The Short Version

When I left the theater after seeing “Her,” the world outside looked edgy and slightly surreal, as if I’d taken a light hit of acid. Part of that was due to the exotic visual beauty of the film, but in addition, my thinking … [Read more...]

I received some thoughtful feedback on my last post from a couple of people who believe that when Louis C.K. was talking about the empty place inside that everyone supposedly has, he was referring to “existential aloneness.” … [Read more...]

Louis C.K. doesn’t want his kids to have cell phones because texting eliminates the immediate visual feedback you get in face-to-face interaction. That kind of feedback facilitates the development of empathy—excellent point. … [Read more...]

I got stuck early on with the idea that if you know the truth, the truth will set you free, and it has given me the courage to confront the most unpalatable truths about myself—and life—head on, believing I would be better … [Read more...]

Most of the stuff I write involves how thinking about things from the perspective of naturalism—of not believing in free will—can increase your happiness, but there’s more to happiness than just changing your perspective, and … [Read more...]

Our brains have done pretty well at understanding the world outside themselves, but progress on the world inside has been limited—it’s easier to look outward than inward. Understanding the world has given us the power to … [Read more...]

We are so immersed in language from infancy onward that most of us take it for granted, never looking closely at what we do when we think and talk. We assume that the connection between the world and the words we use is … [Read more...]

Full disclosure: I am an atheist; I don’t believe in the supernatural; science is my guide to reality; and I believe morals are a biological/cultural phenomenon with no ultimate justification. Given all that, you’d think … [Read more...]

This is a comment on Susan Blackmore's talk, The Self Illusion, given at the Science and Nonduality Conference 2012 in The Netherlands. It might be helpful, though perhaps not essential, to watch her talk first: … [Read more...]

I had a mildly traumatic experience in the Westfield Plaza Food Court a couple of days ago, and it’s been reverberating with me ever since. I was having my usual Roadhouse salad with chicken, minus the onion rings, and was … [Read more...]