Can You Be Conscious of Nothing? The Paradox of Pure Awareness

Send us Fan MailThis episode of Heliox explores the fascinating paradox of timelessness in deep meditation. Two engaging hosts unpack how meditators can experience states of pure consciousness where time seems to dissolve while maintaining awareness. Through an accessible discussion of philosophical concepts like the "extended phenomenal now" and the nature of self, they examine how we might experience duration without change and awareness without a distinct sense of "me." Drawing from Eastern traditions and modern philosophical work, they help listeners understand these seemingly contradictory experiences with helpful analogies and thoughtful analysis. Perfect for anyone curious about consciousness, meditation, and the mysteries of how we experience time. Akiko Frischhut, Awareness without time, The Philosophical Quarterly (2024)https://philarchive.org/rec/FRIAWT-2This is Heliox: Where Evidence Meets EmpathyIndependent, moderated, timely, deep, gentle, clinical, global, and community conversations about things that matter.  Breathe Easy, we go deep and lightly surface the big ideas. Support the showDisclosure: This podcast uses AI-generated synthetic voices for a material portion of the audio content, in line with Apple Podcasts guidelines. We make rigorous science accessible, accurate, and unforgettable.Produced by Michelle Bruecker and Scott Bleackley, it features reviews of emerging research and ideas from leading thinkers, curated under our creative direction with AI assistance for voice, imagery, and composition. Systemic voices and illustrative images of people are representative tools, not depictions of specific individuals.We dive deep into peer-reviewed research, pre-prints, and major scientific works—then bring them to life through the stories of the researchers themselves. Complex ideas become clear. Obscure discoveries become conversation starters. And you walk away understanding not just what scientists discovered, but why it matters and how they got there.Independent, moderated, timely, deep, gentle, clinical, global, and community conversations about things that matter.  Breathe Easy, we go deep and lightly surface the big ideas.Spoken word, short and sweet, with rhythm and a catchy beat.http://tinyurl.com/stonefolksongs