Fri 21 Feb
6:30-9pm
In The Dawn of Mind, James Cooke explores the profound mystery at the core of human experience: consciousness. Integrating the latest scientific advancements with deep meditative insights and the potential of psychedelic therapy, he challenges long-held views about the self and consciousness. From a transformational personal experience to rigorous scientific analysis, Cooke argues that our individual sense of self is an illusion, while proposing that consciousness is a universal feature of all life - as lifeforms, the universe wakes up through us. As a result, Al will never be conscious, though artificial life would be. This groundbreaking perspective not only questions humanity’s assumed dominance over nature, but also highlights the crucial need to bridge the divide between ourselves and the natural environment amid escalating ecological crises. Cooke’s work is both a visionary theoretical framework and a practical guide to understanding our interconnected existence.
James Cooke has three degrees in experimental psychology and neuroscience from Oxford University, including a PhD in neuroscience. He has conducted research into the brain basis of consciousness at such institutions as Oxford University; the University of California, Berkeley; University College London; Trinity College Dublin; and Riken Brain Sciences Institute in Tokyo. At the University of London, Cooke achieved the theoretical breakthrough that forms the basis of this book, first publishing his findings in the Journal of Consciousness Studies and later in Entropy. Outside of academia, he directs the Inner Space Institute, a platform for promoting understanding around science and secular spirituality. He is also the host of the podcast Living Mirrors with Dr. James Cooke.