In today’s episode of Waking Cosmos I’m joined by the philosopher and consciousness researcher Andrés Gómez Emilsson. He is the director of research at the Qualia Research Institute, and the cofounder and president of the Stanford Transhumanist Association. We discuss Andrés’ views about consciousness, and how it could be a deep and fundamental part of the universe (panpsychism). We explore how shifting our perception of identity to consciousness may profoundly transform our civilization, and prepare us for an unimaginable future in the universe. We talk about the psychedelic renaissance and how it is opening us up to radical new perspectives about consciousness and identity, and we also discuss what truths if any, might be glimpsed through psychedelic and altered states. We also explore Andrés’ extraordinary view that subjective states of wellbeing, also known as positive valence, disclose the utility function of the universe itself. Please consider supporting the continued existence of Waking Cosmos on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/wakingcosmos Thank you! Episode Links~ The Qualia Research Institute: https://www.qualiaresearchinstitute.org/ Qualia Computing: https://qualiacomputing.com/