Federico Faggin Explores the Relationship Between Science and Spirituality

Edge of Mind Podcast

Join the physicist, and inventor of the microprocessor and touchpad, Federico Faggin, in a wide-ranging exploration of the relationship between science and spirituality. Federico starts with a colorful rendering of the four phases of his life, and his transition from a hard-core materialist into a deep student of consciousness. He shares how a single experience, lasting less than a minute, changed his life forever. Federico then relates a number of eye-popping experiences, all of which proclaimed that consciousness, not matter, is the foundation of reality – and that that foundation is expressed as love. What triggered this opening, and what did he do to cultivate his experiences? How did the nondual traditions, and other forms of transpersonal work, help him understand his experiences?

Dr. Faggin then turns to his quantum information-based view of panpsychism, whether this theory can be tested or not, and its remarkable implications for both science and spirituality. What does “quantum” mean in this context? “Science and spirituality are both right, and both wrong,” he says, but what does that mean? Is mathematics the supreme language of communication these days, or just the best way to talk to the “high priests” of science? What is the relationship between artificial intelligence and artificial sentience, or consciousness? Can a computer ever be conscious? His theory completely overthrows materialism, and offers an entirely new direction for science. Can this theory, based on his experiences, lead others to those experiences – is it psychoactive and prescriptive? What does it mean to say that matter is merely a symbol? What role does light have to play in all this?

Federico talks about “consciousness units,” the place of free will, what happens after death, and why spiritual practitioners might be interested in his work. He then discusses his path of practice, and why he doesn’t adhere to any single tradition or teacher. What does he see as blinds spots in the wisdom traditions? Behind his amazing life is the deep quest to know; to understand the nature of reality and consciousness – and to help the world.