The Self is an Illusion – You Do Not Exist: (2017) Exploring Phenospace, Sam Harris, Susan Blackmore, Thomas Metzinger and Shunyamurti talk about the illusion of a separate self or ego. 14 March 17
In Conversation with Dan Dennett (2017) about his new book at the Bristol Festival of Ideas. 22 February 17.
David Chalmers
Patricia Churchland
Andy Clark
Michael Gazzaniga
Thomas Metzinger
A Place of Silence, recorded in 1998 for Radio 4. A half-hour documentary about the Maenllwyd retreat in rural Wales.
Closer to truth broadcasts weekly, half-hour shows on many US public TV stations and its website “features over 4,000 video interviews with world-renowned scientists and philosophers searching the vital ideas of existence. ” Presented by Robert Lawrence Kuhn, it claims to be “the definitive source for cosmos, consciousness and meaning (God), exploring profound questions of universe, brain/mind, religion, and the search for ultimate reality and purpose.”
Kuhn has interviewed me several times over the years and some short chunks from these interviews are now available. They are linked below by topic and all of my contributions, plus some future releases, can also be found on their web site on my profile page.
I have done many interviews and some television presenting, including a “Horizon” programme on alien abductions and ‘The cleverest ape in the world‘ for Channel 4. I used to take part in programmes on ESP, ghosts, and reincarnation, but now prefer to do science programmes, especially those concerned with evolution, memetics, meditation, and consciousness – as well as the case for the legalization of recreational drugs. Here is a selected list:
For the UK:
Storyville Pepe The Frog Feels Good Man. The full length film is called Feels Good Man, it premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and even received an Emmy award. This is a shorter version of the film (but still 1.5 hours long) which was run on BBC’s storyville in 2021. My interview lasts about two minutes and starts at 11.48.- Did Darwin kill God? BBC 1 – 31 March 2009. Documentary Film. There are some who believe that Darwin’s theory of evolution has weakened religion, fuelled in part by Richard Dawkins’ publishing phenomenon The God Delusion. Conor Cunningham argues that nothing could be further from the truth.
- The One Show BBC1 on near-death experiences. 27 Oct 2008
- The big questions BBC 1 TV, debate on drug policy.
- Channel 4 “What makes us human” interview on memes, plus imitation games with children, 19.08.06
- Discovery Channel, Nostradamus : The Truth, 17.05.06
- CBBC, interview and phone-in on sleep and dreams, 26.10.04
- BBC2, Weakest Link Winner – “Boffins Special” edition, 4.12.03
- BBC2, The day I died, interview on NDEs, 1.03 (for my objections see NDEs on TV)
- HTV, The trouble with home, interview on haunting, 9.8.02
- Channel 4, Richard and Judy, discussion on drugs, 22.1.02
- The cleverest ape in the world, Channel 4, 03.09.01 Watch on Youtube
- Channel 4, Everyman, interview on angels, 12.12.00
- ITV “Life, death and suchlike” interview with Geoffrey Milland, 14.11.00
- Channel 4, Ultimate Questions, panellist, 5.11.00
- Channel 4, “Big Brother”, comment on sleep and dreams, 4.9.00
- BBC, “Sins of the Flesh” interviews in 2 programmes, 10.9.00; 24.9.00
- Channel 4, “Secrets of the Dead”, interview on hallucinogens, 7.8.00
- Channel 5, Natural mystery, interview on Persinger, 6.00
- Channel 4, Witness, astrology 18.6.00
- BBC 1, Nick Ross Show, panel on the paranormal (rec. 2.11.99)
- UK Today, Worldwide TV, interview on The Meme Machine.
- Channel 5, Stranger than Fiction, interview on alien abduction, 12.7.99
- BBC, Tomorrow’s World Plus, interview on memes, 13.4.99
- BBC News 24, interview on memes, 16.3.99
- HTV, “The Sunday Roast”, discussion on drug legalization, 17.1.99
- Horizon “Close Encounters”, BBC2, 28.11.94
- Storyville Pepe The Frog Feels Good Man. The full length film is called Feels Good Man, it premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and even received an Emmy award. This is a shorter version of the film (but still 1.5 hours long) which was run on BBC’s storyville in 2021. My interview lasts about two minutes and starts at 11.48.
- For ZDF Germany: I was interviewed for this film, Blick in die Ewigkeit? Der Tod und das Danach. (on the subject of Life After Death). My interview starts at 17:40. Released 13.04.2020
- Discovery Channel “Genes, Memes and Tremes” in Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, May 2015
- In summer 2014 I carried out a number of interviews for Swedish TV station “Axess TV”. I grilled some of the world’s experts about the great mysteries of consciousness – (David Chalmers, Pat Churchland, Andy Clark, Michael Gazzaniga and Thomas Metzinger). The first of these interviews with Patricia Churchland is now available to watch online.
- Closer to Truth Consciousness 2014
- Closer to Truth, PBS.
- “Into God” trailer, and video on YouTube
- Debate on Aljazeera‘s “Frost over the world”.
- Should religion be banned? 17.11.2006
- Barbara Walters special on “Heaven”, interview on NDEs, ABC December 2005, repeated 6 July 2012 US viewers can watch
- NOVA/WBGH contribution to 8-part series on Evolution, Sept 2001
- Also contributions to: ABC 2020 (USA), ABC “Turning Point” (USA), Unsolved Mysteries (USA), various Nova (USA), Good Morning Australia, The Sci-Fi Channel, Newsnight New Zealand, WDR Fernsehen (Germany), VPRO The Netherlands, “OverLeven” Belgium.
I do frequent interviews for local, national, and foreign radio programmes. In the past I have often talked about parapsychology, near-death experiences, alien abductions, and other unusual experiences, but I am now more interested in memes, evolution, and consciousness. I am happy to talk about science and religion or drug legalisation. Here is a selected list – many have links to “listen again”.
Radio Interviews
UK: (excluding local radio)
- BBC Radio 4’s ‘The Moral Maze’ – 15 February 2023. Why does God allow natural disasters to happen?
- An Encounter with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby talks to Susan Blackmore on BBC Radio 4 – 27.02.2022
- “Sunday Morning with Sally Magnusson” on BBC Radio Scotland. I was happy to be asked, Who am I? What’s the mind? What’s the point of it all? As well as about my childhood, my religious background, how I became a scientist, and whether I believe in a soul or spirit (No). 04.08.2019
- BBC Radio 2, the Jeremy Vine Show. The Difference between male and female brains. 2 October 2018
- My discussion with Jordan Peterson on Premier Christian Radio, part of The Big Conversation video series from Unbelievable? “Do we need God to make sense of life?”. 8 June 2018
- Listen to this Interview with me on Radio West (KUER). Ask yourself this question: Am I conscious now? The answer is probably yes, but what does that really mean? What exactly is consciousness? December 2015
- BBC Radio Four “A Good Read“. Adam and I talk about books we’ve enjoyed with Harriet Gilbert, 21 July 2015
- BBC Radio 4 Short Cuts, Episode 1 Waking Life my OBE, 2014
- Viruses – from biology to memes on the BBC World Service Forum.March 2013 and
Plastic-eating bugs: 60 second idea to change the world from Susan Blackmore- BBC Radio 2 Nope to the Pope on the Jeremy Vine Show Thursday Sept 16th
- Morality and meaning without God. Listen again to BBC Radio 4 “Beyond Belief” broadcast 16 August 2010, or download the podcast.
- BBC Radio Scotland, “A Life in Limbo“, Emily Troscianko and I discuss her ten years of anorexia and how she finally recovered from it. 4.07.2010 There’s a transcript on Emily’s blog.
- BBC Radio 4 Beyond Belief 17 August 2009. Discussion on God and Neuroscience
- BBC Radio 4, 9 a.m. Start the Week, discussion on memes and the value of experience, with Andrew Marr, 27.10.08
- BBC Radio 4 “What’s the point of the archbishop?” Listen again.04.03.08
- BBC Radio 4. Beyond Belief. Debate on free will. 04.08.08
- BBC Radio Five Live Discussion on the Pope. 17.04.08
- BBC Radio 2 Jeremy Vine show. Discussion on the Pope. 17.04.08
- BBC Radio 4 “What’s the point of the archbishop?” Listen again. 4 March 2008
- BBC Radio 4 Discussion on meditation, on “Beyond Belief” 7.01.2008
- BBC Radio 4 “Jon Ronson on… waking up from a dream” (in my case changing my mind about the paranormal) 05.06.2007, 23.00.
- BBC Radio 4, “A good read” – I chose Sam Harris “The end of faith”, 24.10.06
- BBC Radio 2, Jeremy Vine show, the expressions of faith, 16.10.06
- BBC Radio 4, Sunday, discussion on religious experiences, 3.9.2006
- BBC Radio 2, Jeremy Vine show, the (non) effects of prayer, 03.08.06
- BBC Radio 3 “Belief“. A half-hour interview with Joan Bakewell, 10.04.06
- BBC Radio 4 “Analysis” on humanism. 16.03.06.
- BBC Radio 4 “Today”, discussion on whether there is a philosophical equivalent to Darwin’s natural selection for species, 13.02.06.
- BBC Radio 4 PM, discussion on the drug Ketamine, 14.7.05.
- BBC Radio Wales, discussion on drugs, 10.6.05
- BBC Radio 2, Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine show, discussion on drugs, 25.5.05
- BBC Radio 5 Live, discussion on coincidences, 27.04.05
- BBC Radio 4, “Sunday” discussion on the brain and religious experience, for Easter, with John Bowker, 27.3.05. Listen
- BBC Radio 4, “From this moment on – the first trip”. Interview on LSD, 1.1.05
- BBC Radio 4, “The Eureka years: 1938“, interview on LSD with Adam Hart-Davis, 30.10.04
- BBC Radio 5 Live, interview on drug use, 1.8.04
- BBC Radio 4, “Beyond Belief”, discussion on religion without God, 23.2.04
- BBC Radio 4, “Feedback” discussion on “sex” and “gender”, 13.02.04
- BBC Radio 4, “Inspiration” Science Quiz, with Adam Hart-Davis and Louis Wolpert, 10.12.03 and 7.1.04
- Radio 4, “You and yours” – why I support legalization of drugs, 14.10.03
- BBC Radio 4, “Beyond Belief”, discussion on happiness, 4.8.03
- BBC Radio 4, “Off the page”, scripted piece on memes, with discussion, 6.8.00
- BBC Radio 4, “Today” interview with Geoffrey Miller on evolution, 1.5.00
- BBC Radio 4, “Off the page”, scripted piece on memes, and discussion on the Internet, 6.8.00
- BBC Radio 4, “Today” interview with Geoffrey Miller on evolution, 1.5.00
- BBC Radio 4, “Today” interview on the future of technology, 5.11.99
- Radio Scotland, “Being Human; 4. The end of evolution”, 18.8.99
- Radio Scotland, “Being Human; 2. Obsessions and dreams”, 4.8.99
- BBC Radio Scotland, The Usual Suspects, interview on memes, 15.4.99
- BBC Radio 4, Q and A, science and the soul, 18.3.99
- BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour, memes, 3.3.99
- BBC Scotland, Colin Bell Show, interview on memes, 3.2.99
- BBC Radio 4, Frontiers, interview on blindsight, 20.1.99
- The Forum, BBC World Service, panel discussion on Invisibility July 2014
- Viruses – from biology to memes; a discussion on the BBC World Service Forum. March 2013
and
Plastic-eating bugs: 60 second idea to change the world- The Sci Phi Show – Outcast #8, 21.08.06. Interview on Memes with Jason Rennie. Listen here.
- Radio New Zealand, Saturday Morning with Kim Hill, 22.07.2006.
- Newstalk, Dublin, Ireland, discussion on drugs, 9.6.2005
- ABC Australia, debate on consciousness with Dave Chalmers and Paul Davies, in Sydney 28.8.04 http://abc.net.au/rn/allinthemind/stories/2004/1183559.htm and 4.9.04 http://abc.net.au/rn/allinthemind/stories/2004/1184056.htm
- Classic Fm Australia, interview and choice of music with Margaret Throsby, 20.8.04. Details of my choice of music can be found athttp://www.abc.net.au/classic/daily/stories/s1151250.htm
- Radio Netherlands, Vox Humana, interview on memes for documentary “Seducing the mind”, 9.3.2004
- Radio New Zealand, interview on the Internet, 30.10.01
- Sveriges Radio P1, monologue on memes (recorded Tucson, April 2002)
Johannesburg, South Africa, “Believe it or not” discussion and phone-in on The Meme Machine, 4.6.00- Johannesburg, South Africa, “Patricia’s People”, interview on The Meme Machine, 10.3.00
- ABC (Australia), ‘Late Night Live’ interview on The Meme Machine, 27.10.99
- Radio New Zealand, Sunday Edition, interview on The Meme Machine, 20.6.99
- Radio 3, Belgium, interview on The Meme Machine, 6.99
- ABC (Australia), The Science Show, interview on memes, (recorded 25.5.99)
- National Public Radio, USA, Talk of the Nation, discussion and phone in with Robert Wright, on The Meme Machine, 20.5.99
- BBC World Service, interview on sleep paralysis, 19.4.99
- Science Talk, Pasadena, discussion and phone-in on memes, 21.4.99
- Radio PR Perth, Australia, discussion on memes, 25.3.99
Audio Book, Psychology for the Curious by Nicky Hayes (discussion)
Encarta, British version, entry for Parapsychology,1996 and 2004
The Unexplained, First Information Group (interview 23.1.96)
Eve, Real World Multi Media, November 1995
Of Monsters and Miracles, Interactive Designs Ltd., October 1995
Ghosts, Media Design interactive, July 1995
Watch
Sue talks to Freddy Drabble about Free Will, on his Chasing Consciousness Podcast. Oct 2022
Nick Day of Consciousness Central, interviews me about my experience at Tucson 2022, and includes flashbacks to the previous events with Deepak in 2012
An Encounter with Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby on BBC Radio 4 – Sunday 27/02/2022
Freddy Drabble’s Chasing Consciousness Podcast. Episode 1 – Subjective or Objective? Introducing one of the oldest and most talked about problems in philosophy, the problem of consciousness. 01.04.2021
For ZDF Germany: I was interviewed for this film, Blick in die Ewigkeit? Der Tod und das Danach. (on the subject of Life After Death). My interview starts at 17:40. Released 13.04.2020
‘Genes, Memes & Other Dangerous Ideas’ an interview with Adam Ford in Melbourne. How I first got into memetics and wrote The Meme Machine, valid, and ridiculous, criticisms and why so many people seem to hate memetics. Watch here 28 November 2018
Susan Blackmore was interviewed for Skeptic Science Salon #47 by Dr Michael Schermer. Watch their interview on Altered States and Conscious Beings. 7 November 2018
Watch video – Consciousness on the grill or in the spit? Interview for Cosmoetica with Susan Blackmore and Jonathan Schooler for Dan Schneider – Interview #245: Stream(s) Of Consciousness(?) 10 August 2018
Four interviews with Mel van Dusen, 08 August 2017
Michael Persinger and the God Helmet – interview with Susan Blackmore (published 2014). Watch on YouTube
Interview about The Meme Machine watch on Youtube, with subtitles in Polish. 17 Sept 2013
General interview about my work at CognoBytes May 2015
Interview on Consciousness, Memes and Meditation in Interalia Magazine. Along with John Searle, Pat Churchland, Stan Dehaene, Nick Humphrey and more. April 2015
Interview in Madrid Escribe – October 2014 (in Spanish)
Interview for The Other Future
interview in “In-Sight” Canada April 2014
interview in The Third Way, Christian magazine, 2010
interview in Cherwell, 20 October 2006
For more about Adam and me read the local paper.
An Encounter with Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby on BBC Radio 4 27-2-2022
By Candlelight podcast, Episode 3 – Consciousness & Reincarnation – my views on the subject and why my beliefs surrounding paranormal phenomena have changed drastically over the last 40 years.
“Sunday Morning with Sally Magnusson” on BBC Radio Scotland. I was happy to be asked, Who am I? What’s the mind? What’s the point of it all? As well as about my childhood, my religious background, how I became a scientist, and whether I believe in a soul or spirit (No). 04.08.2019
An interview with “Figured Podcast – where everyone has a story”. In Melbourne, Australia, October 2018. Listen here
Interview on Radio West (KUER) from Salt Lake City. What is consciousness? 10 December 2015
“The viral mind of Susan Blackmore” interviewed on Litopia after Dark, 27 March 2015
MOOC interviews – for Think101 extraordinary claims.
Interview 1 – my own OBE, ESP experiments, Tarot
Interview 2 – psychics, NDEs, scientific thinking. 2014.
Secular Buddhist, on scepticism, meditation and consciousness. December 2011
Web of stories – First of 23 parts.
Castaway on Desert Island Discs BBC Radio 4, 3.5.98 and 8.5.98.