Nicholas Humphrey

Mind to Mind

An interview with neuropsychologist Nicholas Humphrey, focusing on the theory of consciousness presented in his books Seeing Red (2006), Soul Dust (2011), and Sentience (2022). We talked about blindsight, the difference between sensation and perception, the function of consciousness, whether phenomenal consciousness is an illusion, artificial consciousness, suicide, spirituality, and evolutionary psychology.

Timings:

00:25 Introduction to Nicholas Humphrey

02:56 Taking consciousness seriously

05:18 NH’s work with the monkey Helen and his discovery of blindsight

13:24 The discovery of blindsight in humans

15:56 Monkey aesthetics and colour preferences

18:13 The distinction between sensation and perception

22:40 The story of HD and the meaning of sensation

27:53 Sentition and the evolution of sensation

34:52 The evolution of NH’s thinking about consciousness

38:44 NH’s account of adaptive function of consciousness

48:40 Is phenomenal consciousness an illusion?

1:00:24 Phenomenal surrealism

1:03:45 The ipsundrum and the gregundrum

1:08:36 Artificial consciousness

1:14:30 Sentience in non-human animals, with discussion of octopuses

1:20:36 Reflexive consciousness and phenomenal consciousness

1:25:02 Suicide and depression

1:38:02 Materialism, religion, and spirituality

1:42:04 Evolutionary psychology