Inside Voice: What Can Our Thoughts Reveal About the Nature of Consciousness?
2026-02-23T19:31:56ZImpressions, a stream of consciousness, or maybe even deliberate, careful pondering: These are just some of the activities going on in our minds at any given time. In this edited excerpt of his new book, A World Appears, Michael Pollan embarks on an experiment to document what’s happening in his brain at random points during the day. This a fascinating piece about the nature of consciousness, perhaps proof that the most mysterious place we can explore is the space between our ears.
I also got down on myself for the sheer tedium of my inner experiences. Most of my beeps caught me in moments so banal and quotidian as to be embarrassing. Where were the big thoughts about writing or the reflections on the state of the world or the contemplations of my relationships and emotions? Where were the daydreams and mind-wanderings, the worries and ruminations? And what about the sexual fantasies? (My inner thoughts would have put Dr Freud to sleep.)
Herewith I present a sampling of my collected beeps, chosen more or less at random. A beagle, off leash, is walking toward me on the sidewalk. Beep: Wonder if he’ll come close enough to let me pet him; hope so. I’m at the car mechanic, picking up my car after it’s been serviced (to the tune of $2,400). Eddy, the mechanic, wants to show me how the finish is beginning to oxidise; he recommends I reach out to this specialist he knows who can buff and wax it. “He makes house calls.” Beep: Oh great. How much more is this going to set me back?
from Longreads https://longreads.com/2026/02/23/inside-voice-what-can-our-thoughts-reveal-about-the-nature-of-consciousness/
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