The Self: a Reality or a Concept?

Dr. Tony Nader and Dr. Evan Thompson discuss consciousness and the self from different spiritual and scientific perspectives. How is the sense of self constructed and changed in different states of consciousness? What is the self in relation to consciousness and the nature of ultimate reality?

Evan Thompson, Ph.D., is Professor of Philosophy at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and an Associate Member of both the Department of Asian Studies and the Department of Psychology. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and his work combines cognitive science, philosophy of mind, phenomenology, and cross-cultural philosophy, especially Asian philosophical traditions. His most recent books include Why I Am Not a Buddhist and Waking, Dreaming, Being.