E3 - Consciousness, Qualia, and Psychedelics with Andres Gomez Emilsson

Catalyzing Coherence

In episode three we speak with Andres Gomez Emilsson, founder of the Qualia Research Institute. In Andres' words: "Once we recognize the computational role of consciousness, and the causal network that links it to behavior, a new era will begin. We will (1) characterize the various values of qualia in terms of their computational properties, and (2) systematically explore the state-space of possible conscious experiences. (1) will enable us to recruit the new qualia varieties we discover thanks to (2) so as to improve the capabilities of our minds. This increased cognitive power will enable us to do (2) more efficiently. This positive-feedback loop is perhaps the most important game-changer in the evolution of consciousness in the cosmos. We will go from cognitive sciences to actual consciousness engineering. And then, nothing will ever feel the same." Ideas mentioned in the podcast: Quantifying Bliss: https://qualiacomputing.com/2017/06/18/quantifying-bliss-talk-summary/ DMT and the Geometry of Consciousness: https://qualiacomputing.com/2017/05/28/eli5-the-hyperbolic-geometry-of-dmt-experiences/