This podcast features Jordan Peterson interviewing Dr. David Eagleman about brain plasticity and perception. The conversation explores the unconscious nature of most brain processes, contrasting the "broom closet" of conscious awareness with the vastness of unconscious activity. They discuss how aims and intentions shape perception, challenging the empiricist view of objective data gathering. Eagleman introduces the concept of a "team of rivals" within the brain, representing competing neural networks, and how consciousness mediates conflicts between them. The discussion concludes with reflections on the role of Ulysses contracts in self-control and the importance of maturation in developing long-term perspectives.
