The Science of the 1st Person with Richard Lang

A last-minute change: Sadly, Bernardo can no longer make it today because of urgent developments with work. He apologises and will make up for it with an extra session later this month.

Instead, I'm delighted to welcome Richard Lang in his place. Richard is the world's foremost proponent of the Headless Way, a science of the first person that is of the deepest significance to our weekly enquiry.

Clues to reality in the dashboard of perception

In 1886, physicist and philosopher Ernst Mach drew his famous "View from the Left Eye". It's a sketch of the world that doesn't take an imagined third-person perspective, but instead depicts reality as it actually shows up: The blur of a nose. The arch of an eyebrow. A body trailing off into a room, with no head in sight.

Mach's point was that this inner perspective, the Innenperspektive, is where all experience begins, and that we habitually overlook it in favour of the third-person view.

This careful, empirical and direct investigation of experience was later developed by philosopher Douglas Harding as a "Science of the First Person". His Hierarchy of Heaven and Earth was called by C.S. Lewis “a work of the highest genius”, and gained the interest of contemporaries including Owen Barfield, Alan Watts and Aldous Huxley.

“Though in essence the same as Zen, Sufism, and other spiritual disciplines, this way proceeds in an unusually down-to-earth fashion.” — Douglas Harding

The approach claims you are more likely to see who you really are in a few minutes of experimentation than years of reading, meditation or traditional spiritual practice.

Richard has been a lifelong student of this Headless Way, steeped in both its practice and philosophy. (His discussion with Sam Harris is an excellent introduction.)

Today, he will introduce some essential observations that you can verify for yourself, followed by a Q&A.

I look forward to seeing you there.

With appreciation,

Amir

“fascinating and profound.” - Talulah M.

"You may feel like you are missing something at first if you are not familiar with the headless way, but even if that is the case, I promise you it is worth it." - Irene

“simple and transformative, really an incredible gift of instantly changed perception” - Megan O'Hanlon

Zoom Room

Tues 8th Sept, 2026
6-8pm UK time / 7-9pm CEST / 1-3pm EDT