Susan Blackmore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Susan Blackmore
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Blackmore in 2014
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| Born |
Susan Jane Blackmore
29 July 1951 |
| Education | St Hilda's College, Oxford University of Surrey |
| Occupation | Freelance writer, lecturer, broadcaster |
| Spouse(s) |
Tom Troscianko
(m. 1977; div. 2009)Adam Hart-Davis
(m. 2010) |
| Children | 2 |
Susan Jane Blackmore, born on July 29, 1951, is a British writer, speaker, and broadcaster. She is also a visiting professor at the University of Plymouth. Her work focuses on interesting topics like memetics (how ideas spread), parapsychology (studying psychic abilities), and consciousness (what it means to be aware). She is well-known for her book The Meme Machine. Susan Blackmore has written or helped write over 40 books and 60 articles for experts. She also writes for The Guardian newspaper.
Contents
Susan Blackmore's Journey and Work
Early Education and Research
Susan Blackmore finished her studies at St Hilda's College, Oxford, in 1973. She earned a degree in psychology and physiology. In 1974, she received a master's degree in environmental psychology from the University of Surrey. She continued her studies at the same university. In 1980, she earned her PhD in parapsychology. Her PhD paper was about "Extrasensory Perception as a Cognitive Process."
From Believer to Skeptic
In the 1980s, Blackmore did experiments on psychokinesis. This is the idea of moving things with your mind. She even tried to see if her baby daughter, Emily, could affect a machine that made random numbers. These experiments were mentioned in a book for the TV show Arthur C. Clarke's World of Strange Powers.
Blackmore taught at the University of the West of England until 2001. At first, she believed in psychic and paranormal things. But after doing more research, she became a sceptic. This means she started to doubt these things.
A Special Experience and New Views
In 1987, Blackmore wrote about an out-of-body experience (OBE) she had. This happened soon after she started leading a group that studied psychic research at Oxford University.
She described it as feeling very real, like she was floating outside her body. She felt like she could fly and even had a mystical experience. At the time, it felt completely true. However, she later realized that the idea of "astral projection" (where a spirit leaves the body) didn't make sense scientifically.
In 2000, she wrote in New Scientist about how her views changed. She said that her dramatic out-of-body experience made her believe in psychic things. It made her think that consciousness could exist outside the body. She also thought that death might not be the end. But after a few years of careful experiments, she found no real psychic events. Instead, she found wishful thinking, people tricking themselves, mistakes in experiments, and sometimes even fraud. This made her become a skeptic.
She is now a member of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. In 1991, she received an award from them for being a distinguished skeptic.
Research on Sleep and Ideas
Blackmore also studied sleep paralysis. This is when you wake up but can't move. Barbara Rowland wrote in The Observer that Blackmore did a big study from 1996 to 1999. Most of the "paranormal" experiences people reported in the study were actually cases of sleep paralysis.
Blackmore has done a lot of research on memes. Memes are like ideas or behaviors that spread from person to person. She wrote about them in her popular book The Meme Machine. She also studies evolutionary theory. Her book Consciousness: An Introduction (2004) is a textbook. It covers many different ideas about what consciousness is.
She was part of the team that edited the Journal of Memetics from 1997 to 2001. She has also been an editor for the Skeptical Inquirer since 1998.
Public Appearances and Debates
Blackmore was one of the psychologists on the British TV show Big Brother. She talked about how the contestants were feeling. She is also a supporter of Humanists UK.
In 2007, Blackmore had a debate with Christian writer Alister McGrath. They discussed whether God exists. In 2018, she debated Jordan Peterson about whether God is needed to understand life.
In 2017, Blackmore spoke at the 17th European Skeptics Congress in Poland. She joined other experts to talk about skeptical psychology.
Understanding Memes and Culture
What are Memes?
Susan Blackmore has greatly helped the field of memetics. The word meme was first used by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene. In the introduction to Blackmore's book The Meme Machine (1999), Dawkins praised her work. He said she gave the idea of the meme its best chance to be understood. Other books, like The Electric Meme by Robert Aunger, also mention Blackmore's ideas.
Blackmore believes that memes are like genes. They are "replicators" that evolve over time. Just like genes pass on biological traits, memes pass on cultural ideas. She thinks that imitation, or copying others, is key to how memes spread. Recent research on mirror neurons (brain cells that fire when we do an action or see someone else do it) supports her ideas. These neurons might be special in humans and help us imitate.
In 2008, Blackmore introduced a new type of meme called temes. Temes are memes that live in technology, not just in human minds.
Thoughts on Religion
Blackmore has written about both the good and bad parts of religion. She has said that many false ideas can spread easily in religions. These include ideas like a creator god, virgin births, or women being less important. She notes that religions often tell people to have faith and not doubt. They also promise big rewards or punishments after death.
However, Blackmore also sees good things in religion. She likes the wisdom found in many spiritual traditions. These include ideas about who we are, time, and how things change. She also thinks that humans need rituals for important events like birth, death, and celebrations.
She believes that humanism offers a way to have these rituals without religion. She enjoys humanist ceremonies and finds them refreshing. She also likes that these ceremonies can include different songs, music, and words. Even though she doesn't believe in God, she still enjoys old hymns from her childhood. She thinks we should build on our traditions instead of throwing everything away.
In 2010, Blackmore wrote in The Guardian that she no longer calls religion simply a "virus of the mind." She explained that if a "virus" can also be helpful to its host, then the term might apply. She changed her view because she saw good effects of religion. For example, religious people might have more children. They also tend to be more generous and cooperate more in games. Thinking about religious ideas or a "supernatural watcher" can also increase these effects.
Susan Blackmore's Personal Life
Blackmore supports secular spirituality, which means finding meaning without religion. She is an atheist, meaning she does not believe in God. She is also a humanist. She practices Zen, a type of meditation, but she says she is "not a Buddhist" because she doesn't follow all the rules. She is a patron of Humanists UK. She is also an honorary member of the National Secular Society.
In 2010, Blackmore and 54 other public figures signed a letter. It was published in The Guardian. The letter stated their opposition to Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the UK.
Regarding her scientific understanding of consciousness, she believes it is an "illusion." She thinks that our feeling of being aware is a "grand delusion."
She is married to the writer Adam Hart-Davis. In 1995, Blackmore experienced chronic fatigue syndrome, a condition that causes extreme tiredness.
See also
In Spanish: Susan Blackmore para niños
