Skip to playerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
Andy Green
  • 2 days ago
Is It Possible to Understand What “I” Is, or Is It an Eternal Mystery ?
Transcript
00:00Is it possible to understand what I is, or is it an eternal mystery?
00:04Who am I? This seemingly simple question is among the most profound a human being can ask.
00:10It echoes across cultures, philosophies, and spiritual traditions, touching the very heart
00:15of existence. But as we peel away the layers of self-identity, our name, profession, memories,
00:21and even our physical form, what remains? Is there a core to the I, or does the search lead
00:27us into an endless labyrinth? Today, we embark on a journey to uncover the essence of the self and
00:32ponder whether this mystery is one we can ever fully solve. The puzzle of self. What do we mean
00:38by I? At first glance, the answer to what is, I? Seems straightforward. I is me. This body, this mind,
00:45this collection of thoughts, emotions, and memories. But is that all? The deeper we probe,
00:52the more elusive the I becomes. The philosopher René Descartes famously declared,
00:56cogito, ergo sum, I think, therefore I am. For Descartes, the act of thinking was undeniable
01:03proof of existence. But what exactly is the I that thinks? Is it the brain, a soul, or something else
01:10entirely? Modern neuroscience complicates the question further. It suggests that the self is
01:16not a singular entity but a collection of neural processes. Our sense of I emerges from the brain's
01:22ability to integrate sensory experiences, memories, and emotions into a cohesive narrative. Yet,
01:28this raises a tantalizing question. If the brain creates the self, does the I exist independently
01:33of the brain? The layers of identity, peeling back the I when we try to define ourselves, we often begin
01:40with labels, I am a teacher, I am a parent, or I am an artist. But these roles are transient. A teacher
01:47may retire, a parent's children may grow up, and an artist may cease creating. When these roles fade,
01:53does the I disappear too? The illusion of labels consider the case of someone who has lost their
01:58memory due to amnesia. They no longer recognize their name, family, or past experiences. Yet,
02:05they still feel an undeniable sense of self. This suggests that the I cannot be fully defined by
02:11external labels or even personal history. The physical body – perhaps the I resides in the
02:16body. After all, we often identify ourselves with our appearance, voice, and physical sensations.
02:23But what happens when the body changes? A person who loses a limb does not feel that they have lost
02:28a part of their self. This implies that the core of I lies beyond the physical form.
02:34Philosophical Perspectives
02:35The self is a paradox Throughout history, thinkers and spiritual leaders have offered
02:39diverse interpretations of the self, often highlighting its paradoxical nature.
02:45The Buddhist view
02:45No permanent self-Buddhism challenges the very notion of a fixed self.
02:50According to the doctrine of anatta non-self, the I is an illusion, a constantly changing interplay
02:56of thoughts, emotions, and perceptions. Like a river, it appears continuous but is, in fact,
03:02ever-changing. For Buddhists, liberation comes not from defining the self but from letting go of the
03:08illusion of self altogether. The Hindu perspective, the eternal Atman in contrast, Hinduism speaks of
03:14the Atman, a divine, unchanging essence within each individual. This eternal self is seen as a
03:20fragment of the universal spirit, or Brahman. The journey of self-discovery in Hinduism involves
03:26peeling away the layers of ego and illusion to connect with this deeper truth.
03:29Existentialism
03:31Creating the self-existentialists like Jean-Paul Sartre argued that the self is not something we
03:36discover but something we create through our choices. For Sartre, I is not a fixed essence but
03:42a fluid, dynamic process shaped by freedom and responsibility. This view places the burden,
03:48and the power, of defining the self squarely in our hands. Neuroscience and the illusion of I
03:53modern science sheds light on the mechanisms behind our sense of self, yet it also deepens the
03:58mystery. The default mode network when the brain is at rest, a network of regions known as the default
04:04mode network becomes active. This network is thought to play a crucial role in self-referential
04:09thinking, our ability to reflect on who we are. However, disruptions to this network, such as through
04:16meditation or psychedelics, can dissolve the boundaries of the self, creating a sense of unity with the
04:21universe. The split-brain experiment one of the most striking insights into the nature of self
04:26comes from split-brain research. When the corpus callosum the bridge connecting the brain's two
04:32hemispheres is severed, each hemisphere seems to develop its own sense of self-awareness.
04:37This suggests that the Iwi experience as singular may actually be the product of multiple processes
04:42working in harmony. Mystical experiences, glimpses beyond the self throughout history,
04:47individuals have reported profound experiences that seem to transcend the boundaries of the self.
04:53These mystical moments often involve a sense of unity with the cosmos, a loss of ego, or emerging
04:58with something greater. Near-death experiences
05:01People who have had near-death experiences often describe a sensation of leaving their physical body
05:06and observing themselves from above. They report feelings of profound peace and connectedness,
05:11as if the I extends beyond the physical form. Meditation and flow states meditative practices,
05:17particularly in traditions like zen and mindfulness, aim to quiet the ego and reveal a
05:22deeper awareness. Similarly, flow states, moments of intense focus and immersion in an activity,
05:28dissolve the boundaries of the self, leaving only the experience itself.
05:32Is the self an eternal mystery? As we grapple with the question of what is, I, we encounter an inherent
05:38paradox, the very entity trying to understand the self is the self. This recursive nature makes the
05:45question both fascinating and perhaps unanswerable. A mirror reflecting itself imagine a mirror trying
05:50to reflect itself. It can reflect everything else in its environment but cannot directly see its own
05:56essence. Similarly, the eye can observe its thoughts, emotions, and body but struggles to pinpoint
06:02its own core. The journey, not the destination perhaps the value of exploring the self lies not in
06:07finding a definitive answer but in the act of questioning itself. Each layer we peel back deepens our
06:13understanding, not just of ourselves but of the human experience. A final reflection, the dance of the
06:19self the eye is a mystery that beckons us, tantalizingly out of reach yet profoundly present
06:24in every moment. It is both the subject and the object of our inquiry, the seeker and the sword.
06:31Whether the self is an illusion, a divine spark, or a construct of the brain, one thing is certain,
06:36it shapes how we experience the world and how the world experiences us. So, as you ponder the question
06:42who am I, remember that the answer may not be a destination but a dance, a perpetual unfolding of
06:48identity, awareness, and existence. And perhaps, in embracing the mystery, we come closest to understanding
06:55the essence of the eye.