the less ability we have to communicate. And so it's easier for us to kind of assume we have evidence from organisms that are similar to us. It gets much more difficult

when there's an inability to communicate. And this is true with human beings as well. So in the case of someone who's experiencing locked in syndrome, which can happen from damage to the brain, either by stroke or an injury, that leaves the patient completely paralyzed, but their consciousness is still fully intact.

when there's an inability to communicate. And this is true with human beings as well. So in the case of someone who's experiencing locked in syndrome, which can happen from damage to the brain, either by stroke or an injury, that leaves the patient completely paralyzed, but their consciousness is still fully intact.

when there's an inability to communicate. And this is true with human beings as well. So in the case of someone who's experiencing locked in syndrome, which can happen from damage to the brain, either by stroke or an injury, that leaves the patient completely paralyzed, but their consciousness is still fully intact.

And so that's a situation that puts us closer to where we are in terms of looking at other organisms, other life forms, and not being able to know whether there's consciousness presence. If someone in a locked-in state looks like they're completely unconscious, they're totally paralyzed, they can't move.

And so that's a situation that puts us closer to where we are in terms of looking at other organisms, other life forms, and not being able to know whether there's consciousness presence. If someone in a locked-in state looks like they're completely unconscious, they're totally paralyzed, they can't move.

And so that's a situation that puts us closer to where we are in terms of looking at other organisms, other life forms, and not being able to know whether there's consciousness presence. If someone in a locked-in state looks like they're completely unconscious, they're totally paralyzed, they can't move.

Yet we now know based on some interesting stories we can talk about if you want, that many of these patients are actually having a full conscious experience. They can see everything in the room. They can hear everything in the room. They have thoughts. They're having as full a conscious experience as you and I are having right now with no ability to communicate.

Yet we now know based on some interesting stories we can talk about if you want, that many of these patients are actually having a full conscious experience. They can see everything in the room. They can hear everything in the room. They have thoughts. They're having as full a conscious experience as you and I are having right now with no ability to communicate.

Yet we now know based on some interesting stories we can talk about if you want, that many of these patients are actually having a full conscious experience. They can see everything in the room. They can hear everything in the room. They have thoughts. They're having as full a conscious experience as you and I are having right now with no ability to communicate.

Yeah, so the second question is related and very similar, but it kind of gets at this intuition from a different angle. The second question is, is consciousness doing something? It's about the causality of consciousness. Is it driving our behavior in the way that we feel it is? Is it informing our behavior in the way that we feel it is? Our intuitive answer to this is a resounding yes.

Yeah, so the second question is related and very similar, but it kind of gets at this intuition from a different angle. The second question is, is consciousness doing something? It's about the causality of consciousness. Is it driving our behavior in the way that we feel it is? Is it informing our behavior in the way that we feel it is? Our intuitive answer to this is a resounding yes.

Yeah, so the second question is related and very similar, but it kind of gets at this intuition from a different angle. The second question is, is consciousness doing something? It's about the causality of consciousness. Is it driving our behavior in the way that we feel it is? Is it informing our behavior in the way that we feel it is? Our intuitive answer to this is a resounding yes.