Robert Epstein

But she was hearing music that she had never heard before, she said. And she would sometimes try to hum the music or sing the music. And she said it was always coming from downstairs. And then people would say... My mom was... very... She was very sarcastic in her manner. And so someone would say, well, I don't hear anything. And she'd go, well, maybe you should get your hearing checked.

Because she just assumed that it was real. I expressed the concern that the music was always downstairs. I said, I'd be more comfortable if we're coming from upstairs. And she goes, oh, no. She says, don't worry. I'm not going to hell. I said... Okay. Okay, fine. It's coming from downstairs. But that's a perfect example. Where is that stuff coming from? Or even people who hear voices.

Because she just assumed that it was real. I expressed the concern that the music was always downstairs. I said, I'd be more comfortable if we're coming from upstairs. And she goes, oh, no. She says, don't worry. I'm not going to hell. I said... Okay. Okay, fine. It's coming from downstairs. But that's a perfect example. Where is that stuff coming from? Or even people who hear voices.

Because she just assumed that it was real. I expressed the concern that the music was always downstairs. I said, I'd be more comfortable if we're coming from upstairs. And she goes, oh, no. She says, don't worry. I'm not going to hell. I said... Okay. Okay, fine. It's coming from downstairs. But that's a perfect example. Where is that stuff coming from? Or even people who hear voices.

Well, if you have a pathway into another domain where there's intelligence, anything could come through. It could be the weird stuff that happens in brains. It could be music you've never heard before. It could be voices telling you what to do. See what I mean? Look at these mysteries. There are just so many of them. And yet we sit here complacent, complacent, complacent.

Well, if you have a pathway into another domain where there's intelligence, anything could come through. It could be the weird stuff that happens in brains. It could be music you've never heard before. It could be voices telling you what to do. See what I mean? Look at these mysteries. There are just so many of them. And yet we sit here complacent, complacent, complacent.

Well, if you have a pathway into another domain where there's intelligence, anything could come through. It could be the weird stuff that happens in brains. It could be music you've never heard before. It could be voices telling you what to do. See what I mean? Look at these mysteries. There are just so many of them. And yet we sit here complacent, complacent, complacent.

And then we make up stories. That's what we do. We make up stories. And as long as the grammar is right, we think we've got it figured out. What do you mean by making up stories? Well, like the computer metaphor. You know, if you go back in time to explain human intelligence, at first it was God. It was some sort of Holy Spirit.

And then we make up stories. That's what we do. We make up stories. And as long as the grammar is right, we think we've got it figured out. What do you mean by making up stories? Well, like the computer metaphor. You know, if you go back in time to explain human intelligence, at first it was God. It was some sort of Holy Spirit.

And then we make up stories. That's what we do. We make up stories. And as long as the grammar is right, we think we've got it figured out. What do you mean by making up stories? Well, like the computer metaphor. You know, if you go back in time to explain human intelligence, at first it was God. It was some sort of Holy Spirit.

Then at some point it became, there was actually a metaphor involving liquids, movements of liquids. And then there became mechanical machine, like, you know, kind of Descartes kinds of things, machines that somehow explain consciousness and intelligence. And The metaphors keep changing over the years. Right now, we're stuck with the computer metaphor. It's still a metaphor. And it's silly.

Then at some point it became, there was actually a metaphor involving liquids, movements of liquids. And then there became mechanical machine, like, you know, kind of Descartes kinds of things, machines that somehow explain consciousness and intelligence. And The metaphors keep changing over the years. Right now, we're stuck with the computer metaphor. It's still a metaphor. And it's silly.

Then at some point it became, there was actually a metaphor involving liquids, movements of liquids. And then there became mechanical machine, like, you know, kind of Descartes kinds of things, machines that somehow explain consciousness and intelligence. And The metaphors keep changing over the years. Right now, we're stuck with the computer metaphor. It's still a metaphor. And it's silly.

It's a silly metaphor. And I think we have to face up to the fact that our brain is doing something unique and special. And that we couldn't always do it. There's a point in time before which apparently we weren't doing it. Then there's a point where we started to have this ability. And I think this could explain the Fermi paradox.

It's a silly metaphor. And I think we have to face up to the fact that our brain is doing something unique and special. And that we couldn't always do it. There's a point in time before which apparently we weren't doing it. Then there's a point where we started to have this ability. And I think this could explain the Fermi paradox.

It's a silly metaphor. And I think we have to face up to the fact that our brain is doing something unique and special. And that we couldn't always do it. There's a point in time before which apparently we weren't doing it. Then there's a point where we started to have this ability. And I think this could explain the Fermi paradox.

Because, again, according to this book by Mills, it was quite interesting. Unless somehow something uplifts you. beyond just what normal evolution can do, you're stuck. You're being a chimp. That's it. You're stuck as chimp forever. No morality, small groups. But humans are fundamentally different. We did make that leap, the one Darwin couldn't figure out, and I think this is the leap.

Because, again, according to this book by Mills, it was quite interesting. Unless somehow something uplifts you. beyond just what normal evolution can do, you're stuck. You're being a chimp. That's it. You're stuck as chimp forever. No morality, small groups. But humans are fundamentally different. We did make that leap, the one Darwin couldn't figure out, and I think this is the leap.

Because, again, according to this book by Mills, it was quite interesting. Unless somehow something uplifts you. beyond just what normal evolution can do, you're stuck. You're being a chimp. That's it. You're stuck as chimp forever. No morality, small groups. But humans are fundamentally different. We did make that leap, the one Darwin couldn't figure out, and I think this is the leap.

I started out in math and physics a long time ago, and I've also been looking at the physics. The physics is there. The physicists, they know that this reality is just not it. Take those two problems. That is to say, the structure of the universe is actually very rich and complicated and very hard for us to imagine.