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Episode details

Radio 4,19 May 2026,28 mins

What do out-of-body experiences tell us about consciousness?

All in the Mind

Available for over a year

What would you say is the difference between the mind and the brain? Claudia delves into this complex question after listener Paul got in touch to ask about Near Death Experiences. What can they tell us about the mind, the brain and who we are? Anil Seth, Professor of Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex and author of Being You tackles this profound topic. Studio guest Catherine Loveday discusses brand new research on how exactly the brain brings old memories from our pasts into our minds. And Anita got in touch after hearing our discussion of knowledge theft, asking what motivates idea-stealing and whether it’s always intentional. Lillian Ellis, Assistant Professor at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia shares the evidence on 'cryptomnesia' - the common act of plagiarising ideas unconsciously. Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Erika Wright Editor: Ilan Goodman Production coordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth Studio engineers: Mary Stone and Sue Maillot

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