#159 Jonathan Schooler - Exploring the Nature of Consciousness

Jonathan Schooler, PhD, is a Distinguished Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of California Santa Barbara, Director of UCSB’s Center for Mindfulness and Human Potential, and Director of the Sage Center for the Study of the Mind. His research intersects philosophy and psychology, including the relationship between mindfulness and mind-wandering and theories of consciousness. A former holder of a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, Jonathan’s research has been featured on television shows including Closer to Truth, BBC Horizon and Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman. With over 270 scholarly publications and over 50,000 citations he is a six time recipient of the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science™ Highly Cited Researcher Award, recipient of the ScholarGPS 2025 “Top Scholar” Award as well as their “Highly Ranked Scholar-Lifetime in All Fields of Scholarly Endeavor”, and included as one of the top 100 cognitive psychologists by both ScholarGPS.com and Academicinfluence.com.

summary

Jonathan Schooler explores the nature of consciousness, the potential of the mind, and the future of scientific inquiry into the mind-body connection. Discover insights on mindfulness, openness, and the NOW model of consciousness.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Jonathan Schooler’s Work on Consciousness

02:10 The Meta Lab and Meta Perspectives on Mind

03:17 Mindfulness in High Schools and Environmental Factors

04:17 Thoughts on Light and Circadian Rhythms

05:16 Early Influences and Curiosity About Consciousness

08:34 The Evolution of Consciousness Research and Parapsychology

12:37 The Role of Reproducibility and Meta Science

13:12 Interdisciplinary Approaches to Consciousness