Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
"What if your “good life” is built on something fragile?
In this excerpt from a larger conversation, John and Ethan roleplay through both the theistic and atheistic stances, challenging the idea that comfort equals truth and argues that meaning requires responsibility, not luck. The discussion moves from fear and self-deception to a deeper question: what does it actually take to grow into a meaningful life?"
Full video: youtube.com/watch?v=9qVLqLg49Pg
Join the full course Between East and West
lectern.johnvervaeke.com/courses/between-east-and-west
If you would like to donate purely out of goodwill to support John’s work, please consider joining our Patreon. patreon.com/johnvervaeke
John Vervaeke:
johnvervaeke.com
twitter.com/drjohnvervaeke
youtube.com/@johnvervaeke
patreon.com/johnvervaeke
"What if your “good life” is built on something fragile?
In this excerpt from a larger conversation, John and Ethan roleplay through both the theistic and atheistic stances, challenging the idea that comfort equals truth and argues that meaning requires responsibility, not luck. The discussion moves from fear and self-deception to a deeper question: what does it actually take to grow into a meaningful life?"
Full video: youtube.com/watch?v=9qVLqLg49Pg
Join the full course Between East and West
lectern.johnvervaeke.com/courses/between-east-and-west
If you would like to donate purely out of goodwill to support John’s work, please consider joining our Patreon. patreon.com/johnvervaeke
John Vervaeke:
johnvervaeke.com
twitter.com/drjohnvervaeke
youtube.com/@johnvervaeke
patreon.com/johnvervaeke



![Exploring the Mind: John Vervaeke on Relevance Realization and Consciousness
In Episode 3 of the Active Inference Insights series, host Darius Parvizi-Wayne welcomes John Vervaeke for an insightful discussion bridging cognitive science and philosophy. The episode delves into topics like relevance realization, evolutionary processes in cognition, and understanding cultural variations in self-modeling. Verveke articulates the dynamic nature of cognition and its relationship with the environment, challenging traditional views on consciousness and the subjective-objective divide. Listeners will better understand how computational models and philosophical frameworks can synergistically enhance our comprehension of the mind and its processes. This episode is a thought-provoking journey that connects cognitive science theories with philosophical inquiries, offering listeners nuanced perspectives on the complexity of human cognition and its implications for meaning in life.
Glossary of Terms
4E Cognitive Science: A view of cognition as embodied, embedded, enacted, and extended.
Relevance Realization: The ability to focus on salient information in a complex environment.
Predictive Processing: A framework in cognitive science that describes how the brain makes predictions about incoming sensory information.
Opponent Processing: A concept in biology where two subsystems work in opposition to regulate functions like arousal.
Resources and References:
Darius Parvizi
X: https://twitter.com/dparviziwayne
Active Inference Institute: https://www.activeinference.org/
Active Inference Insights: https://www.youtube.com/@ActiveInference
John Vervaeke
Website: https://johnvervaeke.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VervaekeJohn/
X: https://twitter.com/vervaeke_john
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@johnvervaeke
The Vervaeke Foundation: https://vervaekefoundation.org/
Awaken to Meaning
John Vervaeke YouTube
Awakening from the Meaning Crisis
After Socrates
The Crossroads of Predictive Processing and Relevance Realization | Leiden Symposium
Timestamped Highlights
[00:00:00] - Darius Parvizi Wayne introduces the episode and guest John Verveke, highlighting Johns expertise in psychology, cognitive science, and Buddhist philosophy.
[00:06:17] - John Verveke discusses the evolution of cognitive functions and the role of evolution in shaping cognition.
[00:11:40] - Explanation of the autonomic nervous system, detailing how its two subsystems with opposite biases work together to regulate bodily functions.
[00:14:43] - The conversation delves into the nature of problem-solving, exploring how organisms predict and prepare for future states.
[00:22:23] - The concept of hyperbolic discounting in cognition is examined, analyzing its impact on decision-making and goal pursuit.
[00:26:20] - Discussion on the role of affordances in predictive processing, exploring how environments offer action possibilities to organisms.
[00:31:34] - Conversation on the analogy between relevance realization and evolutionary processes, highlighting the dynamic nature of cognitive adaptation.
[00:38:00] - The existential imperative is clarified in the context of the free energy principle, exploring its implications in cognitive science.
[00:53:00] - Consciousness and the subject-object distinction are addressed, challenging traditional cognitive models and exploring interrelational perspectives.
[00:56:35] - Cultural and historical influences on cognitive processes are explored, examining how these factors shape our understanding of cognition.
[00:57:13] - John Verveke discusses the hermeneutics of suspicion in cognitive science, questioning the distinction between appearance and reality.
[01:04:49] - The role of perception and its function in cognitive processes are discussed, emphasizing the interconnectedness of perception and cognition.
[01:11:19] - The concepts of ontological and phenomenal self-modeling are delved into, discussing how these models influence cognitive processes.
[01:14:00] - Self-modeling and its cultural variations are discussed, highlighting the diversity in conceptualizing the self across different cultures.
[01:18:16] - Agency and selfhood in cognitive processes are examined, focusing on how these concepts enhance predictive agency in the world.
[01:22:01] - Exploration of self-modeling under flow states and their impact on cognitive processes.
[01:35:54] - Analysis of arousal in the context of meta motivational theory, discussing how arousal is framed differently based on goals and motivations.
[01:38:04] - Discussion of the intersection of philosophical concepts and computational models in cognitive science, emphasizing the importance of integrating these approaches to enhance understanding without oversimplifying complex phenomena.
[01:46:26] - Overview of a talk integrating predictive processing and relevance realization theory, offering insights into their combined impact on cognitive science. Exploring the Mind: John Vervaeke on Relevance Realization and Consciousness](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ev5LWNXzET4/mqdefault.jpg)






![Exploring the Connection Between Wisdom, Love, and the Really Real
Elizabeth Oldfield is a writer, speaker, and advocate for intentional community living based in South London. Her work, including her book Fully Alive, explores the intersections of faith, culture, and ethics through a deeply personal lens.
In a world that often trivializes love and deep connections, how can we cultivate a life of wisdom, virtue, and transcendence amidst our finite existence and growing polarization?
Join John Vervaeke and Elizabeth Oldfield in a profound dialogue that explores these critical themes of human existence, drawing from Platonic to Christian thought and emphasizing the transformative power of dialogical reasoning, cognitive flexibility, and awe. Elizabeth Oldfield shares insights from her book Fully Alive, an Augustinian blend of autobiographical confession and psycho-spiritual reflection that highlights relational living and the transformative power of love. The conversation addresses the trivialization of love in modern culture and advocates for a deeper understanding while navigating the complexities of polarization in politics, the comparison between psychedelic and spiritual experiences, and the intrinsic value of community and wisdom traditions in achieving a virtuous life. Discover the necessity of grounding transformative experiences in communal practices for genuine personal and societal transformation in this thought-provoking discussion.
Support Johns groundbreaking work and gain exclusive access to live Q&A sessions, early video releases, and more by joining our Patreon community! https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke
Discover a profound exploration of love, wisdom, and the human soul in Elizabeth Oldfields upcoming book, Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times. https://www.amazon.com/Fully-Alive-Tending-Turbulent-Times/dp/1587436507
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“I can close my eyes now and know myself’s seen, and the deep knowing of the presence of love in my life and the way that every other moment of love, and encounter, and intimacy reflects that is the ground of my being.” - Elizabeth Oldfield [00:32:48]
Wisdom is about this loving enhancement of our connectedness. The wise person can go into a complex, messy, ill-defined situation and home in on whats relevant, summoning their agency in the right way so that they are properly responsible. - John Vervaeke [00:31:04]
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0:00 Introduction to Voices with Vervaeke: Elizabeth Oldfield
1:30 Elizabeth Oldfield: Life, Faith, and the Quest for Existential Satisfaction
2:50 Exploring Fully Alive: Deep Dialogues on Belonging, Soul, and Existential Satisfaction
6:05 Platos Insights on the Psyche, Inner Conflict, and the Pursuit of Inner Fullness
10:20 The Quest for Inner Peace, Wisdom, and Understanding Sin
14:20 The Interplay of Love, Wisdom, and the Divine in the Pursuit of Fully Aliveness
27:15 Unpacking the Realization of the Really Real: Connectedness, Love, and Presence
45:50 Identity, Cultural Scripts, and the Tension between Faith and Intellect
47:45 Expanding Our Understanding of Intelligence, Reality, and the Role of Attention
1:00:40 The Challenge of Authentic Love, Reverence, and Awe in a Trivialized World
1:13:10 Reverence, Awe, and the Cultivation of Virtue on the Path to Wisdom
1:22:50 Concluding Reflections on Love, Wisdom, and the Pursuit of Fully Aliveness
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Join the Vervaeke Foundation in our mission to advance the scientifically rigorous pursuit of wisdom and make a meaningful impact in the world. https://vervaekefoundation.org/
Discover practices that deepen your virtues and help you connect more deeply with reality and relationships by joining Awaken to Meaning today. https://awakentomeaning.com/
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Authors, Ideas, and Works Mentioned in this Episode
Plato
Freud
Pascal
Dialogos
Kenosis
Thumos
Homo Inconvartis in Se
Plato’s Dialogues
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Follow John Vervaeke:
https://johnvervaeke.com/
https://twitter.com/vervaeke_john
https://www.youtube.com/@johnvervaeke
https://www.patreon.com/johnvervaeke
Follow Elizabeth Oldfield:
https://www.elizabetholdfield.com/
https://www.instagram.com/elizabethsaraholdfield
https://twitter.com/esoldfield
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Thank you for watching! Exploring the Connection Between Wisdom, Love, and the Really Real](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GDPBQBOXLi4/mqdefault.jpg)