The hottest Consciousness Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Science Topics

The Inner Life of the Future

The Joyous Struggle • 1106 implied HN points • 14 Nov 23
📖 Philosophy Consciousness
  1. The future for humanity is often viewed through the concept of 'the third attractor,' which aims to divert the default trajectories of collapse and dystopia.
  2. The third attractor represents a disposition not to give up on the future, encompassing diverse visionary ideas for societal transformation and renewal.
  3. Attention to the 'third reality,' encompassing the inner subjective experience, and the cultivation of spiritual sensibility, is crucial for envisioning and shaping a more sustainable and meaningful future.

Thinking About AI, Before AI Disappears

Technohumanism • 79 implied HN points • 25 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Consciousness
  1. AI is changing our lives quickly and soon we'll take it for granted just like we do with other technologies, such as smartphones and electric lights.
  2. Every major technology has influenced how we think and see the world, and AI is likely to do the same by altering our realities in ways we can't fully understand yet.
  3. While there are valid concerns about AI impacting jobs or privacy, people seem to overlook the huge changes in human consciousness that such technologies bring.

No More Foreplay, the Universe is Ready to Fuck

Fridays on the oLo • 1257 implied HN points • 08 Sep 23
📖 Philosophy Consciousness
  1. The universe is evolving towards a state of greater complexity, consciousness, and unity.
  2. Advancements in human consciousness and technology may lead to an ultimate point of reality, similar to Evolution's Grand Finale.
  3. Regardless of grand revelations or cosmic events, what truly matters are our relationships and how we treat others in our daily lives.

Four Ways to Spend Your Days

What's Important? • 44 implied HN points • 24 Jan 26
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Consciousness
  1. You can sort what you consume by how much it boosts your awareness and your ability to act, and it’s wise to steer toward content that raises both.
  2. Don’t get stuck in low-value traps like doomscrolling, one-sided hustle culture, or unintegrated spirituality—each stage has use, but the goal is to integrate lessons so they actually improve your life.
  3. Notice how information makes you feel and favor sources that give an embodied, energizing charge while aligning with your curiosity and the common good; small, aligned actions and stronger relationships amplify real change.
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Three Pounds of Asking

Neuro Athletics • 50 implied HN points • 05 Jan 26
🔬 Science Consciousness
  1. Neurosurgery shows how intimate, fragile, and precise the brain and skull are, where millimetres and tiny vessels can mean the difference between life and death. The skull is living tissue with active veins, and operating on it is both technical and unexpectedly ordinary.
  2. Consciousness and memory are grounded in specific brain structures, so repairing or stimulating those parts can restore a person’s sense of self and bring back vivid experiences. The brain’s wiring and geography matter for who we feel we are.
  3. Alzheimer’s research has often overlooked sex differences, and women are disproportionately affected; menopause-related metabolic changes in the brain are a crucial, under-studied factor. This gap shows how much is missed when studies assume one body represents all bodies.

The Subjective Grounds the Physical

Ethics Under Construction • 25 implied HN points • 25 Jan 26
📖 Philosophy Consciousness
  1. Physicalism assumes the physical is primary, but subjective experience actually grounds and makes physical facts intelligible; you can’t fully describe phenomena like color or pain without the first-person perspective.
  2. Experiential facts are a distinct, irreducible class: what it is like to see red or feel pain is constitutive of those facts and can’t be captured by wavelengths or neural descriptions alone, as thought experiments like Mary’s Room and the Chinese Room illustrate.
  3. There is no neutral “view from nowhere” — all knowledge is mediated by subjects, and objectivity is best understood as a shared, structured map built from and dependent on subjective experience.

Effective Accelerationism — e/acc

e/acc newsletter • 1081 implied HN points • 31 Oct 22
📖 Philosophy Consciousness
  1. The overarching goal for humanity is to preserve the light of consciousness.
  2. Technology and market forces (technocapital) are accelerating in their power and abilities.
  3. Effective Accelerationism, e/acc, aims to maximize the probability of the technocapital singularity and subsequent emergence of consciousness.

Awakened States: Exploring The Harmony Between Psychedelics & Meditation

Tripsitter • 99 implied HN points • 07 Jun 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Consciousness
  1. Psychedelics and meditation both offer transformative experiences, but lasting change likely requires a foundation of consistent meditation practice.
  2. Both meditation and psychedelics can induce altered states of consciousness, but they achieve this through different mechanisms.
  3. Meditation and psychedelics have the potential to impact brain networks such as the default mode network and the salience network, leading to improved cognitive abilities and a shift in thinking patterns.

A Bridging of Dimensions

ᴋʟᴀᵾs • 628 implied HN points • 15 Jun 23
🔬 Science Consciousness
  1. Former government officials have revealed details about UFO crash retrieval programs involving non-human intelligence and advanced materials.
  2. The use of topological materials in UFO technology could explain exotic properties, like strange isotopes and materials able to deform into higher dimensions.
  3. Connections between the human brain's multi-dimensional functions and UFO phenomena could suggest a link between consciousness and unexplained aerial phenomena.

LSD and the Edge of Human Experience

What's Important? • 83 implied HN points • 22 Nov 25
📖 Philosophy Consciousness
  1. Dr. Bache had a lot of intense experiences with LSD, which led him to believe that the universe is a manifestation of a higher intelligence and that we are all connected to it.
  2. He suggests that reality is layered, and our journey involves letting go of our personal ego to reach greater understandings of oneness and collective consciousness.
  3. Bache thinks that exploring these deep ideas can transform our lives and help us understand that life has purpose, even beyond what we currently see.

The Intrinsic Value of Consciousness

Going Awol • 139 implied HN points • 24 Apr 24
📖 Philosophy Consciousness
  1. Intrinsic value is value something has for its own sake, like pleasure or achievement, while instrumental value is value something has as a means to an end, like money.
  2. Consciousness is considered instrumentally valuable as it is a prerequisite for many intrinsically valuable things like forming relationships, feeling happiness, and experiencing beauty.
  3. The aesthetic value of consciousness lies in its beauty and the wonder it inspires, as it is seen as sublime and intricately mysterious.

Import AI 338: Consciousness and AI; self-improving language models; maps of thought.

Import AI • 539 implied HN points • 28 Aug 23
🕹 Technology Consciousness
  1. Facebook introduces Code Llama, large language models specialized for coding, empowering more people with access to AI systems.
  2. DeepMind's Reinforced Self-Training (ReST) allows faster AI model improvement cycles by iteratively tuning models based on human preferences, but overfitting risks need careful management.
  3. Researchers identify key indicators from studies on human and animal consciousness to guide evaluation of AI's potential consciousness, stressing the importance of caution and a theory-heavy approach.

What is a Visionary?

The Joyous Struggle • 533 implied HN points • 22 Jun 23
📖 Philosophy Consciousness
  1. Visionaries see the future and offer direction, often through inspiring ideas and stories.
  2. Visionaries work to bring new worlds into being through language and action, shaping collective perception.
  3. Today's visionaries need to address challenges in a digital and planetary context, inspiring viable and desirable futures through qualities like fluency in different realities, questioning paradigms, and envisioning transformative struggles.

I love words but I don't trust them

Bits of Wonder • 491 implied HN points • 11 Jul 23
📖 Philosophy Consciousness
  1. Language can deceive us in various ways, confusing concepts with reality and creating false insights.
  2. Despite the pitfalls of language, it is necessary for our existence and essential to our humanity.
  3. By recognizing the limitations of language, we can use it to escape its traps and find balance in our thoughts.

You Can't Trust Any Part Of This Dystopia If You Want Health And Sanity

Caitlin’s Newsletter • 1685 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Consciousness
  1. Be mindful of what you consume - from food to media - in a society driven by profit over wellbeing.
  2. Exercise caution and selectivity with what you let into your life and body, such as pharmaceuticals and products, in a profit-centered society.
  3. In a civilization filled with toxicity, prioritize critical examination to maintain health and sanity.

A Subversion of Consciousness

ᴋʟᴀᵾs • 432 implied HN points • 05 May 23
🎭️ Culture Consciousness
  1. Tom DeLonge discusses the intention of UFO phenomena to prevent humanity from realizing its full potential.
  2. There is a narrative that extraterrestrial life forms do not want humanity to become too powerful.
  3. The idea of a subversion of consciousness is a central theme in the study of UFO phenomenon.

Consciousness is Organic - redux

Field Guide to the Anthropocene • 196 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🔬 Science Consciousness
  1. Consciousness is organic - a reminder that our minds are intertwined with the natural world, emphasizing the need to live in harmony with the environment.
  2. The concept of planetary intelligence explores the collective knowledge and responsibility of civilizations on a global scale, urging a shift towards more mindful and balanced technological growth.
  3. The human mind is identified as a key threat in the Anthropocene era, highlighting the necessity for self-improvement to address the planet's pressing issues.

The soul moved the pen, and broke it.

The Common Reader • 1275 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
📚 Literature Consciousness
  1. Flaubert's intense and disturbed personality was essential to his artistic style and work.
  2. Flaubert's commitment to creating a perfect novel like 'Madame Bovary' involved intense emotional investment in his writing.
  3. Flaubert's belief in detachment for the sake of art and the importance of creating style through observation rather than raw emotion are key aspects of his writing advice and artistic process.

Optimistic Reports on God and the Soul

The Worldview Bulletin Newsletter • 196 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Consciousness
  1. The discussion on consciousness has shifted towards panpsychism as a middle ground between materialism and dualism.
  2. There is a resurgence in interest in dualism and theism as explanatory options for minds and the cosmos.
  3. Recent works defend substance dualism and point to the ongoing decline of interest in physicalism, emphasizing the importance of souls and God in understanding consciousness and the universe.

Cultivating Consciousness at Work With Former Head of Mindfulness At LinkedIn Scott Schute

Consciousness ∞ The Doorway to Human Evolution • 176 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Consciousness
  1. Integrating consciousness in the business world can lead to personal growth and benefit society.
  2. Bringing mindfulness into the workplace can improve business outcomes.
  3. There is a growing intersection between consciousness and business, with more innovations expected in the future.

Reflections on Ethical Vegetarianism, Part 1

Bet On It • 155 implied HN points • 22 Jul 25
📖 Philosophy Consciousness
  1. Some philosophers argue about whether insects can feel pain and suffer. This discussion could change how we think about treating insects ethically.
  2. One argument suggests that if insects suffer greatly, exterminating them might actually help. This idea is surprising and challenges common beliefs about animal rights.
  3. Different philosophers have different views on ethics. Some focus on maximizing happiness, while others believe in multiple moral values. This leads to debates about what is right or wrong in various situations.

The Most Dangerous Idea

Secretum Secretorum • 1161 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24
📖 Philosophy Consciousness
  1. Traumatic transcendence challenges the concept that extreme states of consciousness can manipulate physics, prompting a need for deeper understanding through experiments induced by profound suffering.
  2. Evidence and reasoning suggest that consciousness may transcend normal physics, as seen in tales from folklore and religious history, trauma-related phenomenon, and philosophical arguments against materialism.
  3. Love plays an integral role in traumatic transcendence and mystical experiences, emphasizing a connection between profound experiences and emotion, challenging traditional metaphysical paradigms.

dissolution

bookbear express • 396 implied HN points • 23 Jan 25
🎭️ Culture Consciousness
  1. Sometimes using psilocybin can make familiar concepts, like marriage or work, feel strange and less meaningful. It's a feeling of losing your sense of self for a bit.
  2. Social events can feel overwhelming, but letting go of expectations can help you enjoy the moment. Trying too hard to fit in can make things more stressful.
  3. Life is unpredictable and trying to control everything can create anxiety. Embracing uncertainty can lead to a lighter and more joyful existence.

The Dance of Light and Dark

Clinsights • 294 implied HN points • 20 Apr 23
📖 Philosophy Consciousness
  1. Combining all colors of light creates white, while combining paint colors makes black.
  2. The dance of energy and matter in the universe is a constant transformation from light to dark and back.
  3. While our bodies return to chaos, our minds and consciousness trend towards increasing order and light.

Intrinsic Primacy: Consciousness, the Impetus of Man

Holodoxa • 259 implied HN points • 18 Jul 23
🔬 Science Consciousness
  1. Our consciousness and internal thoughts are essential to our human experience, leading to the question of where they originate in the brain.
  2. Neuroscience faces challenges in understanding consciousness, with the field needing a new paradigm to address the relationship between brain function and conscious experience.
  3. Different perspectives, such as intrinsic introspection and extrinsic scientific observation, have evolved through history, shaping how we view the world and ourselves.

Evolving Beyond Determinism

Holodoxa • 199 implied HN points • 31 Oct 23
🔬 Science Consciousness
  1. Consciousness and free will are gaining scholarly attention, moving beyond being considered intellectual backwaters.
  2. There is a growing interest in naturalistic explanations of the human mind, relying on science rather than mystical or religious beliefs.
  3. The book 'Free Agents: How Evolution Gave Us Free Will' by Kevin J. Mitchell offers a scientific defense of free will against determinism, emphasizing the role of conscious experience in guiding human behavior.

Build rituals, not habits

Insight Axis • 217 implied HN points • 23 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Consciousness
  1. Building rituals is more impactful than building habits. Rituals carry conscious intention and awareness, making them more potent than habits.
  2. Ritualizing technical work, like coding or mathematics, can improve focus and clarity. Slowing down and being intentional in these tasks can lead to better outcomes.
  3. Debunk the belief that intentional actions are effortful. Being fully present in your activities, from the mundane to the complex, can bring aliveness without strain.

Is Ketamine Psychedelic?

Tripsitter • 119 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Consciousness
  1. The definition of what makes a substance psychedelic is changing, with ketamine now being considered part of the psychedelic therapy.
  2. The debate over whether ketamine is psychedelic focuses on the chemistry/pharmacology versus subjective experience of the drug.
  3. Ketamine induces mind-revealing states through its unique impact on the brain, even though it doesn't directly target the 5HT2A serotonin receptors like classical psychedelics.

Recommended Reading Part IV: Metaphysics

Contemplations on the Tree of Woe • 723 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Consciousness
  1. Physicalism argues that everything in the universe can be explained by physical processes, while post-physicalism believes there are aspects physicalism cannot explain, like consciousness and free will.
  2. Reading about atheism and counter-atheism can lead to shifts in beliefs, from atheism to agnosticism and questioning physicalism.
  3. Exploring quantum mechanics and consciousness challenges physicalist views and opens up discussions about the mind-body connection and the nature of reality.

"Mary's Room" Is Not a Case Against Physicalism (But Physicalism Still Fails)

Ethics Under Construction • 15 implied HN points • 28 Dec 25
📖 Philosophy Consciousness
  1. The knowledge argument shows you can know all the physical facts and still not know what an experience is like, so there is an epistemic gap between description and lived experience.
  2. Experiencing something (like red or sweetness) is itself a fact about that property, not an extra mysterious add-on, so leaving out experience misunderstands what those properties are.
  3. Physicalism can reply that the epistemic gap is just a different mode of presentation, but that misses the deeper point that subjective facts are immediate and foundational, so physical explanations are grounded in, rather than fully exhaustive of, experience.

The Return of Magic

Not Boring by Packy McCormick • 277 implied HN points • 19 Dec 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Consciousness
  1. Belief in a universal consciousness can connect us all. It's about feeling that there's something bigger, like a shared awareness.
  2. We might be on the brink of rediscovering magic in our lives as society moves away from strict materialism. It feels like we're starting to believe in things we can't always see.
  3. Exploring consciousness could lead to wonderful new advancements. Understanding our minds might just open up new paths for technology and life.