Session 5

9:15 to 10:15 AM
Consciousness 2

Techniques for Achieving The Biological Overview Effect

Presenter: Carl Hayden Smith

Can techniques such as journaling, umwelt hacking (interbeing), dream hacking and DMTx lead to the biological overview effect? Does an awareness of the cyclical nature of multiple mechanisms of reality (death literacy) lead us all to perceptual flexibility, conscious state shifting and cognitive diversity and or are we just building new realms of augmented escapism?

Carl Hayden Smith is the Interim Head of Research, Director of the Learning Technology Research Centre (LTRC) and Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Creativity & Technology, Ravensbourne University London. Carl has 20 years' experience conducting R+D into the application of hybrid technologies for perceptual, cognitive and creative transformation. He is focused on using both the technological and biological means to alter, probe and study the spectral nature of consciousness. His research focuses on generating new forms of media including Neuroadaptive Mixed Reality Training, Natural Media and Wearable experience (WE). Raising over £10 million in research funding, Carl has worked on numerous large-scale Leonardo LifeLong Learning, Erasmus+, FP7, XPRIZE and Horizon European projects including: Wearable Experience (WEKIT), REAP, AR4EU (Code Reality), Hobs Academy (LLDC), Hyperhumanism, Contextology (Context Engineering) and Holotechnica.Academy. Carl has given over 300 invited public lectures, conference presentations and keynotes in 40 countries and published more than 100 academic papers. His research interests include Embodied Cognition, Spatial Literacy, Umwelt Hacking, Sensory Augmentation, Artificial Senses and Body Hacking.