Man's Place in the Universe

Reflexions on Complexity

1942

In this unusually personal essay, Teilhard speaks almost across the table, inviting us to rethink our cosmic standing. He shows how humanity, once dwarfed by vast space and tiny particles, regains significance through a third dimension of reality: complexity. As matter organizes itself into ever-deeper centers, consciousness rises—and in us, becomes self-aware. Humanity is not a cosmic accident, he suggests, but the universe awakening to itself and preparing its next leap.

Essay
6,062 13

The Spirit of the Earth

1931

Teilhard depicts humanity as the Earth awakening to itself, evolution rising toward ever-greater unity. Love and consciousness converge into a planetary spirit, but this ascent, he insists, cannot endure without religion—our innate need for an absolute that calls us forward. In the universe’s unfolding, God emerges as evolution’s necessary summit and sustaining fire.

Essay
10,287 37

How a Spiritual Worldview Explains Consciousness

2025

Josha Bach reinterprets animism through the lens of computer science as “cyber animism,” where life itself is self-organizing software—spirit as code—running on biological hardware. This living software grants organisms agency, coherence, and experience, revealing that the ancient intuition of a world alive may have been technically correct all along.

Discussion
01:02:05 13

Reflections on the Scientific Probability and the Religious Consequences of an Ultra-Human

1951

Evolution as a cosmic drama: matter rising through life into reflective humanity, converging toward a planetary mind. Teilhard says this “ultra-human” destiny fuses science and spirit, where God is not above but ahead—emerging as love at the core of creation, and igniting the world into a conscious fire.

Essay
3,146 6

The Coming Technological Singularity

How to Survive in the Post-Human Era

1993

Within thirty years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence. Shortly after, the human era will be ended. Is such progress avoidable? If not to be avoided, can events be guided so that we may survive? These questions are investigated. Some possible answers (and some further dangers) are presented.

Essay
4,924 14

Satori Before Singularity

2012

What if future AIs achieved enlightenment before world domination? Shanahan suggests a truly advanced AI might transcend the human ego, dropping our obsession with the “self.” Instead of triggering a runaway intelligence explosion, such a being could attain satori: a Zen-like peace that halts the singularity in its tracks.

Article
6,055 5

All Else Is Bondage

Non-Volitional Living

1964

These thirty-four powerful essays, based on Taoist and Buddhist thought, constitute a guide to what the author calls “non-volitional living”—the ancient understanding that our efforts to grasp our true nature are futile. Wei Wu Wei explains these venerable spiritual traditions in the context of modern experience, using wit and considerable precision to convey their profound insight into the very nature of existence.

Book
14,102 41

A Masterclass from the Pioneer of Artificial Intelligence

2024

Jürgen Schmidhuber shares his insights on the evolution and future of AI. He discusses the development of self-improving AI systems, the concept of artificial curiosity, and the potential for machines to achieve creativity akin to humans. Schmidhuber also explores the implications of advanced AI on society, emphasizing the importance of aligning AI goals with human values to ensure beneficial outcomes. He envisions a future where AI contributes positively to various fields, including science, art, and technology.

Lecture
01:01:56 8,595 8

Hominization

Introduction to a Scientific Study of the Phenomenon of Man

1923

In one of his earliest writings on the topic, Teilhard de Chardin explores humanity’s unique place in evolution. He argues that humans represent an entirely new phase of life on Earth—the noosphere, or sphere of conscious thought. While physically similar to other primates, humans are revolutionary in their ability to use tools, form global connections, and reflect on their own existence. This self-awareness comes with both great power and great risk, as humans can choose to either advance or resist evolution’s push toward greater consciousness and unity.

Essay
10,401 31

The Natural Environment and Religion

Watts critiques our scholastic obsessions and urges an experiential approach to life, blending the spiritual and concrete like a Zen gardener planting mysteries among truths. He laments our sterile materialism and bureaucratic rigidity, championing a dance with risk, creativity, and nonverbal wisdom. With tales of mystics, scientists, and madmen, he celebrates the spice of oddballs, the necessity of nonsense, and the ineffable richness of being alive.

Seminar
59:09 8,156 11

Mr. X

1969

Written under the pseudonym Mr. X to avoid the heavy social stigma associated with marijuana consumption at the time, Carl Sagan documented his personal experiences with cannabis in this essay in order to dispel common misconceptions about the drug. It was later published in the 1971 book Marihuana Reconsidered by Lester Grinspoon. Sagan enjoyed cannabis on a regular basis for the rest of his life, but never spoke of it publicly.

Essay
2,946 7 32

Tao Te Ching

506 B.C.E.

Written more than two thousand years ago, the Tao Te Ching is one of the true classics of spiritual literature. It is a guide to cultivating a life of peace, serenity, and compassion. Through aphorisms and parable, it leads readers toward the Tao, or the “Way”: harmony with the life force of the universe.

Classic Literature
6,523 1 23

Arcology

The City In The Image Of Man

1969

Visionary architect Paolo Soleri challenges us to think of cities as biological entities with his concept of the arcology—a massive, self-sustaining, urban “organism of a thousand minds” designed to exist in harmony with nature. He proposes that the purpose of life is aesthetogenesis: the universe progressively complexifying itself into compassionate, beautiful structures. Soleri showcases 30 potential arcologies through incredibly detailed diagrams, explaining how each integrates itself economically and ecologically into the world and fulfills his aesthetogenic criteria. The scope of his vision ranges from cities designed to span canyons or float on the oceans to cube-shaped metropolises suspended on pillars, and even a space habitat. While comprehensive, Soleri’s focus lies primarily on realizing arcologies that meet humanity’s moral imperative for sustainable urban living.

Book
42,122 17 18

How to Grow Old

1956

In this essay (written for his book Portraits From Memory And Other Essays), Russell uses his logical thinking to lay out his advice for achieving a successful old age.

Essay
1,077 18

The Joker

One of Alan’s most popular seminars, and for good reason—in The Joker, listeners will find out why every society needs fools in order to remind itself not to take life so damn seriously.

Seminar
03:08:18 20,436 15 18

The World as Just So (Part 2)

Out of Your Mind 8

This lecture on Zen Buddhism describes the Japanese Zen monastery, meditation practices, kōans used by masters to guide students, and the enlightenment experience. Watts explains how masters help students break attachment to ego through impossible tasks. He contrasts Bankei’s simple "unborn mind" Zen with Hakuin’s intense kōan training.

Seminar
01:10:34 8,921 2 17

A Weekend with Terence McKenna

1993

“Healing the inner elf through trance, dance, and diet”—the session for true McKenna enthusiasts: twelve hours with the bard himself, in which he touches upon practically all of his trademark topics.

Workshop
12:09:02 85,752 42 16

The Nature of Consciousness (Part 1)

Out of Your Mind 1

1969

A seminar about “what there is.” Watts weaves together keen insights from science and spirituality to propose that existence is more like a game of hide-and-seek where we pretend not to recognize how self and other are interconnected.

Seminar
01:02:39 8,134 9 14

On Death

Eastern Wisdom and Modern Life (Episode 6)

1959

Alan Watts explores Buddhist ideas of the value of death as the great renovator, including the Wheel of Life, and the idea of reincarnation as it is understood by philosophical Buddhists.

Television Episode
27:08 3,347 2 14

Hard Problem of Consciousness

2016

Philosopher David Chalmers on the combination problem, dualism, and panpsychism.

Video
09:05 1,323 2 14