To kick off the new academic year, APRA is launching a Book Club about the book “A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness” by Michael Pollan!
Description of the book
In A World Appears, bestselling author and journalist Michael Pollan explores the unmapped continent that is consciousness, bringing together five radically different perspectives – scientific, philosophical, literary, spiritual, and psychedelic – to see what each can teach us about this central fact of life.
When neuroscientists began studying consciousness in the early 1990s, they sought to explain how and why three pounds of spongy grey matter could generate a subjective point of view, assuming the brain is the sole source of our felt reality. Pollan takes us to the cutting edge of the field, where scientists are now entertaining more radical and less materialist theories.
Moving far beyond traditional brain labs, he guides us on a fascinating journey where we meet “plant neurobiologists” searching for the first flicker of awareness in plants, engineers striving to program feelings into AI, and psychologists and novelists seeking to capture our slippery stream of thoughts. By blending these diverse fields and delving into the laboratory of our own minds, this book provides an eye-opening exploration that fundamentally challenges how we look at our own minds and connect with the world around us – ultimately showing us how we might make better use of the gift of awareness to more meaningfully connect with our deepest selves.
Why attend a Book Club?
During the Book Club, we’ll talk about the chapters we’ve read, share our thoughts and questions, and discuss the ideas or topics that stood out to us. If anything of interest comes up while reading the book, this is a space to explore it together. By doing this in group form, we can not only have fun, but also improve our knowledge and understanding of the various topics we’ve read together.
We’re hosting this event online, so that it might be easier to join in during these busy and gloomy days. No previous knowledge is needed, just come along, pour yourself a warm drink, and enjoy the company. Maybe we’ll even learn a few interesting things along the way!
Reading Schedule
Session 1 – Thursday October 22 at 19:30
Introduction: The Wager & Chapter 1: Sentience
Session 2 – Tuesday November 10 at 19:30
Chapter 2: Feeling
Session 3 – Thursday November 26 at 19:30
Chapter 3: Thought
Session 4 – Thursday December 17 at 19:30
Chapter 4: Self & Coda: The Cave
Location
Online – Zoom link will be emailed before the event to those who have registered.
Entry
APRA membership is required to attend the book club. Please use the registration form below if you are attending. Not a member yet, but curious to attend? Send us a message!