12-30-16 Understanding Consciousness with Max Velmans
Max Velmans talks with Cynthia Sue Larson about how to understand consciousness from considering both our direct first person experiences of consciousness, and a classical scientific perspective. Velmans describes how we can make sense of the nature of mind as being essentially a psycho-physical processor, where our conscious experiences can be described by us as we experience them, and also by those observing measurable outcomes outside of ourselves. Velmans talks about his theory of reflexive monism, and how we might get closer to the structure of human consciousness.
Max Velmans is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London. He co-founded the Consciousness and Experiential Psychology Section of the British Psychological Society in 1994, and served as its chair from 2003 to 2006. He was appointed National Visiting Professor by the Indian Council of Philosophical Research, and was elected to the British Academy of Social Sciences. Velmans has around 100 publications in the area of consciousness studies, including his book, “Understanding Consciousness.” https://goldsmiths.academia.edu/MaxVelmans
