You are not a self! Bodies, brains and the nature of consciousnessYou are not a self! Bodies, brains and the nature of consciousness
All In The Mind
German philosopher of mind Thomas Metzinger is one of the world's top researchers on consciousness, instrumental in its renaissance as a respectable problem for scientific enquiry. From out-of-body experiences to lucid dreaming, anarchic hand syndrome to phantom limbs, his investigations have taken him to places few dare to go. Be spooked, bewildered and amazed.
30:04•10 Oct 2009
You Are Not A Self: Thomas Metzinger On Consciousness And The Ego Tunnel
Episode Overview
- The self is described not as a thing but as a process of representing the body and the world, a dynamic "selfing" rather than a fixed entity.
- Conscious experience is likened to a virtual reality or flight simulator that includes a simulated pilot, giving the feeling of "being someone".
- Out-of-body experiences and lucid dreams show how the sense of location and control of the self can shift, revealing the brain’s flexible self model.
- Phenomena like phantom limbs suggest that the brain maintains bodily maps that can persist and reorganise even when the physical body changes.
- An ethics of consciousness is proposed to address how new neuroscience and brain technologies should shape which states of mind are fostered or restricted.
“What we have called the self in the past is not a thing in the brain and not a thing in some metaphysical realm beyond the brain. But it's a process.”
What drives someone to seek a life without a fixed, solid "me" at the centre? This conversation on All In The Mind tackles a question that can unsettle anyone who’s ever said, "I just want to be myself." Philosopher of mind Thomas Metzinger joins host Natasha Mitchell to argue that there is no such thing as a self, only a dynamic "process of selfing" created by the brain.
He points out that "organisms are not selves" and suggests we’re living inside an inner simulation – a kind of ego tunnel – that helps us function in the world but doesn’t contain a separate soul or inner owner. You’ll hear Metzinger unpack everyday experiences like dreams, out-of-body episodes and phantom limbs to show how the brain builds a model of "me" and "my body".
His own spontaneous out-of-body experiences as a young man pushed him to question materialist views of the mind, while collaborations with neuroscientist Olaf Blanke use virtual reality to induce a "full-body illusion" and probe the feeling of owning a body at all. The episode also tackles free will and why the idea that every thought is predetermined feels so disturbing.
Metzinger argues that our brains "were never made" to cope with the possibility that conscious choices might be shaped by unconscious processes, yet science is edging closer to explaining that feeling of freedom. Things take a serious turn when he calls for an ethics of consciousness. As neuroscience and brain-altering technologies advance, he asks what kinds of states of mind we want for children, patients and even animals, and what experiences might need to be limited or protected.
If you’ve ever wondered who is really the "feeler of your feelings" or the "dreamer of your dreams", this episode offers plenty to chew on and might leave you asking: how much of the "you" you cling to is just a clever simulation?
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