Schedule

Where to find me

Where I’ve been, and where I’ll be going…

Coming up

SXSW, Austin, TX, Mar 09
Consciousness in humans and other things, UC Santa Barbara, CA, Mar 14
Michael Faraday Prize Lecture, Royal Society, London, Mar 26
Consciousness in humans and in other things, Cambridge Neuroscience, Cambridge, Apr 05
TBC, TED, Vancouver, Apr 15-19
Mind & Matter, Helsinki, Apr 26
World Science Festival, New York, NY, Jun 01
Consciousness, joint CIFAR/JST meeting, Tokyo, Jul 1-2
ASSC27, Tokyo, Jul 2-5
Wonderstruck, Scotland, Aug 1-5

Come and gone

  • 2024

    • In conversation about consciousness, Royal Society of Medicine, London, Feb 24
    • Darwin Day Lecture, Bristol Humanists, Bristol, Feb 13
    • Prospect and pitfalls for conscious AI, Conscious Meetup, Feb 06 (remote)
    • Hay Festival, Cartagena, Jan 27 (remote)
    • Psychedelics, philosophy, and consciousness, 5x15 with Andy Mitchell, Jan 17 (remote)
    • South Asia EO RIE, Kolkata, Jan 11

  • 2023

    • Annual ReNeW lecture, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Dec 07-08
    • The 2023 Holberg Debate (with Tanya Luhrmann, Rupert Sheldrake, & David Malone), Bergen, Dec 02
    • Mysteries of consciousness, Skeptics in the Pub (w/ Sue Blackmore), Brighton, Nov 14
    • Computation, life, and consciousness. CCC 2023, Institute of Physics, London, Nov 10
    • From computational functionalism to biological naturalism, Philosophy Discussion Group, NYU, Nov 6
    • Do you see what I see? From synaesthesia to dreamachines. T-lab seminar, Monash University, Oct 27
    • Consciousness. Cognitive Neuroscience Hub launch event, Melbourne University, Oct 26
    • Measuring and modelling conscious experiences, Maths in the Brain, Monash University, Oct 23, keynote
    • Being You – a new science of consciousness, Future Forums, Melbourne Museum, Oct 18
    • Do you see what I see? From synaesthesia to dreamachines. M3CS Seminar, Monash University, Oct 17
    • Consciousness in humans and in other things, NAOI Institute, Oct 13, remote
    • From beast machines to dreamachines, The 2023 Brotherton Lecture, University of Melbourne, Oct 12
    • Consciousness in beasts and in other things, Tufts University Cognitive Science, Sep 29 (remote)
    • Being a beast machine, Sofia University, Aug 18 (remote)
    • Consciousness in beasts and in other things, Aligning silicon and cellular minds, Tufts, Aug 18 (remote)
    • Life and consciousness, artificial and natural (conversation with Ted Chiang), Sapporo, July 28
    • From beast machines to Dreamachines, Artificial Life 2023 (keynote), Sapporo, July 25
    • Being You - a new science of consciousness, Tsutaya Bookstore, Tokyo, July 21
    • The real problem of consciousness, International Symposium on the Predictive Brain (keynote), Tokyo, July 19
    • Prediction in perception and emotion, Interdisciplinary Conference on Mental Health, Heidelberg, July 11
    • Being You - a new science of consciousness, Idler Festival, London, July 08
    • Gladiators of the Mind, Hyderabad, July 06
    • From beast machines to Dreamachines, Gottingen Neuroscience Series (remote), June 20
    • Being You - a new science of consciousness, Mindscapes (Romania book launch), Bucharest, June 02
    • Being You - a new science of consciousness, Bloom, Copenhagen, May 26-28
    • From beast machines to Dreamachines, Towards a Science of Consciousness (keynote), Taormina, May 23
    • Seeing things differently, Charleston Festival, Charleston, May 21
    • From beast machines to dreamachines, Medicine Unboxed, London, May 13
    • Light is the best medicine, Best Medicine live record, London, May 09
    • From beast machines to dreamachines, Segerfalk Lecture, Lund, May 4
    • The real problem of consciousness, New Scientist Instant Expert, London, April 29
    • La Creación Del Yo (launch of Spanish translation of Being You), Madrid, April 27
    • The Dreamachine and The Perception Census, British Neuroscience Association, Apr 23
    • The Dreamachine and The Perception Census, Human Sensory Experiences, University of Sussex, Apr 21
    • Consciousness - an interdisciplinary perspective, Oxford, Apr 12-13
    • From beast machines to Dreamachines, Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow, Glasgow, Apr 5
    • Being You (in conversation with Jules Montague), Edinburgh Science Festival, Edinburgh, Apr 4
    • From beast machines to Dreamachines, PPN Seminar, Glasgow, Apr 3
    • The nature of the self, Disembodied Selves, Lisbon, Mar 31
    • Perceptual diversity and the Dreamachine, WIRED Health, London, Mar 21
    • From beast machines to Dreamachines, MindBrainBody Symposium, Berlin, Mar 14
    • Computational neurophenomenology, Lorentz Centre, Leiden, Mar 07
    • Being You - a new science of consciousness, Aldeburgh Literature Festival, Aldeburgh, Mar 4
    • Being You - a new science of consciousness, Barnes Literature Festival, London, Feb 23
    • Being You - a new science of consciousness, Full Circle, Brussels, Feb 16
    • Being You - a new science of consciousness, Emirates Literature Festival, Dubai, Feb 4/5
    • Being You - a new science of consciousness, Lewes Speaker Festival, Lewes, Jan 22
    • Research with iImpact, University of Sussex, Jan 18
    • From beast machines to dreamachines, Centre for Eudamonia & Human Flourishing, Oxford, Jan 17
    • Being You - a new science of consciousness, King Alfred's School, Wantage, Jan 16
    • From beast machines to Dreamachines, Alpine Brain Imaging Conference, Champéry, Jan 10

  • 2022

    • Understanding Consciousness, Guardian masterclass, Dec 5
    • Being You - a New Science of Consciousness, Folkestone Literature Festival, Folkestone, Nov 20
    • Royal Institute of Philosophy Annual Debate, London, Nov 16
    • Body, Mind, and Consciousness, Science and Wisdom Live, Oct 29 (online)
    • How to build a Dreamachine, Brighton Skeptics, Brighton, Oct 26
    • Consciousness (w/ Joe LeDoux), Pioneer Works, Brooklyn NY, Oct 18
    • The Mysteries of Consciousness (w/ Antonio Damasio), CCCB Biennale, Barcelona, Oct 14
    • Beast Machines and Dreamachines, Royal College of Art, London, Oct 12
    • Beast Machines and Dreamachines, Unfinished, Bucharest, Sep 29 - Oct 04
    • Being You - a New Science of Consciousness (w/ Adam Rutherford), Daunts Books, London, Sep 26
    • Being You - a New Science of Consciousness (w/ James Ladyman), Gloucester Road Books, Bristol, Sep 21
    • Building the Dreamachine, Silbersalz Inspiration Session (online), Sep 20
    • From beast machines to dreamachines, ICDL2022, London, Sep 13
    • Being You - a new science of consciousness, dConstruct, Brighton, Sep 09
    • Building the Dreamachine, Science Museum Lates, Aug 31
    • Being You - A new science of consciousness, Northern Ireland Science Festival, Belfast, Aug 12
    • Being You - A New science of consciousness, ALSO Festival, Jul 09
    • Being You (in conversation with Jim Al-Khalili), Wealden Literature Festival, Jun 26
    • Dreamachine and the science of perception, CogX 2022, London Jun 15 (hybrid)
    • Perception and the self from the inside-out, Omnichannel X, Jun 14 (remote)
    • Being You - A New Science of Consciousness, Cheltenham Science Festival, Jun 09
    • Understanding Consciousness, Guardian Masterclass, Jun 06 (remote)
    • The Mystery of Consciousness, panel discussion, May 20, Liverpool
    • Consciousness, perception, and time, BIAL Foundation Symposium, Apr 06, Porto (remote)
    • Being You, Philosophy in the Bookshop with Nigel Warburton, Blackwells, Oxford, Feb 05
    • Designing the Future (panel discussion). Creative Coalition Festival, Feb 01 (remote)
    • How to write a popular book on science, CIFAR Winter School on the Neuroscience of Consciousness, Jan 19 (remote)
    • Humberto Maturana and his scientific legacy, Congreso Futuro, Chile, Jan 17 (remote)
    • Being You, India Science Festival, Jan 09 (remote)

  • 2021

    • Michael Graziano and Anil Seth Dialog, Dec 16 (online)
    • Brian Cox & Robin Ince's Christmas Compendium of Reason, Royal Albert Hall, London, Dec 14
    • Nine lessons and carols for curious people, King’s Place, London, Dec 11
    • Mark Solms and Anil Seth Dialog, Dec 10 (online)
    • Being You - A New Science of Consciousness, Mind Science Foundation, Nov 30 (remote)
    • The brain, consciousness, and representation, MAIN2021 panel discussion, Nov 30 (remote)
    • A New Science of Consciousness, INSEAD, Nov 25 (remote)
    • A New Science of Consciousness, Science Museum Lates, London, Nov 24
    • Perception, self, and hallucination, President's Summit (keynote), Copenhagen, Nov 09
    • A New Science of Consciousness, Norwich Science Festival, Norwich, Oct 30
    • Being You - A New Science of Consciousness, InterIntellect, Oct 27 (remote)
    • Being You - A New Science of Consciousness, Wells Festival of Literature, Wells, Oct 22
    • Being You - A New Science of Consciousness, London Literature Festival, London, Oct 21
    • How your brain invents your 'self', TED, Oct 19 (remote)
    • Being You - A New Science of Consciousness, Susan Schneider book talk, Oct 18 (remote)
    • Being You - A New Science of Consciousness, World AI Summit, Amsterdam, Oct 14
    • Lost in the Matrix, How The Light Gets In, London, Sep 18
    • Understanding Consciousness, How The Light Gets In, London, Sep 18
    • Being You: In conversation with Adam Rutherford, 5x15 (remote), Sep 15
    • Predictive processing and phenomenological control – how suggestion changes experience, Royal Society of Medicine, London, Sep 13
    • A New Science of Consciousness, New Scientist Big Thinkers Series, Sep 09 (remote)
    • Being You: A New Science of Consciousness, launch event, The Royal Institution, Sep 02
    • Being a beast machine: selfhood and interoceptive inference, RIKEN cognitive and brain science summer school, Jun 30 (remote)
    • Psychedelics and controlled hallucinations, Maudsley Psychedelic Society, Jun 23 (remote)
    • Can AI be conscious? A conversation with Blake Richards, CIFAR virtual talks, Jun 8 (remote)
    • From real problems to beast machines, Cleeremans lab, May 21 (remote)
    • Computational hallucinations, Visions workshop, May 12 (remote)
    • The Science of No Self, The Psychedelic Society, Apr 21 (remote)
    • TED Membership official launch, Apr 20 (remote)
    • How (not) to build a conscious machine, Puerto de Ideas, Antofagasta, Chile, Apr 15 (remote)
    • From real problems to beast machines, British Neuroscience Association (opening keynote), Apr 12 (remote)
    • How (not) to build a conscious machine, Cambridge Science Society, Mar 30 (remote)
    • From real problems to beast machines, Georgia Tech (Rahnev lab), Mar 29 (remote)
    • Being a beast machine: consciousness and self, Royal College of Psychiatrists, Mar 21 (remote)
    • Consciousness: from real problems to beast machines, COGS Open Lecture, Mar 17 (remote)
    • Explaining consciousness, Cheney School, Oxford, Feb 26 (remote)
    • AI, neuroscience, and architecture: talk and panel discussion, Florida Atlantic University, Feb 14 (remote)
    • The neuroscience of consciousness and the role of psychedelics, Massachusetts Neuropsychological Society, Feb 10 (remote)
    • Being a beast machine: consciousness and self, Neureka, King’s College London, Feb 4 (remote)

  • 2020

    • Consciousness (w/ Lucia Melloni & Chris Timmerman), Noches Nerd Chile (remote, Spanish)
    • Consciousness (in conversation with Nigel Warburton), Real Talk Chiang Mai (remote)
    • The strength of weak artificial consciousness, CIFAR joint Program meeting (remote)
    • The strength of weak artificial consciousness, Montreal AI and Neuroscience (MAIN2020) (remote)
    • Consciousness and flow (with Steven Kotler), TransTech2020 (remote)
    • The real problem of consciousness, Unexplored: Neuroscience (remote)
    • Communicating consciousness, UCL Division of Psychiatry (remote)
    • Consciousness and AI, CIFAR BMC Program Meeting (remote)
    • Detecting consciousness in organoids, National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (remote)
    • Architecture, AI, and neuroscience, DigitalFutures 2020 panel discussion (remote)
    • Extended reality in cognitive neuroscience: opportunities and challenges, CIFAR workshop (remote)
    • The neuroscience of consciousness, Think Inc (remote, Australia)
    • The neuroscience of consciousness, Forum for Indian Neurology Education (remote)
    • Virtual psychedelics conference, panel discussion (remote)
    • Every thought that ever was (in conversation with Lindsay Seers), Southampton
    • The neuroscience of consciousness, London Weekend University, London

  • 2019

    • Measuring consciousness, LUMINOUS, Oxford
    • Conscious perception and controlled hallucination, How To Academy, London
    • What in the world is consciousness? COGS Open Lecture, Brighton
    • Detecting consciousness in practice and in principle, Disorders of Consciousness, London
    • Consciousness and controlled hallucination, Mindful Leader Summit, Washington DC
    • Conscious perception and controlled hallucination, BrainMind Summit, Palo Alto, CA
    • Conscious perception and controlled hallucination, HELLUCOT, Santa Cruz, CA
    • Are there islands of awareness? British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience, Cambridge
    • Escape to reality, Culture Night, Cork
    • The TED interview (recorded live), with Chris Anderson, TED Summit, Edinburgh
    • What in the world is consciousness? Opening address, King Alfred’s VI Form, Wantage
    • Consciousness and the quantum, Sussex Quantum Day, Brighton
    • Perception and reality, Mind and Life Summer Research Institute, New York
    • The reality of reality, World Science Festival, New York
    • Revealing the mind: The promise of psychedelics, World Science Festival, New York
    • Post-show discussion of ‘Little Ethiopia’, Sundance / Simons Foundation, New York
    • Neurophenomenology of real and simulated psychedelia, BSMS, Brighton
    • The Great AI Debate, ASSC23, London Ontario
    • Learning action-oriented models via active inference, ASSC23, London Ontario
    • Consciousness, intelligence, and life, Kinds of Intelligence 2, Cambridge
    • Virtual reality and neuroscience, CIFAR workshop, New York (remote)
    • Moderated Q&A on consciousness science, British Neuroscience Association, Dublin
    • Cognitive musicology and synaesthesia, British Neuroscience Association, Dublin
    • Perception, consciousness, and film, CPH:DOX science forum, Copenhagen
    • Discussion with Prof Humberto Maturana, Nobel Foundation debate, Santiago de Chile
    • Discussion with Prof Tiziana Terranova, Nobel Foundation debate, Santiago de Chile
    • Consciousness and self, Congreso Futuro, Concépcion, Chile
    • Consciousness and self, Congreso Futuro (keynote), Santiago de Chile
    • Inaugural speech on behalf of all presenters, Congreso Futuro, Santiago de Chile

  • 2018

    • AI and Storytelling (panel discussion), Future of Storytelling, Montreal
    • Neurophenomenology of real and simulated psychedelia, MAPSIG group, Brighton
    • Consciousness and Self, Unlikely Collaborators, Ojai, CA
    • Neurophenomenology of synaesthesia, ‘Bridging the Senses’, Royal Society, London
    • Every Thought that Ever Was (conversation with Lindsay Seers), Focal Point Gallery, London
    • Perception and hallucination, Science and Cocktails, Copenhagen
    • Predictive processing and phenomenology, Monash Consciousness Workshop, Aegina, Greece
    • Perception and hallucination, Brighton Humanities Society, Brighton
    • The neuroscience of consciousness, Apple Research, Cupertino CA
    • From consciousness science to psychiatry, Low Countries Mental Health, Charleston, SC
    • Exploring the frontiers of consciousness and self, Low Countries Mental Health, Charleston, SC
    • Consciousness, neuroscience, AI, and life, CogX (main stage), London
    • A question of time, London Craft Week, London
    • The annual R.V. Jones Science Lecture, Alleyn’s School, London
    • Perceptual uniformity and low-level sensory adaptation, ASSC22 oral presentation, Krakow
    • Neurophenomenology of real and simulated psychedelia, CIFAR program meeting, Krakow
    • Consciousness and Creation, Future of Storytelling Summit, New York, NY
    • Neurophenomenology of real and simulated psychedelia, KNAW, Amsterdam
    • The neuroscience of consciousness, London Weekend University, London
    • Introduction to consciousness, Oxford Brain Day, Oxford
    • Neurophenomenology of real and simulated psychedelia, Neurizons, Goettingen
    • The neuroscience of consciousness, New Scientist Instant Expert, London
    • Predictive processing and perceptual phenomenology, Allahabad University, India
    • Neurophenomenology of real and simulated psychedelia, Towards a Science of Consciousness, Tucson, AZ
    • Predictive processing and perceptual phenomenology, CRASSH workshop, Cambridge
    • Consciousness, Seattle Study Club 25th Anniversary Symposium, Palm Springs, CA

  • 2017

    • The real problem of consciousness, CIFAR Winter School, Montebello
    • University of Rhode Island Honors Colloquium, Kingston, RI
    • Being a beast machine, XSPECT project workshop, Edinburgh
    • The real problem of consciousness, Ciudad de las Ideas, Puebla
    • The real problem of consciousness, Alergic seminar series, Brighton
    • The real problem of consciousness, Elsass Foundation midsummer lecture, Copenhagen
    • The real problem of consciousness, BCBT Summer School, Barcelona
    • Consciousness: like temperature or like life? The Human Mind Project Meeting, Cambridge
    • The real problem of consciousness, British Science Festival Presidential Lecture (Psychology), Brighton
    • Being a beast machine, ASSC21 plenary symposium, Beijing
    • Being a beast machine, University of Oxford, Oxford
    • What in the world is consciousness? St Peters School, York
    • Are we living in a simulation? The Infinite Monkey Cage, BBC Radio 4, London
    • Consciousness and the predictive brain, Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften, Berlin
    • Neurophenomenological investigations of synaesthesia, Sussex Neuroscience, Brighton
    • What in the world is consciousness? Wired Live, keynote lecture, London
    • The real problem of consciousness, Human Brain Project project meeting, Paris
    • Your brain hallucinates your conscious reality, TED (main stage), Vancouver
    • Brainwaves: Guardian Live panel discussion on AI, London
    • Neurophenomenological investigations of synaesthesia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
    • From Helmholtz to the beholder’s share, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
    • Brain, mind, and consciousness, Victoria & Albert / Sussex launch event, Brighton
    • Are we more like animals than we know? Wellcome Collection / BBC live recording, London
    • The neurobiology of consciousness, Reform Club, London
    • The neurobiology of consciousness, Open University Psychology Meeting, London

  • 2016

    • Wonder/self, (with Paul Fletcher) Medicine Unboxed, Cheltenham
    • Inside the mind of an octopus, 5x15 Aliens event, London
    • Being a beast machine, TEDx, Southampton
    • The biology of consciousness, King’s School Science Festival, Taunton
    • The new neuroscience of consciousness, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane
    • Expect yourself, QIMR Berghofer Symposium on Neuroengineering, Brisbane
    • Consciousness: the underlying neuroscience, Royal Institution Friday Discourse, London
    • In touch with reality, Wellcome Collection, London
    • The new neuroscience of consciousness, Brain & Mind Institute distinguished lecture, Berlin
    • Expect yourself (with Charlie Morrissey), Wellcome Collection, London
    • From Helmholtz to the Beholder’s Share, Reconsidering Humanity II, Paris
    • The biology of consciousness, New Scientist Live, London
    • What in the world is consciousness? Times Cheltenham Science Festival, Cheltenham
    • On memory and mind: in conversation with Nick Payne, THMP workshop, Brighton
    • From King’s to consciousness. After dinner talk, King’s College alumni event, Cambridge
    • Expect yourself: predictive processing and consciousness, MPI summer school, Leipzig
    • The cybernetic Bayesian and the embodied self, ENCECON meeting, Bordeaux, France
    • What in the world is consciousness? Lecture to VI Form, King Alfred’s Academy, Wantage
    • Eye Benders: the science of seeing and believing.  King Alfred’s Academy, Wantage
    • From phenomenology to mechanism in consciousness science, CIFAR program meeting, London
    • What in the world is consciousness? New Scientist Instant Expert, London
    • What in the world is consciousness? Exponential View dinner talk, London
    • The science of selfhood, pre-show discussion for Elegy, Donmar Warehouse, London
    • Post-show discussion with Simon McBurney, The Encounter (Complicite), Brighton Festival
    • Expect yourself: predictive processing and consciousness, Towards a Science of Consciousness, Tucson, AZ
    • What in the world is consciousness? Inaugural Professorial lecture, Brighton
    • Towards a neuroscience of consciousness, MPI Human Cognitive & Brain Science, Leipzig
    • Seeing the expected, Bekinschtein lab talk, Cambridge
    • The soul and the psyche in neuropsychiatry, plenary closing debate at BNPA, London
    • Tracing the edges of consciousness, opening address at the Wellcome Collection, London

Would you like me to speak at your event?

I’ve developed bespoke presentations for a number of international organisations and corporate clients.
If you’d like to explore possibilities, please contact me.