> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.withrealityinmind.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Seeing Without Eyes: The cusp of a major step forward? - URL: https://www.withrealityinmind.com/seeing-without-eyes-2/ - Published: 2026-02-19T16:58:55.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-20T15:26:15.000Z - Description: Q&A with Bernardo Kastrup on naturalism, empiricism & following your own intuition - Author: Amir Giles - Tags: recording Recording details Date: 18 February 2026 Duration: 2h 18m Free preview Chapters 0:00:00 Member introductions 0:07:40 Bernardo's schedule and book news 0:11:00 People have not grasped Analytic Idealism 0:14:00 **The core puzzle**: perception mediated by a dashboard after death 0:20:20 The most compelling reconciliation: telepathic & retrospective construction 0:24:50 Naturalism + empiricism vs poetic imagination & mysticism 0:28:40 Does "Seeing without Eyes" breaks Naturalism 0:35:00 Naturalism vs. Deliberate Design 0:40:00 The specific **predictive power of Analytic Idealism** 0:46:00 Seeing as a controlled hallucination 0:50:00 Federico Faggin's seity model 0:54:00 **How reliable are the NDE reports?** 0:59:00 The danger of **epicycles** & piling up anomalies 1:05:00 Naturalism vs Deliberation 1:13:00 **The break with naturalism explained** 1:21:00 The need to ground explanations 1:27:00 No issue with extra-sensory perception 1:32:00 **Parting with metaphysical certainty** 1:40:00 Difference between **dream vision & eyesight vision** 1:54:00 Jamey Hecht on theism and meaning 2:05:00 The "Poetic" vs. "Literal" way out In this session, Bernardo elaborates on why reports of seeing fresh, veridical information during near death experiences, ***if validated***, would be a challenge to the naturalist framework of Analytic Idealism. It involves really understanding nuances of his model: the difference between experience and representation, between what is 'really' out there and our perceptions mediated by the dashboard, between dashboard representation and the kind of truth we might gain through dreams and other extra-sensory perception. "It's not a problem of knowing, its a problem of the *mode* of knowing." Many people may have misunderstood what Bernardo is attempting to do with his philosophy; to be grounded in empiricism, to discern between philosophy and poetic imagination, and to make specific predictions without "massaging the data". If you've been at all confused by this recent topic, I know you'll get a lot out of this session. ### A major step forward? Equally important are some of the dynamics that could play out for us as individuals and a group, with Bernardo doubting some of the core tenets of Analytic Idealism. Here are some of his words on this point: "Even if analytical idealism turns out *not* to be right, (and the jury's out on that, I'm not calling it either way,)... it is miles ahead of the physicalist nonsense under which we have been living for the past 200 years. And in its being wrong, it will ...open the doors that can lead us to what is less wrong. I doubt monkeys can ever get to what is right. But I think monkeys can steadily be *less* wrong if they are disciplined and level-headed and rigorous about their approach to figuring out what's going on. So I am not too disturbed about this. I don't know where you are. I don't know if disturbs you, that the guy who is the spokesperson...says, well, it may be wrong. If it does, \[disturb you\] this is an invitation to self-reflection... how do I stand in this? What I see in others, does that apply to me in some way? Because these are the seminal moments of progression. This is when we really take a step forward. So maybe we are on the cusp of a major step forward here. So what I just said is not a criticism, it's an invitation to reflection. Goodness knows many of you are far ahead than me in many salient facets of what we are discussing here. You may not know that you are, but yeah, take my word for this." ### An invitation to self reflect In this spirit, I invite you to dive into the nuance and clarity of this session with your fanciest philosophical hat on, but also, with an open heart and a sense of your autonomy. Bernardo's encouragement; go with your own intuition. For a recap of many of the most salient points from previous meetings, you can watch this compilation of relevant moments from the last few meetings: There were other moments Bernardo wanted to keep private, and shared only with this group which aren't included above. You can find one in [this session](https://www.withrealityinmind.com/recording-is-love-fundamental-and-is-there-a-plan/) at around 1hr and 15 minutes, and another in the last 15 minutes of [this session.](https://www.withrealityinmind.com/new-year-reflections-intentions-ritual-soul/) I look forward to hearing your thoughts and reflections, as ever, on the Telegram group or in the comments below. With best wishes! Amir **Some topics discussed:** - Why naturalism is so importantly linked to empiricism - There is no issue with extra-sensory perception - Dream vision vs dashboard vision Speakers ![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c5/20/c520bbe6-927b-460d-bf38-d4f48d5dc338/content/images/2026/09/Bernardo-Kastrup-profile.jpg) Bernardo Kastrup Analytic idealism Bernardo Kastrup is the Executive Director of Essentia Foundation and Founder/CEO at AI systems company Euclyd BV. His work has set off the modern renaissance of metaphysical idealism. He has a Ph.D. in philosophy (ontology, philosophy of mind) and another in computer engineering (reconfigurable computing, artificial intelligence). As a scientist, he has worked for the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and the Philips Research Laboratories (where the ‘Casimir Effect’ of Quantum Field Theory was discovered). He has also been creatively active in the high-tech industry for almost 30 years, having founded parallel processor company Silicon Hive (acquired by Intel in 2011) and worked as a technology strategist for the geopolitically significant company ASML. Most recently, he has founded AI company Euclyd BV. Formulated in detail in many academic papers and books, his ideas have been featured in *Scientific American*, the magazine of *The Institute of Art and Ideas*, the *Blog of the American Philosophical Association* and *Big Think*, among others. His most defining book is *Analytic Idealism in a Nutshell: A straightforward summary of the 21st-century’s only plausible metaphysics.* [Explore Bernardo’s work →](https://www.bernardokastrup.com/?ref=withrealityinmind.com)