At the heart of Zoltan Torey's original theory of consciousness lies the unique human capacity for language. Not merely referring to our physical ability to communicate with speech or sign, Torey is pointing to the potent interior landscape that language makes possible, a landscape that bestows upon us the capacity for self reflection, complex analysis, and the ability to choose how and when to act. It is in this language-enabled interiority where self-awareness arises, where consciousness is experienced, where free will is exercised, and where we humans stand alone and above all other earthly forms of life—no longer shackled to the purely mechanical reflexes of our biology.

Torey, as a dedicated scientist and theorist, adheres naturally to the standards of good science, embracing only those conclusions that are upheld by sound reasoning, careful analysis, and methodical testing. But as an adventurer at the frothy edge of a still fledgling science, his sense of profound awe and personal passion for probing the unknown landscapes that literally define our existence—and indeed, the existence of the universe itself—shine brightly through. In this extraordinary meeting of scientific and philosophical perspectives, in a focused conversation on the nature of consciousness and self, Torey and Cohen actually seem to push the boundaries of self-awareness, expanding the conversation, the context, and our collective consciousness in the process.

more about: