In 2024 I took part in three events.
6th Edition of Europe’s Premier Psychedelic Research Conference, organized biannually by the OPEN Foundation since 2010. I presented my new ideas on consciousness as mental modelling and how this may (or may not?) help us to understand what it’s like to be tripping.
A discussion with Anil Seth in the pub.
September 2nd – 10th 2023, Campomoro, Corsica
MESEC is a grassroots foundation run by PhD students and post-docs in consciousness science in different institutes in and around Europe. I attended their annual workshop giving a Keynote Talk followed by a discussion workshop.
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2022
The Science of Consciousness 2022, Tucson, Arizona, 18-22 April 2022 Tucson Conference Programme.
Paper presented by Alan Winfield at The Royal Society, London, 15/03/2022 – at the Scientific Meeting “The emergence of collective knowledge and cumulative culture in animals, humans and machines”
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2020
In September 2020 I was due to give lectures at this Seminar in Florianópolis, Brazil. Sadly it was cancelled due to Corona Virus.
Read about Tucson 2020, a virtual online event, due to Covid, this includes a link to a 5 minute video I made to launch the discussion about Psychedelics.
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2018
CSICon, Las Vegas, United States – 18-21 October 2018 Celebrating Science and reason, CSICon is one of the planet’s premier skeptics conferences, where hundreds of critical thinkers come to Las Vegas, the city of illusions, to hear from the leading lights of science and skepticism. My talk on Saturday October 20th. See their website for details
Skeptics National Convention, Sydney, Australia, 13-14 October 2018. A festival exploring science, reason and critical thinking. I gave a lecture on OBE’s. See the full programme here
Psycherence, a one day conference on psychedelics and consciousness in Tallinn, September 2018. A most unusual conference – a Psycherence, other speakers included Dennis McKenna (brother of Terence), Jeremy Narby (he of ‘The Cosmic Serpent’) and Luis Luna (psychonaut and expert on ayahuasca). I spoke on consciousness, OBEs and illusions
The whole was live streamed and you can watch here https://videolevels.com/psycherence although it does cost 20 Euros.
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2017
Positive Scepticism: The new science of out-of-body experiences at the European Skeptics Conference ESC’17 – in Wroclaw, Poland, 22-24 September 2017. Watch the whole lecture here.
University of Leiden. April 2017. Abstract: The Illusion of Free Will
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2015
May I offend you? The clash of science, religion & free speech. University of Exeter Atheist, Humanist and Secular Society Regional Convention (14 November 2015)
May I offend you? The clash of Science, Religion and Free Speech. My lecture at the American Atheists National Convention, Memphis April 2015. Watch my lecture on YouTube.
The New Science of out-of-body Experiences, my lecture at The Return of Consciousness – A New Science on Old Questions (Axson Johnson Foundation, Sweden, 2015). Also watch video: In the ego tunnel: a conversation with Susan Blackmore
Out-of-body experiences, and what they tell us about ourselves. Towards a Science of Consciousness. TSC Helsinki, 9-13 June 2015. Abstract. Watch my interview on Consciousness Central.
The mystery of Consciousness. 2nd International Conference on Music and Consciousness, Oxford April 2015. Abstract.
Memes, Power and God. AHS Convention, London, 28 March 2015. Abstract.
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2014
Creative Evolution: From Genes and Memes to a technological takeover. I-Brain, Ghent, Belgium, 22 November 2014. Abstract
Making Sense of Sense Making, Oxford, October 2014
Cologne Conference Futures CCF14, ‘Memes, tremes and the future of consciousness’. 6 October 2014. Read Abstract. Listen to podcast.
Science and the Big Questions, How to live without free will. Abraham Kuyper Center, VU Amsterdam, 18-21 August 2014
Perspectives on Cultural Evolution, Santa Fe, 5 – 9 May 2014. Transcripts from the Workshops. Results and Conclusions from Workshop View PDF
Dying all the time: Presentation as part of a plenary session on death and consciousness. Toward a Science of Consciousness, Tucson, Arizona. 21-26 April 2014. Abstract
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2013
‘Fighting the Fakers – and Failing’, The Amazing Meeting – TAM 2013, Las Vegas 12 July 2013
‘Living without free will’; British Humanist Annual Conference, Leeds, 8 June 2013
Mysteries of Seeing, Conference on Science and Nonduality (SAND), Doorn, Netherlands, 31 May 2013. Video
The Mystery of Consciousness, Ratio Conference, Sofia, Bulgaria, 27 April 2013. Abstract Watch whole lecture on YouTube here
I came here of my own free will, National Council for Hypnotherapy, Annual Conference, London, 2 March 2013
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2012
She won’t be me. Conference on Science and Nonduality SAND, Doorn, Netherlands, June 2012. video
Debate with Deepak Chopra, Menas Lefatos and Leonard Mlodinov at TSC Toward a Science of Consciousness, Tucson 2012 April 10th 2012
See video. and article in Tucson paper.
Lectures and workshops on memes at the SIDEER Symposium on cultural evolution, Ben Gurion University, Israel. March 19-21 2012
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2011
Turning on the light to see how the darkness looks. Brimingham, UK 2011
Santander, July 2011
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2010
Religions as memes: Does memetics explain anything? Explaining Religion Conference, Bristol, September 2-3, 2010. Read Abstract
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2009
“Ten Zen Questions” Cheltenham Science Festival 3.06.2009
“Ten Zen Questions” Swindon Literary Fstival 11.05.2009
“Ten Zen Questions” Oxford Literary Festival, 3.04.2009
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2008
Blackmore, S. 2008 “Could the web be conscious?” Modelling Cognitive Behaviour, Bristol 10 October 2008
Blackmore, S. 2008 “Zen Questioning: Can it help the science of consciousness?” Presented at the conference Fusion of East and West. Open University, Warwick, July 2008
Blackmore, S. 2008 “The mystery of consciousness”, The Tim Gregson Williams Memorial Lecture – Association for the Teaching of Psychology (ATP) Conference 2008 Lincoln. 10th July 2008
Blackmore, S. 2008 Consciousness Oxford Literary Festival, 04.04.08
Blackmore, S. 2008 Genes, memes and temes. TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) Monterey, CA, 28.02.08 and reworked to the Moonlight Sonata!
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2007
Darwin Lecture 2007: On the origin of culture by means of natural selection.
Monday 12 February 2007, Darwin Lecture Theatre, University of Central Lancashire. Read abstract here.
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2005
Brain, Mind & Consciousness, Skeptics Society Annual Conference 2005. Saturday, May 14, 2005
Hundreds of skeptics from all over the United States, Canada, and Europe met for a lively and memorable tour through inner space at the 2005 Annual Skeptics Society Conference, where leading scientists discussed issues that strike at the very heart of the matter, our brains. Watch my lecture here Exploring Altered States of Consciousness with Dr. Susan Blackmore.
You can also read about and watch the entire conference in the Skeptics DISTINGUISHED SCIENCE LECTURE SERIES ARCHIVES
PopTech 2005: Grand Challenges: Maine, New England What is the impact of technology on people? What is the shape of things to come? And what does it take to change the world?The annual PopTech Conference brought together luminaries in technology, industry, science, education, the arts and the press for a far reaching discussion on these questions. Susan Blackmore gave a lecture about the future of ideas and memes. Read PopTech 2005