Finding Purpose

Human caring in a random universe.

Consciousness
Prediction, Survival, and the Origins of Feeling

Ralph Lewis M.D. on March 4, 2026

What if staying alive depends on minimizing surprise? The Free Energy Principle suggests conscious feeling may be what it is like to regulate uncertainty in order to survive.

What if staying alive depends on minimizing surprise? The Free Energy Principle suggests conscious feeling may be what it is like to regulate uncertainty in order to survive.

Cognition
How Shared Symbols Create Lives Worth Living

Ralph Lewis M.D. on February 5, 2026

Shared meanings create institutions with real power. They also enable us to construct personal narratives that give our lives coherence, identity, and purpose.

Shared meanings create institutions with real power. They also enable us to construct personal narratives that give our lives coherence, identity, and purpose.

Cognition
How Meanings Became Shareable Across Minds

Ralph Lewis M.D. on February 3, 2026

Meaning doesn’t stay inside individual brains. Shared attention and language allow meaning to become symbolic, social, and cumulative.

Meaning doesn’t stay inside individual brains. Shared attention and language allow meaning to become symbolic, social, and cumulative.

Neuroscience
How Meaning Emerges From Brain Circuitry

Ralph Lewis M.D. on January 26, 2026

How do electrical signals become "about" something? Through purely physical processes, neural networks transform activity into meanings that shape perception and action.

How do electrical signals become "about" something? Through purely physical processes, neural networks transform activity into meanings that shape perception and action.

Consciousness
How Did Meaning Emerge in a Meaningless Universe?

Ralph Lewis M.D. on January 15, 2026

Information pervades the universe, yet means nothing. Meaning emerged when matter organized into systems that could fail—systems with goals and stakes in their own survival.

Information pervades the universe, yet means nothing. Meaning emerged when matter organized into systems that could fail—systems with goals and stakes in their own survival.

Cognition
Steven Pinker on the Recursive Loop That Made Us Human

Ralph Lewis M.D. on October 14, 2025

Pinker's new book reveals how recursive mentalizing—thinking about thinking—may be the hidden engine of human life, from social norms to consciousness.

Pinker's new book reveals how recursive mentalizing—thinking about thinking—may be the hidden engine of human life, from social norms to consciousness.

Cognition
Where Do Cognition and Consciousness Begin?

Ralph Lewis M.D. on September 18, 2025

Which creatures truly count as cognitive? And which as conscious? From simple organisms to humans, scientists debate the boundaries—and how learning capacity helps define them.

Which creatures truly count as cognitive? And which as conscious? From simple organisms to humans, scientists debate the boundaries—and how learning capacity helps define them.

Cognition
The Mind's Eye: Mental Models in Cognition and Consciousness

Ralph Lewis M.D. on August 21, 2025

Cognition can be defined as the brain's ability to build mental models of the world. Such capacity appears to be a crucial ingredient for the emergence of consciousness.

Cognition can be defined as the brain's ability to build mental models of the world. Such capacity appears to be a crucial ingredient for the emergence of consciousness.

Cognition
Defining Cognition Matters for Understanding Consciousness

Ralph Lewis M.D. on August 14, 2025

Cognition lacks a standard definition. A clearer understanding of it and its evolution in animals is key to unlocking the mystery of consciousness, with implications for AI.

Cognition lacks a standard definition. A clearer understanding of it and its evolution in animals is key to unlocking the mystery of consciousness, with implications for AI.

Consciousness
How Sentience Emerged From the Ancient Mists of Evolution

Ralph Lewis M.D. on January 23, 2025

“Neurobiological emergentism” explains how sentience—the subjective feeling aspects of consciousness—developed in ancient animals that evolved the first complex neural systems.

“Neurobiological emergentism” explains how sentience—the subjective feeling aspects of consciousness—developed in ancient animals that evolved the first complex neural systems.

Emotions
Emotions Are Key to Understanding Consciousness

Ralph Lewis M.D. on September 15, 2024

Understanding emotions may be fundamental to understanding subjective experience. Unlike other forms of information processing, you can’t have a feeling without feeling it.

Understanding emotions may be fundamental to understanding subjective experience. Unlike other forms of information processing, you can’t have a feeling without feeling it.

Emotions
How Does the Brain Actually Produce Emotions?

Ralph Lewis M.D. on September 2, 2024

There are competing theories regarding the extent to which emotions are innate, hard-wired, and universal vs. constructed by high-level cognitive processes, experience, and culture.

There are competing theories regarding the extent to which emotions are innate, hard-wired, and universal vs. constructed by high-level cognitive processes, experience, and culture.

Emotions
Where Do Emotions Come From?

Ralph Lewis M.D. on August 22, 2024

Scientists disagree on whether the cerebral cortex—the more evolved part of the brain—is necessary for conscious emotional experience, and indeed for consciousness itself.

Scientists disagree on whether the cerebral cortex—the more evolved part of the brain—is necessary for conscious emotional experience, and indeed for consciousness itself.

Emotions
What Actually Are Emotions?

Ralph Lewis M.D. on August 16, 2024

We are intimately familiar with them but defining them is harder than it seems. Understanding how emotions give rise to subjective feelings is key to understanding consciousness.

We are intimately familiar with them but defining them is harder than it seems. Understanding how emotions give rise to subjective feelings is key to understanding consciousness.

Moral Injury
Moral Courage as the Antidote to Moral Injury

Ralph Lewis M.D. on March 26, 2024

For some journalists, ignoring the crimes of corrupt or genocidal politicians, human traffickers, and drug cartels is worse than facing the repercussions of exposing such crimes.

For some journalists, ignoring the crimes of corrupt or genocidal politicians, human traffickers, and drug cartels is worse than facing the repercussions of exposing such crimes.

Free Will
Do We Have Free Will? How the Brain Makes Decisions

Ralph Lewis M.D. on January 31, 2024

As brains evolved in complexity, they acquired top-down control systems, such that bottom-up inputs cannot completely predict behavioral outputs. Does this mean we have free-will?

As brains evolved in complexity, they acquired top-down control systems, such that bottom-up inputs cannot completely predict behavioral outputs. Does this mean we have free-will?

Consciousness
The Predictive Brain and the 'Hard Problem' of Consciousness

Ralph Lewis M.D. on November 25, 2023

Predictive processing theories are unlocking deep mysteries of the mind. Solving the hard problem of consciousness will require a multifaceted approach and an evolutionary lens.

Predictive processing theories are unlocking deep mysteries of the mind. Solving the hard problem of consciousness will require a multifaceted approach and an evolutionary lens.

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July 2026
26 Keys to Thriving

From the power of pausing to the ability to ignore, we’ve culled 26 simple, actionable measures for gaining a sense of control and living a meaningful life.

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Self Tests are all about you. Are you outgoing or introverted? Are you a narcissist? Does perfectionism hold you back? Find out the answers to these questions and more with Psychology Today.

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