Jaron Lanier - Is Consciousness an Illusion?

Is consciousness something special in the universe, its own category, irreducible to physical laws, a carrier of meaning and purpose? Or is consciousness a mere artifact of the brain, a by-product of evolution, a superstition exaggerated by human misperception? If you think or hope consciousness is special, then you should surely be a skeptic. Make a donation to Closer To Truth to help us continue exploring the world's deepest questions without the need for paywalls: https://shorturl.at/OnyRq Free access to Closer to Truth's library of 5,000 videos: http://bit.ly/376lkKN Support the show with Closer To Truth merchandise: https://bit.ly/3P2ogje Watch more interviews on consciousness: https://bit.ly/3FCtzm0 Jaron Zepel Lanier is an American computer scientist, best known for popularizing the term virtual reality (VR). Register for free at CTT.com for subscriber-only exclusives: https://bit.ly/3He94Ns Closer to Truth, hosted by Robert Lawrence Kuhn and directed by Peter Getzels, presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.