E181 - Joscha Bach: A Cognitive Scientist’s Guide to Consciousness & The Illusion of Reality
Tue Feb 03 2026
Joscha Bach explores the nature of consciousness, free will, and reality through the lens of computation, cognitive science, and philosophy. Rather than treating the mind as a mystical entity, Joscha frames consciousness as a constructed dream—a model generated by the brain to make sense of the world and coordinate behavior.
We examine why beliefs should remain provisional, how the self functions as a useful fiction, and why suffering emerges when internal learning signals misfire. Joscha explains why free will feels real even if decisions arise before awareness, how meaning exists beyond the individual ego, and why wisdom is not simply knowledge but the ability to orient oneself within larger systems of value.
BON CHARGE - 15% off red light therapy products I personally use
https://www.boncharge.com/knowthyself
[Code: KNOWTHYSELF]
André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list
___________
00:00 Intro: Josha Bach
04:24 Agnosticism, Evidence, and Logical Alternatives
11:20 Reality as a Mental Simulation
13:00 What Physicalism Actually Claims
16:55 Telepathy, Rituals, and Distributed Minds
19:45 Consciousness Does Not Make Decisions
22:55 Free Will as a Post-Hoc Story
24:00 Consciousness as a Trance State
26:00 Meditation and the Illusion of Self
29:10 Out-of-Body Experiences Explained
31:07 Ad: BON CHARGE
36:30 Why the Brain Fills in Missing Reality
39:50 Dreams, Selves, and Narrative Identity
43:20 Intelligence, Models, and World-Building
47:10 Why Reality Feels Stable
51:00 Meaning, Agency, and Mental Compression
55:10 Why Consciousness Feels Central (But Isn’t)
59:30 The Psychological World vs Physical Reality
1:04:10 Intelligence Without Awareness
1:08:45 The Cost of Believing the Self Is Real
1:13:30 Waking Up From the Narrative
1:18:40 What a Cognitive Science View Really Implies
1:23:30 Final Thoughts: Living Inside the Dream
___________
Episode Resources:
https://www.cimc.ai/
https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/
https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/
https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast
https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com
More
Joscha Bach explores the nature of consciousness, free will, and reality through the lens of computation, cognitive science, and philosophy. Rather than treating the mind as a mystical entity, Joscha frames consciousness as a constructed dream—a model generated by the brain to make sense of the world and coordinate behavior. We examine why beliefs should remain provisional, how the self functions as a useful fiction, and why suffering emerges when internal learning signals misfire. Joscha explains why free will feels real even if decisions arise before awareness, how meaning exists beyond the individual ego, and why wisdom is not simply knowledge but the ability to orient oneself within larger systems of value. BON CHARGE - 15% off red light therapy products I personally use https://www.boncharge.com/knowthyself [Code: KNOWTHYSELF] André's Book Recs: https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com/book-list ___________ 00:00 Intro: Josha Bach 04:24 Agnosticism, Evidence, and Logical Alternatives 11:20 Reality as a Mental Simulation 13:00 What Physicalism Actually Claims 16:55 Telepathy, Rituals, and Distributed Minds 19:45 Consciousness Does Not Make Decisions 22:55 Free Will as a Post-Hoc Story 24:00 Consciousness as a Trance State 26:00 Meditation and the Illusion of Self 29:10 Out-of-Body Experiences Explained 31:07 Ad: BON CHARGE 36:30 Why the Brain Fills in Missing Reality 39:50 Dreams, Selves, and Narrative Identity 43:20 Intelligence, Models, and World-Building 47:10 Why Reality Feels Stable 51:00 Meaning, Agency, and Mental Compression 55:10 Why Consciousness Feels Central (But Isn’t) 59:30 The Psychological World vs Physical Reality 1:04:10 Intelligence Without Awareness 1:08:45 The Cost of Believing the Self Is Real 1:13:30 Waking Up From the Narrative 1:18:40 What a Cognitive Science View Really Implies 1:23:30 Final Thoughts: Living Inside the Dream ___________ Episode Resources: https://www.cimc.ai/ https://www.instagram.com/andreduqum/ https://www.instagram.com/knowthyself/ https://www.youtube.com/@knowthyselfpodcast https://www.knowthyselfpodcast.com