EBTV presents host Evita Ochel with special guest Dr. Jon Lieff sharing Dr. Lieff’s research about the mind and its presence in the natural world.

Dr. Lieff is a graduate of Yale and Harvard Medical School. He is a practicing psychiatrist with specialties in the interface of psychiatry, neurology and medicine. He has written and edited books on geriatric psychiatry and wrote two of the first books on high technology in psychiatry, and has been featured in numerous popular media.

Specific topics covered in the video episode are as follows:

1) An explanation of the mind-brain-consciousness connection. (1:37:08)

  • the relationship and connections
  • the Materialist position on the mind
  • the Idealist/Spiritualist view of the mind creating the brain position
  • the orders of magnitude that the mind spans

2) An explanation of neuroplasticity. (9:03:11)

  • leaving behind the view of the static brain
  • the functioning of new brain cell centers
  • the fallible nature of memories
  • how it occurs throughout the brain
  • how different cells adapt

3) An explanation of the role of meditation on brain changes. (19:20:20)

  • the impacts of external influence on the brain
  • the conscious vs unconscious activity
  • a look at the 3 main types of meditation and their effect on the brain

4) An explanation of the role of nature on brain changes. (26:27:14)

  • challenges of the current, modern lifestyle
  • the problems of “noise” in our society
  • nature as a form or fast and meditation
  • learning to co-exist with nature

5) An explanation of the idea of “mind as an integral aspect of nature”. (30:37:03)

  • exploring animal intelligence
  • why animals studied in labs do not show accurate results of animal behaviour
  • plant intelligence
  • microbe intelligence
  • the complex nature of mind
  • mind being present in individual cells

6) An explanation of some research findings with respect to animal intelligence and emotions. (37:54:03)

  • examples with respect to specific animals
  • the intelligence of birds, lizards and bees that have no cortex, including specific examples

7) An explanation of some research findings with respect to plant intelligence. (46:53:25)

  • plant communication systems
  • plant-fungal interactions, ex: nitrogen fixation

8) An explanation of some research findings with respect to microbe intelligence. (52:02:10)

  • microbe communication
  • microbe interactions with human beings
  • the microbe - red meat - disease connection

9) An explanation of the role of genes and environment on our mind and well-being. (56:05:13)

  • ENCODE project
  • the complexity of the genome
  • a look at understanding jumping genes
  • composition of DNA and its implications

10) An explanation about the imbalances of the mind prevalent in our society. (1:06:38:14)

  • the impacts of our modern lifestyles
  • solutions for a better approach to mind health

11) An explanation of “expect to see over the coming years in the scientific understanding of the connection between mind and the material world.” (1:11:19:03)

  • the effects of various activities on the mind
  • how consciousness can change the brain
  • the role of quantum science in biology
  • energy fields in the brain
  • future trends in the science of the mind

12) Closing comments from Dr. Lieff. (1:16:37:12)